Human Resource Management
MSc (PGCert PGDip)
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Course summary and entry requirements
Course duration
Part-time: 2 years (PGDip)
Part-time: 3 years (MSc)
Professional accreditation
Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Europe's largest human resource and development professional body.
About the course
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 crowdEverything 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 diploma or 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).
Typical entry requirements
The entry requirements listed here are for students starting their course in 2013. 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 -
Course content
Syllabus
First year*
- Developing Skills for Professional Practice 1
- Leading, Managing and Developing People
- HRM in ContextSecond year*
- Developing Skills for Professional Practice 2
- Organisational Design and Development
- Employment Law
- Managing the Employment Relationship
- Performance Management or Leadership and Management Development
- Research moduleThird year*
- Strategic and International HRM
- Professional project (The professional project is a research project which provides an excellent opportunity for you to apply and develop the skills and knowledge gained on the course.)* Syllabus is indicative and subject to change
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Fees and costs
The fees below are for students enrolling on the course in the academic year 2012-13.
UK/Europe students:
Year 1 - £2,757 (60 credits)
Year 2 - £3,216* (70 credits)
Year 3 - £2,757* (60 credits)For information about international fees please contacts.r.sutcliffe@brighton.ac.uk
*Please note that these fees only apply to continuing students who enrolled in the 2012-13 academic year. Fees for subsequent years are subject to change.
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Location
Location
Moulsecoomb Located to the north of Brighton city centre, the Moulsecoomb campus offers students an excellent learning environment and a wide range of facilities. It is the largest of our five campuses with over 8,000 students.
View campus maps and directions
Living in Brighton
Brighton’s rich mix of historic architecture, lively arts scene, varied shopping and cosmopolitan community make it a vibrant, enjoyable place to live. It is no wonder that many Brighton graduates choose to stay here.
Social scene
Alongside the traditional seaside attractions, Brighton is famed for its exciting social scene with a wide choice of pubs, clubs and restaurants.
Arts
The highlight of the city’s cultural year is the Brighton Festival. The event is held each May and is England’s biggest arts festival, which showcases arts and performance from around the world. Brighton is also home to the UK’s oldest working cinema, the Duke of York’s, which shows alternative and mainstream films. The city is also well known for its exciting music scene and hosts The Great Escape music festival.
Sports
Whether you take your sport seriously or just want to keep fit, Brighton offers all kinds of sports opportunities and facilities, on and off campus. You can also make the most of the location, and play volleyball, basketball and windsurfing down by the beach. The seafront is also the finishing point for the famous London – Brighton bicycle ride and the quirky veteran car run.
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Staff profiles
Dr Penny Simpson, Course Leader
Penny teaches Human Resources, Organisational Behaviour and Research on our undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses. She supervises theses and projects, aiming to support and inspire students engaging in research.
She is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and has a PhD in Management Studies from King’s College, London and an MSc in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Penny has a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice and is a registered practitioner with the Higher Education Academy.
In 2009, Penny won a University of Brighton Facilitating/Empowering Learning Award (Teaching Excellence Award) for her teaching. In 2006, she gained her Postgraduate Diploma in Research Methods achieving a distinction.Prior to joining the University of Brighton in 2003, Penny held a number of managerial roles within organisations and advised external clients on human resource and organisational issues. During her experience with commercial organisations Penny developed and delivered a broad range of learning, training development and was an accredited Management Development Trainer.
In 2001, Penny was awarded her Graduate Certificate of Change Management from the Australian Graduate School of Management. Change management is a subject that Penny is passionate about she has developed related modules to offer learners opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of change.
Penny's key areas of interest are People Management and Management Development, Human Resources, Organisational Behaviour, Organisational Development, Organisational and Individual Change and the Customer Oriented Behaviour of Service Employees.
She is a member of the Centre for Research on Management and Employment (CROME) research group.
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Student views
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!"
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."
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." -
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. -
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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.
01273 642974
Email 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.