Management (Human Resources) MSc (PGCert PGDip)

International requirements and visas

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

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Course structure

An innovative alternative to a MBA, this one-year, full-time course is designed for graduates of any subject with or without work experience. Case studies, live client projects, company visits and the option of paid work experience help prepare you for management by putting the latest academic thinking and business strategies into practice. 

Teaching takes place over three terms, from late September to early June, with breaks after assessments in mid-December to early January and late March to mid-April.

Class attendance averages 14 to 18 hours a week, plus time for group work and independent study, with variations as you progress through the course. Intensive workshops focus on topics such as leadership, management and research.

Your final project will take place over the summer after teaching finishes. Your optional work experience-based final project may continue for up to one year past the end of teaching.

Syllabus

Core management modules will give you practical knowledge in each key management subject. From term 3 you will be able to tailor your course through a choice of specialisms and option modules. The three specialisms currently offered are entrepreneurship, human resource management and international management.

Modules

Core modules

• Leading and Managing People

  This module will give you the knowledge and skills required for leading and managing people along with a critical understanding of research evidence and scholarly literature in the field of people profession and practice. You will explore and critically evaluate the role of effective people and organisational practices to achieve successful outcomes in areas such as employee engagement, commitment, performance and motivation.

• Sustainable Strategic Management

  In this module you will learn to appreciate and address strategic business level problems in a sustainable global context. You will cover a range of conceptual and analytical models and techniques of strategy analysis and develop your understanding of organisations and their environments (micro and macro levels). You’ll analyse economic and business data and evaluate alternative perspectives for managerial decision-making.

• Global Supply Chain and Finance

  This module introduces concepts of global supply chain management and explains the challenges and opportunities of trading between countries. You will explore the use of digital and information technology for particular supply chain functions and coordination. You will gain the conceptual understanding, skills and analytical tools and techniques to support effective decision-making and control financial resources.

• Responsible International Marketing

  In this module you will be introduced to key marketing theories and gain a critical understanding of research evidence and scholarly literature in marketing, market entry and ethics in international contexts. You will explore and evaluate the role of marketing in international business relations and the importance of ethical decision-making. You will also reflect on theory and practice of international marketing with specific emphasis on managerial and corporate social responsibility.

• Research Methodologies and Methods

  This module will help build your knowledge of the theories used in marketing, management and supply chain research. Topics covered may include worldviews and research methodologies; exploratory and conclusive research; introduction to quantitative methods; measurement and scaling; quantitative and qualitative sampling methods; writing research proposals; reviewing literature; and presentation of research findings.

• Managing Talent, Performance and Reward

  The module is designed to provide a more holistic and integrated view of how each set of processes and procedures in HR can influence each other and support effective employment in organisations. The topics studied will focus on the strategic issues connected with resourcing, the rewarding of employees financially and non-financially, and the learning and development processes and procedures needed to enhance organisational effectiveness and sustainability.

• Work Placement Project (40)

  In this module you will complete a work placement report using your intellectual, research, analytical and communication skills to solve a real business problem in your chosen field. By undertaking a 9–12 month work placement you will have an opportunity to carry out ‘in company’ research, analyse data and prepare a business report that employs logical arguments and evidence to develop sound conclusions and practical recommendations.

Options*

• Branding and Communications

  An invaluable module if you want to pursue a career in marketing or business management, Branding and Communications introduces you to marketing communications – the various tools marketers use to communicate with key target markets in order to promote brands. You will examine how these tools can shape effective brand communications and reinforce branding strategies.

• International Management Studies

  This module supports you in developing a wider international view of management and prepares you to operate effectively outside your country of origin by deepening your knowledge of international management. During the module, you will undertake a report on a business or management topic, issue or problem from an international management perspective.

• Language and Professional Skills Development

  This module combines theoretical business concepts with their practical application to support your professional development and has a specific focus on proficiency in the use of commercial and business English. Using a work/practice/volunteer/business case study approach, you will develop and present a plan to improve the international performance of a specific organisation.

• Entrepreneurship and New Venture Planning

  This module is an introduction to entrepreneurialism and examines the role and importance of innovation within small start-ups. It will provide you with the opportunity to operate within an entrepreneurial team to investigate and plan a new business venture. You will gather and critically evaluate industry and market information to inform and support decisions made in new business planning and will develop appropriate communication skills, including the ability to pitch a fully formed new business idea.

• Business Solutions in Action

  This module provides a multidisciplinary approach to learning and offers you the opportunity to work together with students from different Masters’ degrees to provide responsible enterprise solutions to live client challenges. You will explore contemporary marketing theories such as the service-dominant logic and the impact and implications of digital technology and platforms, interactivity and co-creation for managers and consumers.

• Supply Chain Management

  This module is designed to deepen your knowledge of supply chain management and provide a broad strategic view of the subject. Topics covered include the value chain as a source of competitive advantage and the strategic supply chain management; planning and control within the supply chain; the impact of globalisation, complex systems and the challenge of managing the extended supply chain in the light of exogenous factors; and evaluating and managing supply chain risk.

• Integrative Management Report 2 (Human Resources)

  The subject of this dissertation should be specifically related to the field of human resources and demonstrate your research, analytical and communication skills as well as showing the breadth, depth and integration of your knowledge of business and management. You will provide an in-depth critical perspective on the topic while applying the knowledge and skills you’ve learned in previous modules.

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Placement year 

To further increase your employability and international experience, we offer full-time students starting in September the opportunity to take a placement year. This means that your course will take two years, but you will graduate with work experience.

The year on placement will be in a role related to your course and will allow you to put all that you’ve learned on your masters into practice, enhancing your career opportunities and giving you practical experience in your area of expertise.

During your placement you will also complete a business project which is assessed as part of your masters and, depending on the topic agreed between you and your employer, could also provide a valuable piece of insight for your placement employer.

Our placement partners include:

• BMW
• Bosch
• Deloitte
• Disney
• Hewlett Packard
• HSBC
• IBM
• Ipsos Mori
• L’Oréal
• Nike
• Panasonic
• PwC
• Renault
• Warner Brothers.

Work placements are optional and you are responsible for arranging your placement with support from our dedicated Placements and Employability team.

We are now offering a two-year international study visa route to support applications for this course.

Find out more about how we can support you finding a placement.

Course leader 

Wybe Popma

Wybe is a principal lecturer and the course leader on our postgraduate management degrees.

He teaches marketing and innovation at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

With a background in industrial engineering and management, his interests and expertise relate to marketing, innovation, competition and managerial ethics. Wybe has worked at several universities and business schools in the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland and France.

His research interests revolve around product introduction strategies, prediction of new-product success, and the tension between managerial and consumer ethics.

Find out more about the course leader.

Course fees

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international postgraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Local area

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Support and wellbeing

Sport at Brighton