MA in Human Resource Management

About the course
 

How and where people want to work is changing. Organisations need to quickly respond to external factors. Whether they are routed in Government policies, environmental issues, or changes in society. Our world is complex, and the challenges faced by organisations need an innovative approach.
 

Central to this course are the themes of how to manage change and personnel development. Human resource (HR) practitioners need to think in radical ways to manage diverse attitudes and motivations of people entering the labour market. As a HR practitioner, you’ll need to find solutions to critical issues. You’ll work across departments to promote inclusive and productive environments, enabling the employee and organisation to thrive.
 

The intrinsic link between human resource management, an organisation’s strategic and operational requirements, and the impact on society, can be powerful. This course will give you the tools you need to improve a range of issues, from global and national equality to climate change. New ways of thinking about work and the role organisations play in the world is crucial. We will guide you to become a critical, inspiring leader of the future, starting today. You will be able to immediately apply the learning to the workplace.
 

Full-time study
 

The full-time course, taught on campus and with some online teaching, can be completed in one year. 

The sandwich and advanced research pathways are two years full time. 
 

Part-time study
 

As a part-time student your classes will be held on one evening session a week for two academic years from a September start date, and two and a half academic years from a January start date.  

You can also select a flexible mode option with online delivery. This is a combination of live online sessions once a week with supporting online material. 
 

Pathways
 

We offer a variety of pathways so you can specialise in your area of interest. The below pathways can be combined e.g. Global Sandwich or Global Advanced Research. For any questions about our pathways please email Dr Gary Pheiffer, Programme Leader. 

• MA Human Resource Management

• MA Human Resource Management (Global)

• MA Human Resource Management (Work Psychology)

• MA Human Resource Management (with Advanced Research)

• MA Human Resource Management (Sandwich) with a work placement
   

Why choose this course?
 

• You want to help people reach their potential

• You want to add value to organisations and make a positive impact on society

• You’re looking for inspiring course content, with a range of optional modules to tailor your studies to suit your interests

• You’re looking to gain real-life application of theory. You value a fresh approach to teaching and learning, which focuses on practice

• You want a flexible programme that gives you options. We offer the chance to specialise in global human resource management, work psychology or take a general route. 

• You’re looking to study alongside a diverse and inspiring cohort. We expect you to be studying alongside personnel and human resource managers, line managers, trade unionists and equal opportunity officers from a variety of backgrounds. This will be a valuable opportunity to learn from the experience and perspective of your peers

• You want to become a member of the CIPD. At Herts, we pay for your CIPD joining fee and the first-year student membership. 
   

What will I study?
 

We offer a problem-based learning approach to our teaching so you can gain real life skills for the workplace. Together we’ll explore complex issues arising from research, practices and current debates. You’ll analyse human resource management at an individual, organisational, national and international level. We’ll teach you how to recognise ethical dilemmas and corporate responsibility issues to ensure that the organisations you work with are sustainable. You’ll develop an inquiry practice-orientated mindset, showing expert problem-solving, decision making and evaluation skills.
 

We offer a blended learning approach, including individual and group work, one-to-one sessions, workshops, study trips, guest speakers and live projects/case studies. Formal lectures will be kept to a minimum (and available online if you can’t be with us in person or want to review later).
 

We value our students as HR practitioners in training. To reflect this, our teaching, learning and assessment will share this core value. For example, our tutors will facilitate and role model human resource management practice.
 

Our focus is on experiential real-life learning, where you’ll be immersed in activities that bridge the gap between theory and practice. You’ll be assessed in this way too, with each assessment having two sections: a critical review of theory and application of that theory to practice. For example, you could carry out small consultancy work, deliver a presentation or write a brief to the board of directors to evidence your knowledge.
 

The world of human resource management is complex and unpredictable. By studying at Herts, you’ll gain the skills and strategies you need to help individuals, organisations and your own career thrive.

• Students need to have an honours degree with classification 2.2 or better in any subject from a UK university or the equivalent from a recognised university overseas
   

or
 

• a CIPD level 5 qualification and two years Human Resource Management experience

UK Students
 

Full time

• £9750 for the 2022/2023 academic year
   

Part time

• £810 per 15 credits for the 2022/2023 academic year
   

EU Students
 

Full time

• £14750 for the 2022/2023 academic year
   

Part time

• £1230 per 15 credits for the 2022/2023 academic year
   

International Students
 

Full time

• £14750 for the 2022/2023 academic year
   

Part time

• £1230 per 15 credits for the 2022/2023 academic year

This course will give you everything you need to become a critical, practical, ethical and sustainable HRM practitioner or consultant in human resource management. It will particularly appeal to those interested in a career in human resource management, industrial/employment relations and also to those responsible more generally for managing people in organisations.
 

What job can I get?
 

The course will develop your HRM expertise and facilitate real-world HRM skills. When you graduate you could work as an HRM practitioner in fields as varied as general HRM, learning and development, change management and talent management. This course sets you on a path to become an HRM practitioner or consultant in areas of people management.