PgCert/PgDip Human Resource Management

Program Overview

---

Human Resource Management PgCert/PgDip

Overview

The Certificate and Diploma in Human Resource Management, level 7 stand-alone courses, have been designed to develop relevant and essential knowledge and skills in people management and learning and development, and are a route into professional membership of the CIPD.

You'll focus on problem-solving ability and linking theory to real-world challenges. As part of this, you'll visit UK companies and learn from guest speakers who share their practical business experience. HR practitioners work with our academic team to deliver events and workshops that will help prepare you to become a part of the HRM professional community. The networks you develop will become invaluable to you when you graduate and embark on your career in a senior role in human resource management.

Why us?

• During our special skills weeks you'll work on both academic and workplace skills you'll need to succeed on the course and in your future in people management
• The course provides a pathway to the MSc Human Resource Management should you wish to take this route

Course structure

Attainment of the Certificate and/or Diploma in Human Resource Management is on successful achievement of the following credits attributed to the modules of study:

• Postgraduate Certificate in Human Resource Management (60 credits)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (120 credits)

The stand-alone courses provide a pathway to achievement of an MSc HRM (180 credits)

All modules are at postgraduate level (level 7 in the UK’s national scheme).

Throughout the course, we encourage you to develop a strong sense of self-awareness and of your own strengths and weaknesses as managers and colleagues. You'll be working on the development of skills to improve and develop a range of definable skills that are pivotal to successful management practice and effective leadership in your future. These include thinking and decision-making skills, the management of financial information, a range of team working and interpersonal skills, and others associated with developing personal effectiveness and credibility at work.

You'll develop key postgraduate study and research skills including critical reflection on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint. We also include two special skills development weeks to augment the work you'll be doing within each module.

Overall, you'll be required to consider and reflect on your professional development to establish this as the foundation of a lifetime practice in your future as a business “savvy” human resources and people development professional.

Your progress will be assessed through a range of methods which include individual and group assignments, business reports, presentations, case study analysis, portfolios of work, time-constrained activities, and project work.

Modules

Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)

• Developing Human Resources and Professional Practice (30 credits)
• Talent Management and Resourcing For Sustainable Performance (30 credits)

Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)

• Developing Human Resources and Professional Practice (30 credits)
• Talent Management and Resourcing For Sustainable Performance (30 credits)
• Managing the Employment Relationship (30 credits)
• Research In People Practice (30 credits)

MSc Human Resource Management (180 credits)

• Developing Human Resources and Professional Practice (30 credits)
• Talent Management and Resourcing For Sustainable Performance (30 credits)
• Managing the Employment Relationship (30 credits)
• Organisational Development and Digital Learning Practices (30 credits)
• Developing Research Practitioners (60 credits)

Facilities

You’ll be based at The Reg Vardy Centre, on the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s. The Reg Vardy Centre is a modern building with views of the river, and just a short walk from both the coast and Sunderland town centre.

Entry requirements

We welcome applications from a range of academic and professional backgrounds. Please contact us to ensure that your qualifications and experience meet the entry requirements.

The Postgraduate Certificate can be studied over seven months part-time or four months full-time.

The Postgraduate Diploma can be studied over 16 months part-time or seven months full-time.

Fees and finance

2025/26 fees are:

PgCert

• £2,833 if you are from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled
• £5,666 if you are an international student

PgDip

• £5,666 if you are from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled
• £11,333 if you are an international student

Career ready

Our Human Resource Management postgraduates now work at senior HR manager level in a number of organisations, including Caterpillar, BT and Nissan.

Program Outline

PgCert/PgDip Human Resource Management | The University of Sunderland

---

Degree Overview:

The Certificate and Diploma in Human Resource Management, level 7 stand-alone courses, have been designed to develop relevant and essential knowledge and skills in people management and learning and development, and are a route into professional membership of the CIPD. You'll focus on problem-solving ability and linking theory to real-world challenges. As part of this, you'll visit UK companies and learn from guest speakers who share their practical business experience. HR practitioners work with our academic team to deliver events and workshops that will help prepare you to become a part of the HRM professional community. The networks you develop will become invaluable to you when you graduate and embark on your career in a senior role in human resource management.

---

Outline:

Attainment of the Certificate and/or Diploma in Human Resource Management is on successful achievement of the following credits attributed to the modules of study:

---

Postgraduate Certificate in Human Resource Management (60 credits):

---

Core modules:

---

Human Resource Management in Context (30 credits):

This module provides an understanding of the principle internal and external environmental contexts of contemporary organisations, including the managerial and business context, within which managers, HR professionals and workers interact in conditions of environmental turbulence, change and uncertainty. It examines how leading organisations respond to these dynamic environmental contexts. The module considers how leaders in organisations, and those in HR, need to recognise and acknowledge that corporate decisions and HR choices are not always shaped by managers alone. This includes consideration of the financial resources which can strongly influence corporate decision making. You'll also explore the international aspects of HRM such as the policies and processes in multinational corporations, comparative issues, and the challenges associated with building and managing an international workforce. This includes managing a diverse workforce, interpreting legislative frameworks and developing appropriate policies to promote diversity and monitor implementation.

---

Leading, Managing and Developing People and Organisations (30 credits):

This module attempts to evaluate the importance of employees' behaviour in organisations with reference to their individual performance and its impact upon business performance as a whole. You'll examine the role of management staff both in the management, leadership and development of employees and the subsequent impact on employee performance. A distinction is made between leadership and management and their roles within organisations. You'll explore the relationship between the leadership of the organisation, the behaviour of managers, human resource policies and processes and the organisation's corporate strategy in relation to how these can be successfully integrated. It considers the HR professional’s role in relation to ethical standards and those of the CIPD. It also looks at the role CPD can play in ensuring individual practitioners maintain their personal knowledge, skills and standards. The module then focuses on decisions that have to be made on the most appropriate organisational structure(s) to ensure delivery of organisational activity and to maximise its effectiveness, aiming for flexibility in delivery of its services in a changing environment. Organisational change is a constant and in this module, we consider approaches that managers can take to the complex challenges of individual and organisational change.

---

Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (120 credits):

You'll study the same core modules as the Postgraduate Certificate plus:

---

Core module:

---

Investigating a Business Issue from an HR Perspective (30 credits):

Qualified professionals should be able to research relevant topics and write reports that can persuade key stakeholders in the organisation to change or adopt a particular policy or practice. This module provides you with the opportunity to develop the skills needed to diagnose and investigate a live, complex business issue from an HR perspective and to write a report of this nature. The focus of this module is the development of a Management Research Report (MRR) which meets the ‘Thinking Performer’ Standards of the CIPD. This is in the form of a piece of applied case study research based on diagnosing a business issue with the purpose of analysing literature, secondary and primary data to design recommendations, solutions and an implementation plan which includes costs. The applied nature of the report requires a critical evaluative approach, empirical investigation and analysis and a combination of academic research and business report writing skills. It requires reflection on the implications for professional practice from an ethical, professional and continuous professional development standpoint.

---

Optional modules (choose one):

---

Managing Learning and Talent Development in Organisations (30 credits):

This module is concerned with the key role of developing talent to match the organisation's needs today and into the future. There are two key strands to the module, Learning and Development from a theoretical standpoint (personal and organisational) and the practical skill-based formulation, design and delivery of Learning and Development (specifically leadership and management development) to meet key business goals. The construct of learning is explored as are learning theories from both an individual and group or organizational perspective. Planned and unplanned change as a trigger and its relationship to identifying learning needs are studied along with the enablers and barriers to learning. Identifying learning needs in practice is the next focus, requiring the formulation of learning strategy, before changing focus to the actual design, delivery, and evaluation of a self-created learning tool. There is recognition of differing approaches and interpretations of the concepts of learning and development and leadership and management development within a range of organizational contexts including public, private, not-for-profit, large, small, national, international and multicultural organizations. Overall, this module encompasses learning and development at all levels and draws on the established body of knowledge and theory in both leadership and management and learning and development.

---

Managing the Employment Relationship (30 credits):

The employment relationship has undergone significant change over the past few decades in terms of its structures and power relationships. Economic, technological and legal developments throughout this period have affected the way employees, management and trade unions interact with each other and hence molded the employment relationship. The employment relationship is therefore an important and dynamic area within the discipline of human resource management. The aim of the module is to understand and analyze the main HR interventions which take place during the employment relationship from vacancy to termination and steps between. It will provide students with a sound knowledge and critical understanding of the full employment cycle set within the historical context and enable analysis of the contemporary changing nature of this. The module is designed for both knowledge acquisition, understanding and application of practices in order to develop/enhance HR skills and behaviors.

---

MSc Human Resource Development (180 credits):

You'll study the same modules as the Postgraduate Diploma plus another 60 credits from:

---

Core module:

---

Developing the Researching HR Professional (30 credits):

A key component of the MSc HRM degree and the CIPD Continuous Professional Development framework is for students to develop, reflect and enhance the work they undertake and in this instance the research conducted while completing ‘Investigating a Business Problem from a Human Resource Perspective’. This module will facilitate your understanding of a Human Resource Organisational based issues within an academic and professional community context. It will then allow you to reflect on and critique your role as a researcher and as a future HR Professional using multiple ethnographic practices. You will create a Digital Reflection on your professional identity as an HR Professional and as a Researching Professional consisting of a written piece and a short video or audio reflection. This is a research-based module where the focus is on developing routines (habits) of critical reflection as future ‘researching professionals’. This module has been designed to develop critically reflective HR professionals and Managers.

---

Optional modules (choose one):

---

Managing Learning and Talent Development in Organisations (30 credits):

This module is concerned with the key role of developing talent to match the organization’s needs today and into the future. There are two key strands to the module, Learning and Development from a theoretical standpoint (personal and organizational) and the practical skill-based formulation, design, and delivery of Learning and Development (specifically leadership and management development) to meet key business goals. The construct of learning is explored as are learning theories from both an individual and group or organizational perspective. Planned and unplanned change as a trigger and its relationship to identifying learning needs are studied along with the enablers and barriers to learning. Identifying learning needs in practice is the next focus, requiring the formulation of learning strategy, before changing focus to the actual design, delivery, and evaluation of a self-created learning tool. There is recognition of differing approaches and interpretations of the concepts of learning and development and leadership and management development within a range of organizational contexts including public, private, not-for-profit, large, small, national, international and multicultural organizations. Overall, this module encompasses learning and development at all levels and draws on the established body of knowledge and theory in both leadership and management and learning and development.

---

Managing the Employment Relationship (30 credits):

The employment relationship has undergone significant change over the past few decades in terms of its structures and power relationships. Economic, technological and legal developments throughout this period have affected the way employees, management and trade unions interact with each other and hence molded the employment relationship. The employment relationship is therefore an important and dynamic area within the discipline of human resource management. The aim of the module is to understand and analyze the main HR interventions which take place during the employment relationship from vacancy to termination and steps between. It will provide students with a sound knowledge and critical understanding of the full employment cycle set within the historical context and enable analysis of the contemporary changing nature of this. The module is designed for both knowledge acquisition, understanding and application of practices in order to develop/enhance HR skills and behaviors.

---

Other:

• The Postgraduate Certificate can be studied over seven months part-time or four months full-time.
• The Postgraduate Diploma can be studied over 16 months part-time or seven months full-time.

---

Assessment:

Specific assessment methods are not outlined in the text. However, it is mentioned that students will be required to reflect on their professional development and build a foundation for their future careers in human resource management.

---

Teaching:

The program is taught by experienced HR practitioners and academics who share their practical knowledge and expertise. The program also includes a strong focus on real-world learning, with students having the opportunity to visit UK companies and learn from guest speakers.

---

Careers:

The program prepares students for a variety of careers in human resource management, including:

• HR Manager
• HR Officer
• Recruitment Consultant
• Learning and Development Manager

---

Other:

• Students will be able to access the University's extensive library and e-resources, which will support their learning.
• The University also offers a range of support services, such as the Student Advice Centre and the Careers Service.
I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

---

Tuition Fees and Payment Information:

PgDip £5,000 if you're from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled £11,000 if you're an international student PgCert £2,500 if you're from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled £5,500 if you're an international student