Human Resource Management MA

Program Overview

Human Resource Management MA

Key Facts

• Level: Master's PG MA
• Duration: Full Time: 1 year, Part Time: 2 years
• Starting: September
• UK Fees 25/26 >: Full Time: £8,500, Part Time (Year One): £2,835, Part Time (Year Two): £5,670
• International Fees 25/26 >: £17,495
• Location >: Waterside

Overview

The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the professional HR and people development body.

The MA HRM with placement opportunity helps to improve employability skills.

Practical and varied assignments include presentations, case studies, mock employment tribunals and preparing blogs for professional audiences.

Different routes of study include full-time, part-time and placement options.

Highlights

• Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
• An academic work placement opportunity at the level you are studying helps to improve employability skills.
• Practical and varied assignments including presentations, case studies, mock employment tribunals and preparing blogs for professional audiences.
• Full-time, part-time and placement options are available.

Entry Requirements

• If you hold a first or second-class honours degree from a British university, or equivalent qualification, and have relevant HRM or business management experience, you will be eligible to apply for this course.
• It is an advantage for applicants to have had experience working in a Human Resources or a business management role for at least a year – the MA in Human Resource Management explores strategic HRM as a core business function and familiarisation with the world of work is helpful.
• Where you do not hold a recognised business, commerce or related qualification but offer a strong application and /or evidence (ideally 2 years +) of working in HR, you may be invited to a short, informal discussion with the course Leader. This does not guarantee the offer of a place but allows us to manage your expectations of what you will study.

English Language Requirements

• All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:
  • Minimum standard – IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) for study at postgraduate level.

Master's Discount Scheme

We offer a 20% discount on master's tuition fees for students who have previously studied a full time undergraduate degree at the University of Northampton.

Course Content

• Dissertation and Research Methods (60 Credits)
• Human Resource Management in Context (20 Credits)
• Leading, Managing and Developing People (20 Credits)
• International and Comparative HRM (20 Credits)
• Career Futures: Employability Skills
• Resourcing and Developing Talent (30 Credits)
• Employment Law and Relations (30 Credits)

Accreditation

Our MA Human Resource Management Postgraduate Diploma is accredited by the CIPD and has been specifically designed to allow HR professionals to enhance their career options and progress into senior roles. Studying this course will give you an advantage with employers, who often look for employees that have professional qualifications and membership. As a HRM student you will become part of this professional body and on completion of the programme will be become an Associate Member CIPD with the potential to upgrade your status to Chartered Member CIPD.

FAQs

• How will I be taught?
  • Weekly workshops take place on campus with additional online and self-directed study required. You will usually attend campus two afternoons a week – there are no online classes. Classes are small, informal and interactive.
• What sort of assessments will I do?
  • The good news is that there are no exams! We offer varied assessments including practical and varied assessments including group and individual presentations, case studies, publishing professional blogs, business reports, a mock employment tribunal and essays.
• How will I be assessed?
  • The MA Human Resource Management course uses a carefully balanced combination of in-course assignments designed to enrich your learning including business projects, practical HR activities, reflective activities, group work presentations and examinations. The 13,000-word Dissertation is a major component of this course and allows you to demonstrate your knowledge, skills and insight in your chosen topic area.
• What is the schedule like for this course?
  • The MA HRM is offered on a full-time (one year) and part-time (two years) basis. Full-time students will take three modules in Semester 1 and three modules including Research Methods and Dissertation in Semesters 2 and 3.
  • Part-time students will take two modules in Semester 1 and one module in Semester 2 in their first year. In the second year, you will take two modules in Semester 1 and one module in Semester 2. The Research Methods and Dissertation module will run over the whole of Year Two.
  • Most modules will require you to attend a two or three-hour workshop per week or equivalent scheduled online activity. For full-time students, class sessions will normally be delivered over two afternoons/evenings each week. For part-time students, class sessions will normally be delivered one afternoon/evening per week.
  • To maximise your chances of success, we recommend you spend approximately 12 hours a week per module in self-directed study time to prepare for the sessions and complete your assignments.

Placement Route FAQs

• How does the placement work?
  • Students on the MA HRM with placement will study alongside full-time and part-time students in year one. They will also complete a module on employability skills to prepare them for applying for a placement. In year two the placement will be undertaken and complete the 60-credit Work Based Project.
• Does the University guarantee a placement?
  • The university does not guarantee a placement, students will apply with our support and gain their placement. Ideally, this should be in a graduate-level HR role, but general business roles are also acceptable. The placement can be anywhere in the UK.
• What if I am not successful in finding a placement?
  • Don’t worry! If you do not find a placement you can still complete the MA HRM by dissertation rather than the Work Based Project.

Fees and Funding

• 2025/26 Tuition Fees
  • UK Full Time: £8,500
  • UK Part Time*: £2,835 in Year One (60 credits), £5,670 in Year Two (120 credits)
  • International Full Time: £17,495
• Additional costs
  • You are required to join the CIPD as a student member (currently a one-off joining fee of £40 and membership fee of £141 for 18 months). Please see the CIPD website for further details.

Scholarships and Bursaries

For information on the scholarships available to you, please see our scholarships page.

Staff

• Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Mgmt & OB
  • Faculty of Business and Law

Careers and Employability

A master’s in Human Resources opens the way for a career in HRM/HRD. The programme provides opportunities for you to develop enhanced, specialist, higher level knowledge, skills and leadership capabilities and equips you with enhanced career pathways in the HRM/HRD field within different organisational contexts.

Related Courses

• Human Resource Management PGDip
  • The aim of this course is to develop you as an HR professional.
• Human Resource Management (Top-Up) MA
  • This course offers you the opportunity to meet your continuing professional requirements as a human resource...
• Master of Business Administration MBA
  • The Master of Business Administration is a globally recognised postgraduate qualification for ambitious, motivated graduates.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Human Resource Management MA program at the University of Northampton aims to develop students into successful HR professionals. The program provides specialized knowledge and research evidence, offering an in-depth understanding of successful people management in organizations. It also emphasizes practical application, equipping students with the tools and techniques of strategic and operational HRM. The program is accredited by the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development).

Objectives:

• Develop students as HR professionals.
• Provide specialized knowledge and research evidence.
• Offer an in-depth understanding of successful people management in organizations.
• Equip students with the tools and techniques of strategic and operational HRM.
• Provide practical, insight-driven experience.
• Help students further their careers.

Outline:

Course Content:

The MA Human Resource Management course modules are designed to provide students with expert knowledge of distinct HR subject areas combined with exposure to contemporary debates, policies, and practices. Students will develop an understanding of HRM within a range of organizational contexts and be equipped with the analytical and diagnostic skills required of HR professionals in the workplace.

Structure:

The program is offered on a full-time (one year) and part-time (two years) basis.

Full-time:

• Semester 1: Three modules
• Semester 2: Three modules, including Research Methods and Dissertation
• Semester 3: Dissertation completion

Part-time:

• Year 1: Two modules in Semester 1, one module in Semester 2
• Year 2: Two modules in Semester 1, one module in Semester 2, Research Methods and Dissertation running throughout the year

Course Schedule:

• Most modules require attendance at a two or three-hour workshop per week or equivalent scheduled online activity.
• Full-time students typically attend class sessions over two afternoons/evenings each week.
• Part-time students typically attend class sessions one afternoon/evening per week.
• Students are recommended to spend approximately 12 hours a week per module in self-directed study time.

Individual Modules:

Stage 1:

• Dissertation and Research Methods (60 Credits): This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake independent research and related research methods training.
It emphasizes work-related or applied research and the contrasting research paradigms that may be followed.
• Human Resource Management in Context (20 Credits): This module enables students to analyze the environmental forces impacting organizations and their effect on people management and organizational strategy.
Students will develop an understanding of how organizations respond to environmental forces and the constraints and challenges facing HR professionals.
• Leading, Managing and Developing People (20 Credits): This module enables students to diagnose, analyze, and identify solutions for problems associated with the leadership, management, and development of people within various organizational contexts.
• Career Futures: Employability Skills (20 Credits): This module equips students with the skills and knowledge to compete for current (placements and internships) and future job opportunities.
• Resourcing and Developing Talent (30 Credits): This module enables students to develop a critical understanding of practical, strategic, and theoretical aspects of resourcing and developing employees.
Learning activities equip students to design, deliver, and evaluate resourcing and development practices that contribute to organizational effectiveness and align with relevant contextual factors.
• Employment Law and Relations (30 Credits): This module enables students to develop a critical understanding of employment law and employee relations responses to mitigate organizational risk and support organizational performance.
Learning activities equip students with the skills needed to develop these processes and practically handle employee relations issues.

Semester 1:

• Leading Managing and Developing People: This module analyzes key factors in leading, managing, and developing people for organizational success.
It explores major themes from the growing literature and research in HRM and HRD.
• Resourcing and Developing Talent: This module evaluates strategies for resourcing and developing talent within the organization.
It considers the practical aspects of recruitment, selection, employee retention, and dismissal and explores the strategic aspects of planning an organization's long and short-term human resource requirements. It also examines the role and influence of learning and talent development strategies in meeting the ambitions and objectives of the organization and the individual. It explores the complex social, economics, and organizational institutions within which organizations compete and the implications for people management.

Semester 2:

• Employment Law and Relations: This module develops and reflects upon knowledge and understanding of Employment Relations from various perspectives.
It emphasizes the holistic significance of employment relations within an organization and the importance of aligning HR policies with business strategy, change processes, employee voice, and involvement practices.
• HRM in Context: This module explores HRM in a business context to develop students' understanding of the increasingly complex environments HR must work within both inside and external to organizations.
It allows learners to develop analysis skills to facilitate informed choices on which strategies may be most and least appropriate.
• Research Methods and Dissertation: This module runs over Semesters 2 and 3 and supports students in completing a 13,000-word dissertation.
Students are provided with introductory class sessions on research methods, online materials, and a supervisor to guide and support them through the process.

Assessment:

The MA Human Resource Management course uses a balanced combination of in-course assignments designed to enrich learning, including:

• Business projects
• Practical HR activities
• Reflective activities
• Group work presentations
• Examinations
• A 13,000-word Dissertation

Teaching:

• The learning and teaching style is designed to enable students to take responsibility for their own learning and skills development within a supportive environment facilitated by high-quality academic support from tutors.
• Core course content is introduced through activities that can be taken in students' own time, off-campus, facilitated through the University's Virtual Learning Environment.
• On-campus sessions emphasize participative and interactive activities designed to develop understanding through debate, discussion, role-play, and participation in events such as guest speakers and a mock employment tribunal.
• The diverse student group provides a rich basis for sharing different experiences and thinking on organizational and people issues.
• Peer networking is encouraged to maximize learning from the different student experiences shared throughout the course.

Careers:

• A masters in HR opens the way for a career in HRM/HRD.
• The program provides opportunities to develop enhanced, specialist, higher-level knowledge, skills, and leadership capabilities.
• It equips students with enhanced career pathways in the HRM/HRD field within different organizational contexts.

Other:

• The program encourages students to join, support, and participate in local CIPD branch activities.
• Students are required to join the CIPD as a student member.
• The CIPD subscription fee is payable directly to CIPD and is not included in the course fee.
• Student membership of CIPD gives access to top-quality research, factsheets, and other resources.
• The University offers a 20% discount on master's tuition fees for students who have previously studied a full-time undergraduate degree at the University of Northampton.