Between the cultural industries and the leisure economy, a new sector is emerging: experience destinations. Theme parks, heritage sites, cultural resorts, immersive cultural venues… These organizations are looking for managers who can turn every visit into a memorable experience.
The Professional Bachelor in Leisure & Culture combines a culture of mediation, a sense of hospitality and mastery of operations: operations, marketing, sales, flow management and security. Backed by a level 6 RNCP title, this one-year work-study program prepares students for these hybrid careers, with the cultural grounding unique to IESA.
Key Information About the Bachelor
| Program | Professional Bachelor in Leisure & Culture - Managing Leisure Destinations and Cultural Experiences |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 year - 550 hours of in-person instruction |
| Location | Campus Le Delta - IESA arts&culture - Paris 5th arrondissement |
| Lateral Admission | Bac+2 completed or in progress |
| Start Date | September 2027 |
| Schedule | Work-study program: 1 week at school and 3 weeks at the company |
| CERTIFICATION | RNCP title no. 42851 - level 6 "Cultural Project Production Manager" |
| Funding | Apprenticeship, professionalization contract, CPF, or self-funding |
Why Is the Professional Bachelor in Leisure & Culture Right for You?
This program is for holders of a Bac+2 who want to specialize in managing leisure destinations and cultural experiences. It is particularly suited to profiles from tourism, management, communications, sports, or entertainment.
It may also suit:
- to young leisure-sector professionals changing careers or upskilling
- to enthusiasts of the world of amusement parks, resorts, and entertainment venues
- to applicants with initial experience in ticketing, reception, entertainment, or food service
Design memorable experiences Learn to use storytelling, theming, and scenography to build experiences suited to visitors.
Build a destination’s appeal
Work on its positioning, brand image, communications, and the marketing of its offerings.
Run operations and guest reception
Master the management of visitor flows, points of sale, operational teams, and audience safety.
What Are the Goals of This Program?
True to IESA’s DNA, the program is based on active learning: students work on real projects with partners in the sector. Case studies, site visits, meetings with professionals, a study trip, and company assignments punctuate the year.
- Practicing professional instructors
- Supervised projects with partners in the sector
- Visits to parks, cultural sites, and leisure facilities
- Individualized follow-up of the work-study path
What You Will Learn in This Program
The Cultural Project Production Manager title aims at the acquisition of the following skills:
- Structure a cultural project
- Manage the administrative, financial, and contractual dimensions of a cultural project
- Carry out a cultural project
- Develop and deploy marketing and communication actions around a cultural project
What Is the Curriculum of the Professional Bachelor in Leisure & Culture?
The program is organized around five teaching units devoted to experience design, marketing, operations management, safety, and professionalization.
Unit 1 - Design and Production of Cultural and Leisure Experiences
- Event project engineering: specifications, reverse schedule, budget, and impact assessment
- Storytelling, theming, and scenography of the visitor experience
- Creation and programming of cultural content for leisure sites: shows, exhibitions, and activities
- Coordination of artistic and technical providers
- Event logistics
- Cultural rights and intellectual property applied to events: artist contracts and broadcasting rights
Unit 2 - Marketing, Communication, and Sales
- Marketing for cultural and leisure destinations
- Positioning, brand image, and regional identity
- Visitor acquisition and retention strategies
- Digital communication and e-tourism
- Social media, SEO, influencer marketing, and online booking
- Package building and multichannel distribution
- Negotiating with OTAs, tour operators, and ticketing players
Unit 3 - Operations and Guest Services Management
- Managing points of sale: shops, food service, and ticketing
- Visitor flow management
- Guest services and service quality
- Inventory and supply management
- Merchandising
- Management of operational teams
- Planning, supervision, briefing, and management of seasonal human resources
Unit 4 - Legal Environment, Safety, and Risk Management
- Regulations for establishments open to the public
- Performing arts regulations
- Audience safety
- Safety plans, flow management, and risk prevention
- Procedures to follow in a crisis: terrorist attack, fire, or accident
- Legal framework of contracts with service providers, artists, and partners
Unit 5 - Sector Knowledge, Professionalization, and English
- Overview of the cultural and creative industries
- Players, business models, and trends
- Leisure and entertainment players: parks, resorts, cultural operators, and local authorities
- Professional English applied to guest services and negotiation
- Written and oral professional communication
- Preparation for entering the workforce: résumé, interview, and career plan
- Work-study follow-up
- Professional meetings
- Study trip
How Are Students Assessed?
This program prepares students for the level 6 title “Cultural Project Production Manager,” registered with the RNCP. The certification is based on the validation of four skills blocks, each assessed through concrete professional scenarios and expected deliverables.
- Block 1: Structuring a cultural project
Professional simulation (case study). Professional project as part of conceptualizing a real or fictional cultural project. - Block 2: Managing the administrative, financial, and contractual dimensions of a cultural project
Practical case. Professional project as part of conceptualizing a real or fictional cultural project. - Block 3: Implementing a cultural project
Professional simulation (case study). Professional project as part of conceptualizing a real or fictional cultural project. - Block 4: Developing and deploying marketing and communication actions around a cultural project
Professional simulations (case study). Professional project as part of conceptualizing a real or fictional cultural project.
Project-Based Learning
The Professional Bachelor in Leisure & Culture trains managers able to design visitor experiences and lead the various activities of a cultural or leisure destination.
In particular, the program teaches you to:
- design and produce a cultural or leisure experience
- program shows, exhibitions, and activities
- develop a marketing and sales strategy
- organize visitor reception and flow management
- manage the shops, restaurants, and ticketing
- manage operational teams
- apply the legal and safety rules specific to establishments open to the public
Open Day: December 5
Open days let you discover the campus, meet the teams, ask your questions about the program, admissions, work-study, student projects and career opportunities.
It is also an opportunity to better understand the teaching approach of IESA arts&culture and the organization of these programs.
Work-study and professionalization
The professional Bachelor in Leisure & Culture is offered on a schedule of one week at school and three weeks in a company.
Work-study allows students to apply the skills acquired in class and to discover the day-to-day running of a leisure destination or cultural site.
Work placements may involve, among other areas, reception, ticketing, crowd flow management, entertainment, catering, points of sale, marketing, communication, or operations.
The program can be followed through an apprenticeship or professionalization contract.
A program in contact with industry players
Supervised projects allow students to work with professional partners on real-world issues.
Visits to parks, cultural sites, and leisure facilities allow students to discover different destination models and observe how they operate.
The professional meetings and the study trip complete this immersion in the sector.
What careers after the professional Bachelor in Leisure & Culture?
Upon completing the program, graduates can join cultural organizations, festivals, performance venues, heritage institutions, associations, local authorities, or public bodies dedicated to cultural development.
Cultural Production Cultural Project Production Manager
Assistant Production Manager
Production Manager
Cultural Project Management Cultural Project Manager
Cultural Projects Manager
Cultural Mediation and Audiences Cultural Mediation Manager
Audience Manager
Cultural Development and Outreach Sponsorship Manager
Cultural Outreach Manager
Cultural Development Manager
Events and Programming Event Communications Manager
Performance Programmer
Cultural Administration and Policy Deputy for Culture
Cultural Manager (DRAC: Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs)
Certification
This Bachelor prepares students for the level 6 RNCP title:
"Cultural Project Production Manager"
| Certification Rate | 75% at 6 months of graduates, including 50% in the targeted professions (class of 2024). Latest France Compétences rate – RNCP title 42851. |
|---|---|
| Certification Rate | New program. No graduating class yet. |
| RNCP Code | RNCP No. 42851. |
Professional certification Cultural Project Production Manager from ECAD Consultants – IESA arts&culture, level 6 – 323, 323s, registered with the RNCP under number 42851 by decision of the Director General of France Compétences dated 09/30/2026 for a period of 5 years.
How to Apply to IESA?
Admission is based on an application file and an interview with the admissions committee
- 1. You find out about the school and its programs.
- 2. You apply to the school by filling out a form on the website.
- 3. We call you to schedule an admission interview
- 4. A few days after the interview, you receive your admissibility decision
How Much Does the Program Cost?
For the 2026-2027 year, the fees are as follows:
| Year | Tuition |
|---|---|
| Program | 9 700 € |
| Tuition fees | 150 € |
Get in touch with the admissions team to find out:
- payment options
- funding options
- the conditions related to work-study
In work-study, program fees under a professionalization contract or an apprenticeship contract will be covered in full or in part by the employer or by a funding body (OPCO).
The professional Bachelor in Leisure & Culture lasts one year.
1 year – 500 hours of face-to-face teaching.
Access through initial training and work-study:
For a 1-year program:
Hold a level 5 certification, or an equivalent degree (foreign degree, etc.), in the fields of culture, art, project management, communication, marketing, events, law, science, etc.
The admission process is based on an application file and a personalized interview focused on your career plan.
Your results are communicated to you within 7 to 10 days.
Access timeframes: Admissions are open from October to September for an October start. Applications are processed within 3 weeks maximum after receipt of the complete file. Enrollment is possible until the start date, subject to available places.
By exception, enrollment is possible after the start date of the program, following review and verification of the learner’s ability to catch up on the learning already delivered, within a maximum of two months after the start of the program.
An Exceptional Campus
Since September 2025, IESA arts&culture has occupied a 16,000 m² campus in the heart of Paris’s 5th arrondissement, shared with Penninghen, Paris School of Business, Atelier de Sèvres, and the Cours Florent.
Sound, podcast, and image studios, an exhibition gallery, libraries, a 1,700 m² landscaped garden, and social spaces make up a working environment designed to fully live culture.
If you do not obtain the RNCP title, please note that if you have validated all the skills of a block, that skill block is yours permanently.
Equivalences: In case of equivalence, whether through VAE and/or obtaining a skill block or an equivalent certification, it is up to the candidate to present this equivalence to the jury for validation.
Transfer options: No transfer options.
Further studies: Title aimed at direct entry into the job market. Nevertheless, the Bac+3 equivalence can lead to further studies at Master level.