MSc in Human Resource Management
Oxford Brookes University
Key Information
Campus location
Headington, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
12 - 24 months
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
GBP 16,200 / per year *
Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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* UK students full-time: £11,000 | International/EU students full-time: £16,200
Scholarships
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Introduction
With our Human Resources Management MSc, you’ll be prepared for a successful international career in a range of commercial, public sector and not-for-profit organisations. Our course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) to Advanced Diploma knowledge standards.
You will build your professional HR knowledge while developing your core HR skills with:
- skills development workshops
- visits to organisations to examine their HR practice.
You will become a member of the Chartered Association of Personnel and Development, the premier HR professional body, and you will:
- attend the Oxford CIPD monthly meetings
- receive briefings on the latest HR developments, including local and global employers.
While studying you'll have opportunities to apply for internships or volunteering roles. Past students have found placements with HR teams at Blenheim Palace and Oxfam.
You may also be interested in:
- Human Resource Management- Fast Track.
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Curriculum
Learning and assessment
Over the duration of the course, you will take eight compulsory modules, one of which provides you with practical experience in human resource management practice. You will also complete a dissertation.
Study modules
Compulsory modules
- Human Resource Management in Context
This will develop your understanding of the main internal and external environmental contexts within which organisations operate. You will compare the role of the Human Resource (HR) manager with other functions to show how these integrate with general management and drive organisational success. You will examine how those in the HR function, and line managers with HR responsibilities, need to recognise this wider perspective. You will become aware of how managers and HR professionals in different organisation types have varying opportunities and constraints when taking organisational and HR decisions. - Leading, Managing and Developing People
You will become familiar with research evidence on employment and effective approaches to human resource (HR) and learning and development (L&D) practice. You will consider significant debates in leadership, flexibility and change management to help you become an effective manager and HR specialist. You will learn to manage others effectively and increase levels of engagement, commitment, motivation and performance. - Resourcing, Talent and Performance Management
A major objective of the human resources function is the mobilisation of a workforce. Organisations can only function if they are able to assemble teams of people with the necessary skills to meet their goals and retain effective performers. This module focuses on the practical aspects of recruitment, selection, employee retention and exiting. You will develop the knowledge and skills required for resourcing and talent management within a global context. You will also gain an understanding of how performance management can support the strategic objectives of an organisation, how the performance of people can be enhanced and inspired by leadership, and how this contributes to high-performance work organisations. - Managing Employment Relations
This will develop your understanding of managing employment relations within different types of organisations. Employment relations is a changing subject that is influenced by external factors (political and economic) and internal factors (management and management style). You will explore the impact of different national environments on employment and the roles of different stakeholders in employment relation systems. You will also critically review employment relations in an organisation and make suggestions to drive improvements to Human Resource Management. This module like many others includes a practical skills workshop. - Organisational Design and Organisational Development
This will enable you to acquire an understanding of organisations with particular reference to job design, cultural dynamics, organisational change, leadership, power and politics. The module will develop expertise in organisational development (OD) aspects of HR management. - International Human Resource Management (IHRM)
This module develops your understanding of the theoretical origins of HRM. You will explore the links between business strategy and international HRM, and study the relationship between achieving strategic objectives and the implementation of appropriate and coherent HR strategies. As the pace of globalisation has gathered momentum, IHRM is now a discipline in its own right, attracting attention from researchers and practitioners. - Developing Skills for Business Leadership
Successful leaders have different approaches to their work, sharing a range of diverse personality traits, attributes and beliefs. They are central determinants of an individual manager's effectiveness and are developed consciously over time and with an awareness of the differing cultural contexts and operating environments. A key purpose of this module is thus to encourage learners to develop a strong sense of self-awareness and of their own strengths and weaknesses as managers and colleagues. In addition, it seeks to help learners to develop and improve a range of specific skills which are pivotal to successful management practice and to effective leadership in particular. - Researching Organisations
This module prepares you for completing high quality, systematic business and management research, drawing upon a range of secondary and primary data sources in preparation for your research project. You will be introduced to a range of tools required for research including methodological issues, data collection techniques and different approaches to data analysis.
Optional modules
- Human Resource Management in Practice
This provides the opportunity to visit a range of organisations and learn about Human Resource Management (HRM) in practice, so giving you valuable practical insights and enhancing your employability. Prior to visiting you will research the organisations and prepare questions for them and afterwards you will capture your reflections on your learning in writing.
Final project
- Dissertation
You will investigate an HR management or organisational practice issue using primary and/or secondary data, justified and supported by detailed reference to relevant theories and concepts from literature and a relevant research design. You will also make recommendations for improved future practice.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Experience shows that our MSc HRM graduates are highly employable. They can follow a number of different career routes. Many graduates (alumni) are in HR departments across a wide spectrum of organisations, including;
- small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- governmental bodies
- large global commercial organisations
- non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Some students develop academic careers and others follow consultancy opportunities or go into general management.
Program Admission Requirements
Demonstrate your commitment and readiness to succeed in business school by taking the GMAT exam – the most widely used exam for admissions that measures your critical thinking and reasoning skills.
Download the GMAT mini quiz to get a flavour of the questions you’ll find in the exam.