Human Resource Management MSc (PGCert PGDip)

  • Overview

    This part-time course will develop your understanding of organisations and the external context within which HR operates. Using critical analysis, self-reflection and problem-solving techniques, you will learn how to develop and implement creative and strategic HR solutions that drive organisational performance.

    The course aims to:
    - develop the business understanding and HR knowledge that employers look for
    - demonstrate that you meet CIPD's criteria for best practice in HR
    - showcase your ability to create a real impact in the workplace
    - demonstrate your commitment to your continuing professional development
    - enhance your CV and help you stand out from the crowd

    Everything you learn can be applied in the workplace with immediate effect.

    The course is taught one day per week (afternoon and evening combined) over three years. However, if your circumstances change you may exit with a postgraduate certificate after one year, or a postgraduate diploma after two years.

    On successful completion of the masters-level course, graduates with sufficient experience may apply to become a CIPD Chartered Member. This signals your professional credibility to employers, clients and peers. It also entitles you to use letters after your name (Chartered MCIPD).

    Course duration Help

    Part-time: 2 years (PGDip)

    Part-time: 3 years (MSc)

  • Course content

    Syllabus

    First year
    - Developing Skills for Business Leadership
    - Leading, Managing and Developing People
    - HRM in Context

    Second year
    - Organisational Design and Development
    - Employment Law
    - Managing the Employment Relationship
    - Strategic and International HRM

    Third year
    - Business Research Methods for Professional Project
    - Professional Project (This is a research project which provides an excellent opportunity for you to apply and develop the skills and knowledge gained on the course.)

  • Entry requirements

    Typical entry requirements Help
    individual offers may vary

    For non-native speakers of English:
    In order to benefit from, contribute to and enjoy the course, a good command of spoken and written English language is required. If English is not your first language, you will need English language proficiency equivalent to an overall IELTS score of at least 6.5, with 6 in the written test.

    Degree and/or experience:

    Entry onto Year 1
    For entry to MSc Year 1, applicants require a degree or equivalent qualifications as are accepted by the CIPD. Applicants are expected to have experience of working in HR. Exceptionally, candidates without HR experience looking to enter the profession may be accepted provided they hold a degree.

    Entry onto Year 2
    Direct entry to MSc Year 2 is possible for candidates with equivalent qualifications to the first year of the MSc, normally this will be the CIPD core modules.

    For more details about entry requirements please contact:
    s.r.sutcliffe@brighton.ac.uk

  • Location

    Location Help Moulsecoomb

  • Career opportunities

    Many HR job advertisements state that it is highly desirable for applicants to have a CIPD-approved qualification. This course fulfills that requirement, opening up career opportunities as well as giving you greater confidence in your current role.

    Successful completion of the course provides an excellent base for developing a career in people management and development. It demonstrates your professional credibility to employers, clients and peers.

    The course is designed to help you succeed in both generalist and specialist HR roles. With generalist roles, such as a HR Business Partner, you are more likely to provide a comprehensive HR service covering a range of HR activities.

    Specialist HR positions are typically available in larger organisations and may include the following areas:
    - Recruitment and selection: planning and leading the recruitment and selection of employees for the organisation.
    - Graduate recruitment: accountable for selecting graduate employees.
    - Learning and development: responsible for the end-to-end learning, training and development activity for employees.
    - Organisational Development: focussed upon organizational effectiveness.
    - Compensation: including pay and benefits, managing and evaluating employee benefits, conforming to legislation and implementing policies.
    - Equality and diversity: leading the equality agenda by promoting equality and diversity within the organisation.

    Visit the careers centre website.

  • Fees and costs

    The fees below are for students enrolling on the course in the academic year 2013-14. 

    UK/Europe students:
    Year 1 - £3,060
    Year 2 - £3,060*
    Year 3 - £3,060*

    For information about international fees please contact  s.r.sutcliffe@brighton.ac.uk

    *Please note that these fees only apply to continuing students who enrolled in the previous academic year(s). Fees for subsequent years are subject to change.

     

  • More details

    Accredited by the CIPD

    Our Human Resource Management MSc is accredited by the CIPD, the world’s largest Chartered HR and development professional body. The CIPD is a globally recognised organisation with over 135,000 members across 120 countries.

    During your studies, you are encouraged to apply for CIPD student membership which entitles you to full access to the CIPD’s website, the monthly People Management Journal, and many other benefits.

    On completion of the Human Resource Management MSc you will have gained the knowledge required to work towards CIPD Chartered Member (MCIPD) or Chartered Fellow (FCIPD).

    CIPD Chartered Membership demonstrates you have the expertise needed to plan and manage generalist or specialist projects. Gaining professional membership is an achievement that ensures you stand out in your career. It is respected by employers and industry alike, and may also increase your earning potential.

    Why Brighton Business School?

    The Business School at the University of Brighton has a postgraduate community of around 600 students from a diverse range of backgrounds whose learning experience is enriched by the high quality of our research.

    The latest Research Assessment Exercise (2008) ranked us in the top 15 UK business schools in terms of world-leading research outputs. Our postgraduate programmes reflect the research that is being undertaken.

    CROME (Centre for Research on Management and Employment) is a research group dedicated to human resource management and labour markets. The group has a particular interest in the relationship between HR practices and policies and how individuals and organisations perform.

    Student support

    The University of Brighton offers a network of student support services, all of which are fully available to Human Resource Management MSc students.

    The University's Careers Centre provides information about careers, courses and job vacancies. Brighton Business School has a designated Careers Adviser, who is available for student consultation on a one-to-one basis.

  • Student views

    Human Resource Management

    Boo Sherriff

    "As a specialist in learning and development, with a background in organisational psychology, I took on this course because I wanted to gain up to date, professional knowledge on a wider range of HRM topics. Whilst it's been a lot of hard work, it was a huge surprise to me how much I actively enjoyed the course, the learning and the camaraderie, and gained a real sense of achievement throughout my three years. 

    The teaching was great, with different lecturers encouraging learning about their different specialist areas, however it's the overall support and openness that I most valued. I have lots of questions all the time, and whether these are about a topic, it's application or relevance to my workplace, these questions were always addressed quickly and professionally.

    There are so many benefits to an organisation to have someone with a CIPD masters degree from Brighton. The depth of learning you achieve on a masters course is a solid foundation that subsequent conferences and training can build on. 

    I have learned about areas in which I was unfamiliar such as employment law and employee relations, making me a much more valued asset to my organisation.  Learning about finance also enabled me to understand accounts, challenge decisions, and help justify expenditure proposals. People can't think of HRM as 'fluffy' if it is integrated in the business aims and objectives and acknowledges financial constraints.

    My masters dissertation was based within my workplace which gave me valuable insight into the staffing group I focused on, and has been of huge benefit to my organisation, bringing together disparate aspects of HRM which can form the basis of our organisational HR strategy.

    I have met a great group of peers from different organisations across Sussex. We have not only got together to revise for exams, but also to discuss workplace problems which is an additional benefit to our separate organisations.

    It can't fail to help my career!"

    Human Resource Management

    Gary Wenban

    "I think this Master's degree is really going to help develop my career, it has given me a much better understanding of the field of HR and has really given me some direction to move forwards.

    I really enjoyed the interaction with the lecturers and their practical application of the knowledge they were giving us. Their backgrounds and their knowledge really helped us to focus and to implement our learning in our workplace.

    I feel that the finance modules and the law modules will really help my career. These are aspects that perhaps you wouldn’t expect to find in a human resource management course, and they’re going to put me in good stead with my future and hopefully moving up into senior management.

    My advice for other students taking the course would be to relax and enjoy the course. There’s no denying it’s going to be hard work, but at the same time take the opportunity to enjoy it, you’ll make some really good friends and excellent contacts for your future career."

    Human Resource Management

    Jason Mannix MA, Chartered FCIPD, LLB Hons

    "Having been out of education for some time, I was more than a little apprehensive prior to starting my Master’s Degree.

    I need not have worried; the course was deliberately structured to encompass a wide range of both learning styles and educational experience.

    By far the most enjoyable parts of the course were my fellow colleagues and the interaction and group work we were encouraged to partake in. We bonded incredibly as a class and were able to share knowledge and develop our skills as a unit, as well as being able to display our individual strengths.

    The most useful part of the course was the depth each subject area was explored in. From theory to practical application, it appealed to my inquisitive nature, keen to use the knowledge back in the workplace.

    The course was run by a team of skilled professionals who strove to hone our personal skills as well as arm us with new outlooks and experiences. They were well aware of the pressure we were sometimes under and strove to create for us a safety-net of support and advice.

    If you are considering joining the course I would advise you to ensure you have the time and the drive to accommodate the work that is required. With this in mind I definitely recommend both the course for the depth and comprehensive knowledge you will gain and Brighton Business School for its ability to deliver the material."

     

    Akiko Harris

    "When I started this course, I was not sure whether it was for me or not. I did not have great confidence as my last education was many years ago. My life was busy enough; having a full time job, weekend voluntary work and a family with two dependant children. I soon realised that I needed to make time to study which was only available on weekends. 

    What made me stay on the course was great lecturers, classmates, and the support of my family as well as an interest in the subjects. The course has helped me to apply what I have learned at work. This built up my confidence. During the course I had personal problems and I could not have continued without the support of the lecturers, classmates and family.

    Despite having to make sacrifices, I must admit that this is my greatest achievement in my life and I gained much more knowledge as well as confidence in my profession.

    You need to make time for study. However, when you have problems, don’t worry, you will receive full support."

  • Apply online


    You should not apply unless you can meet all the entry requirements for this course. Please contact the course team before applying if you are unsure about any of the specific entry requirements.

    Entry requirements

    For non-native speakers of English:
    In order to benefit from, contribute to and enjoy the course, a good command of spoken and written English language is required. If English is not your first language, you will need English language proficiency equivalent to an overall IELTS score of at least 6.5, with 6 in the written test.

    Degree and/or experience:

    Entry onto Year 1
    For entry to MSc Year 1, applicants require a degree or equivalent qualifications as are accepted by the CIPD. Applicants are expected to have experience of working in HR. Exceptionally, candidates without HR experience looking to enter the profession may be accepted provided they hold a degree.

    Entry onto Year 2
    Direct entry to MSc Year 2 is possible for candidates with equivalent qualifications to the first year of the MSc, normally this will be the CIPD core modules.

    For more details about entry requirements please contact:
    s.r.sutcliffe@brighton.ac.uk


Human Resource Management
Find out more

01273 642974
business@brighton.ac.uk

The course is fully accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Europe’s largest human resource and development professional body.

 

 

OPEN EVENINGS

Our open evenings provide an excellent opportunity to find out more about our Human Resource Management courses.

The next open evening is on 18 July. More details.

 

 

 

Visit the school or college site

More about this course