Human Resource Management - MSc

Our MSc Human Resource Management is your stepping stone to a rewarding and fulfilling career. Learn the complex yet subtle art of managing people in organisations, and develop skills for analysis and in-depth policy formation as well as the broader discipline of management. 

This is a fully accredited CIPD course, which is the the largest internationally recognised HR professional body.

Our recent graduates have gone onto to secure roles with prestigious national and international organisations, including KPMG, Unilever, Kier and the Civil Service. With a reputation for graduate employability, we can help you fulfil your career aspirations.

The course concludes with a Business Project; a substantial piece of work designed to provide you with an opportunity to analyse a business problem and practically apply the knowledge and skills developed during the course.

You can choose to study this course as part of our double degree programme.

Why choose us?

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), this course will open doors and enhance your career prospects offers. Graduates of this degree have the knowledge required to become a Chartered Member of the CIPD, an essential requirement for progression in a HR career.

We’re one of just 1% of business schools in the world to hold triple accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA.

We have an excellent reputation for student satisfaction and teaching quality. We’ve received a Gold Award, the highest possible accolade, from the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). TEF stated that our students achieved ‘consistently outstanding outcomes’, with very high proportions of students going into highly skilled employment or further study.

Our students have been successful in securing positions with prestigious, international companies and at leading consultancy firms. We benefit from strong partnerships and close links to business and industry, both in the UK and internationally.

With our focus on doing business, you’ll have many opportunities to gain practical work experience as part of your programme. You’ll be able to undertake work placements lasting up to one-year and Aston Business Clinic gives you the chance to support small businesses and start-ups with consultancy projects. By gaining work experience whilst you study with us, this will fast-track your pathway to CIPD Chartered Member status. 

This course enables you to gain Associate membership of the CIPD after successfully completing the course. If there is sufficient demand from students you may also be offered a chance to undertake Occupational Test User (OTU) training and gain a certificate which is accredited qualification by the British Psychological Society (BPS) in psychological testing.

Our courses offer a range of opportunities to gain practical experience through things such as, consultancy projects and entrepreneurial opportunities. Find out more here. 

Professional accreditation and exemptions

This course is fully accredited by the largest internationally recognised HR professional body, the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD), providing you with the ideal qualification for developing your career in HR.

Course outline

This course provides you with a detailed theoretical knowledge of Human Resource Management, whilst at the same time giving you the relevant vocational skills needed for a range of HR roles.

You’ll also benefit by developing a broad range of business skills. This can help you to secure management positions in various areas of business.

You’ll study fascinating subject areas, including Organisational Behaviour, which considers what motivates different people. Then Employment Law explores the legislation businesses must adhere to, whilst Learning and Development looks at how organisations ensure their people have the skills to give them the competitive advantage. Given this breadth of knowledge, you’ll develop a well-rounded understanding of HRM theory and how to practically apply it.

You’ll also learn the practical skills required of HR practitioners in any organisation. We teach you useful recruitment techniques, how to apply employment law, effective training and development tools and approaches, as well as negotiating skills, which are key to dealing with difficult workplace situations. By gaining these skills, you’ll be well-equipped for a range of graduate roles.

Our teaching staff are recognised as experts in their field. We boast a mix of leading academics in HRM, such as Pawan Budhwar, who is world-renowned for his research into the international aspects of HRM. We also have teaching staff who are actively working in consultancy, such as Kathy Daniels who works extensively with the CIPD.

We use a variety of teaching methods to enable you to get the most from the course. There’s practical workshops, case studies, group work, lectures and tutorials. They allow you to explore, test and apply what you’ve learnt in a way that’s suited to you.

Subject guide and modules

Core modules 

• Organisational Behaviour 
• Strategy, Change and Leadership 
• Strategic and International Human Resource Management
• Assessment, Performance and Reward 
• Learning and Talent Development 
• Employee Relations in Context 
• Employment Law 
• Research Methods  
• Managing and Interpreting Financial Information
• Ethics in Academic Practice
• The Aston Global Advantage
• Business Project or Dissertation 

Optional Modules- Choose one from the following: 

• Strategy, Change & Leadership
• HR Analytics

Visit the Human Resource Management - MSc page on the Aston University website for more details!