Human Resource Management MA

About the course

If you want to develop a career in human resource management or employment relations and are looking for both an academic qualification and professional membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), then this course is for you.

Focusing on contemporary, critical and applied themes in the subject area, the course gives you the opportunity to develop the knowledge and understanding necessary for the appropriate analytical, technical and behavioural responses to these issues.

The PgDip and PgCert

If you are simply looking to further your knowledge in a specific area, then you may choose to complete individual specialist modules, or you could complete a four-module Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) to enhance your career prospects.

All of which can be credited with CIPD for Continuing Professional Development purposes.

At this stage it is still possible to then decide to continue your study on to the Postgraduate Diploma, and then on to the full Master’s

Whether you are a human resource manager or industrial relations specialist, or looking to develop a career in a related area, the skills and knowledge you gain on this course will enable you to progress up to middle and senior management in your chosen field.

The stages of the programme

The advantage of this course from the Hertfordshire Business School is it offers students the chance to study just four modules to gain a Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) in Human Resource Management from the University.

If you wish to take your study further and focus on the subject in more depth, by completing a further four modules including an HR Management Research Report you will ‘top up’ your PgCert to a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) and meet the requirements of the CIPD Advanced Diplomas in Human Resource Management or Human Resource Development and so be eligible to apply for Chartered Membership of the CIPD.

Finally, by successfully completing twelve modules, including a Dissertation/HR Management Research Report, you will achieve a full Master’s degree in HRM.

At this level you will also meet the requirements of the CIPD Advanced Diplomas in Human Resource Management or Human Resource Development, and so be eligible to apply for Chartered Membership of the CIPD.

Note: Prospective students’ are advised to discuss these options with the Programme Tutor before making final decisions.

Part-time study

As a part-time student your classes will be held between 16.00 and 20.00 one day a week for two academic years from a September start date, and two and half academic years from a January start date.  While these are our normal part-time patterns other options may be available, please contact Programme Tutor Michael Pye to discuss.

Why choose this course?

• Gain a full Master's and the Knowledge required to gain Chartered Membership of the CIPD
• Full and part-time study options to fit around your existing commitments
• Choose your level of study to suit your career aspirations

Study routes

• Part Time, 2 Years
• Full Time, 1 Years
• Part Time, 30 Months

Locations

• University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Careers

The programme will appeal particularly 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.

Teaching methods

We offer a varied programme of teaching that includes facilitated seminars, practical workshops, web-based learning, case study analysis and traditional lectures. We also provide sessions by visiting staff, practitioners and consultants to give a varied perspective of the topics covered.

Assessment is by a combination of coursework and examination. You will also design and conduct your own research dissertation and/or Human Resource Management Research Report, helped by research methodology training and the guidance of your academic supervisor.

Professional Accreditations

The Hertfordshire Business School is approved by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) to enable students who successfully complete the programme to meet the requirements of the CIPD Advanced Diplomas in Human Resource Management or Human Resource Development, and so be eligible to apply for Chartered Membership of the CIPD.

The CIPD is Europe's largest professional institute for people management and development, read more about them here.

Structure

Year 1

Core Modules

• HRM Practice and Perspectives A

  The module provides an introduction to human resource management (HRM): its historical development, relevant theories and key issues. It examines the role of the HR professional and the organisation and delivery of the function. It also aims to develop a critical understanding of the organisational and external contexts within which HR professionals operate, whether in the market, public or 'third' sectors. Political, economic, demographic, social and technological influences and trends will be examined and evaluated as well as consideration of how leading organisations respond to the dynamic context. The module also outlines the skills and competencies required of an HR professional and seek to enable students to develop these.

• Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice A

• Organisational Behaviour: Theory and Practice A

  The module begins by charting the epistemological and ontological foundations of the study of organisations, and then goes on to examine the development of organisational practice and organisational theory over time. The focus of the module then switches to examine a range of organisational issues such as: organisational structure; groups; control; conflict; motivation and personality; leadership and decision-making; technology and job design; culture and change. The role of actors and the relationships that occur between actors within the organisational context is an overarching theme, drawing on both the student's own experience and the theoretical perspectives introduced earlier.

• Postgraduate Research Methodology for HRM A

• Strategic Human Resource Management A

Optional

• Comparative Employment Relations B

• Cross Cultural Communication and Negotiation

  The module draws primarily on the fields of organisational behaviour, human resource management, international business and international project management: - theories of national culture and their application (Hofstede, Trompenaars, etc); - culture and cross-cultural comparisons; - communication in cross-cultural settings; - perceptions and perceptual differences; - models of negotiation and their application in a cross-cultural setting; negotiation strategies and influences; - conflict and conflict resolution. This module will require participation in a two-week international programme in Caen, Normandy, in which postgraduate students from a range of other countries will also participate.

• Dissertation: Human Resource Management A

• Employment Law Semester B

  This module examines a range of aspects of employment law. It analyses the rights and duties of employers and employees, and examines the role of the law in regulating the employment relation This module examines a range of aspects of employment law. It analyses the rights and duties of employers and employees, and examines the role of the law in regulating the employment relationship. The module considers sources from which employment law is derived and the institutions, in which it is administered, and the significance and content of the contract of employment. The module then progresses to consider individual employment law topics: equal pay, legislation regulating discrimination on the grounds of sex and race, wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal, and redundancy. The collective employment issues of trade union membership and activities and industrial action are also dealt with.

• HRM Dissertation/Management Research Report A

• Human Resource Management Research Report A

• International and Comparative Human Resource Management B

  This module is designed to provide an in-depth and theoretically informed exposition of the human resource complexities in managing across borders as a primary strategic concern of multinational corporations (MNCs). It is organised around international and comparative themes on an integrated basis as follows: - International: insights are provided into the challenges of managing staff in home and host localities, including the selection, training and rewarding of expatriates. - Comparative: awareness will be stimulated of the diverse institutional and cultural environments providing the host destinations for MNCs, including North America, 'Western' and 'Eastern' Europe, Japan, China and a selection of emerging/developing countries.

• Leadership and Management Development B

• Managing Across Cultures

• People Resourcing B

• Remuneration Strategy and Practice B

• Strategic Human Resource Management A

Fees & funding

Fees 2013

UK/EU Students

Full time: £5,250 for the 2013 academic year

Part time: If you decide to study this course on a part time basis you will be charged on a modular basis. The cost is £440 for each 15-credit module

International Students

Full time: £10,500 for the 2013 academic year Full time: £10,500 for the 2013 academic year

Discounts are available for International students if payment is made in full at registration

View detailed information about tuition fees

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

How to apply