Hospitality and Tourism Management

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. What are the prerequisites for the program?

A. Students must have completed the equivalent of a high school diploma. There are no other requirements - there is an open enrollment policy. You may register for the full program, or take specific courses of interest. We do recommend that you have some event management experience, however, to fully benefit from the courses.

Q. How long do I have to complete the professional program in Event Management?

A. You have two years to complete the program once you have started in the first class.

Q. What is the cost of the courses and what is included in the cost?

A. The courses are $450.00 per course and are done over two days. A course workbook is given out for each class and refreshments are included.

Q. How many courses must I take to complete the professional program in Event Management?

A. You must complete seven courses, four required core courses and three electives.

Q. In what sequence should I take classes?

A. You should take the four core courses; Best Practices in Event Management, Event Coordination, Event Marketing, and Risk Management: Financial, Legal, and Ethical Safeguards. If schedule permits, Best Practices in Event Management should be taken first.

List of required courses:
Best Practices in Event Management
Event Coordination
Event Marketing
Risk Management: Financial, Legal, and Ethical Safeguards

List of elective courses:
Catering Design and Coordination
Event Fundraising and Sponsorship
Green Meetings and Events
Protocol for the Event Manager
Starting, Growing and Managing an Event Business
Wedding Planning, Coordination and Consulting Workshop

Q. What electives should I take?

A. You should take courses in which you are interested or ones that can help you pursue your goals best. You need to only take three elective courses.

Q. How many hours are the classes?

A. Each class is 12 hours long in duration. In-class instruction will include review of key topics in the manual, real life experiences, simulation scenarios, networking opportunities, etc. At the end of class you will be required to complete a quiz, 25 questions, a combination of true and false and multiple choice questions, relating to the teachings from manual. You must score 20 out of 25 to pass the class.

Q. What is the timing of the classes?

A. Courses are offered on weekends, Friday night from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Q. When are the schedules for the courses?

A. The schedules are posted here.

Q. When should I register for the courses?

A. Registration for the courses should be done four weeks prior to class commencing. There is no application process. You may register for classes as you go, enrolling in as few or as many classes as you like at a time.

Q. How do I register for the courses?

A. Once you have decided which courses to take, simply fill out the registration form and fax it to 416-979-5281 or email it back to eventmanagement@ryerson.ca. If you are emailing it back, please send the form as an attachment. Please register for courses at least four weeks prior to class commencing.

Q. When is payment due for the courses?

A. Payment is due four weeks prior to class commencing. cash, cheque, VISA, Mastercard, and American Express is accepted as payment.

Q. Confirmation of courses?

A. Confirmation details will be emailed to you two weeks prior to the class commencing. The information will contain the location of the classroom and the materials.

Q. What should I do with the course materials I receive?

A. You will receive a copy of the course workbook in your confirmation email. There is no need to print this as you will receive a hard copy in class, but please review the materials before coming to class. This way you can get the most out of the time in class.

Q. Are there required textbooks?

A. There are no required textbooks for the classes. In each class you will be given a workbook.

Q. What is the practicum?

A. A practicum is similar to an internship where you have a chance to get real experience by working in the events industry. We require you to give 100 hours to the practicum in one or more sites. Most students complete over 100 hours in practicum experience.

Q. Where should I do my practicum?

A. We ask that you select a practicum site that is different from your present work and something about which you would like to know more. For example, if you presently work in catering and know little about décor lighting, you should seek out a practicum in the décor or lighting fields.

Q. How do I find a place to do my 100 hours of practicum?

A. Students are expected to locate their own practicum placement. A good starting point might be contacting charitable and non-for-profit organizations, as well as long-running festivals and events.

Q. What is a portfolio?

A. Portfolio is a documentation of an actual event you have managed or helped coordinate. Guidance and materials are provided to help you develop your portfolio.

Q. Are the courses transferable?

A. The Event Management Program offered at Ryerson University is a non credit professional program. There are no grades associated with the courses. The marking scheme is a pass/fail for each course, thus, it is not transferable.

Q. Are these courses available online?

A. The professional program in Event management offered at Ryerson University is the same as the George Washington University Event Management Certificate Program. You can take our courses by distance learning. The cost is $450 USD per online course. For more information, please contact Lorra Jean-Price by email at eventmanagement@ryereson.ca.

Q. What if I have to cancel?

A. We hope that you will reschedule the class with us. Otherwise, up to 20 days prior to the start of class, a full refund is given. Within 20 days prior to the start of class, a $50 administration fee is charged and the balance is returned to you.

Q. Who are expected to participate in the program?

A. There are two groups of participants - those who have event experience and are using the courses/program for professional development, or those who are looking at event planning as their next career and are using the courses/program for educational development.

Q. Does this program give me an industry designation such as CSEP?

A. No. This program does not give you an industry designation upon completion. The International Special Events Society, ISES, is the recognized industry association. Only ISES can issue the industry designation of CSEP to individuals. For more information about the CSEP, visit the ISES website. There is also a Toronto chapter which meets once a month, usually includes a networking and educational portion at each of their meetings.

Q. What designations are available in the industry?

A. In the Meeting industry, there are two designations - Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Certified Meeting Manager (CMM). These are given out by Meeting Professional International (MPI). The association focuses more on the meeting and conferences aspect.

Q.  What credentials does this program give me?

A. Successful completion of this program gives you Recognition of Achievement in the Event Management Program. This is not a certified designation. You may, however, use this program towards a number of certifications such as the Certified Special Events professional (CSEP) designation or the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation.

If you have further questions, please send an email to  eventmanagement@ryerson.ca. or contact Lorra Jean-Price at 416-979-5366