Course summary
The MSc Human Resource Management provides you with the crucial insights, skills, and knowledge to develop sustainable and socially responsible HR practices for managing people. You’ll gain a critical understanding of the core theories, principles and concepts that underpin contemporary organisation practice and explore socially responsible and sustainable models of human resource management (HRM). You’ll gain a critical awareness of the current and emerging issues in research and knowledge creation and gain the skills to develop original, creative solutions in response to these problems. The MSc will provide you with the skills to apply your knowledge and understanding to professional practice and solve contemporary organisational problems. Beyond subject knowledge and skills, you’ll gain key transferrable skills which will aid you throughout your professional career. You’ll be able to make formal presentations about specialised topics to audiences with a variety of levels of expertise, effectively communicate using both written and verbal means to a range of audiences and undertake critical evaluations of a wide range of written, numerical and graphical data. This invaluable skillset will make you highly sought after upon graduation. You’ll have the opportunity to specialise and choose an optional course – from team craft, managing diversity in business, and psychology of leadership – to customise your learning and develop your specific interest. Your human resource management dissertation will allow you to further build on these subject interests, by presenting you the opportunity to carry out an original research project at the forefront of knowledge. The knowledge base, subject and transferable skills you will gain will prepare you for lifelong learning and personal development. You’ll focus on real-world problems and explore ways human resource management can help us address them. The career-focused master’s degree provides you with the practical knowledge and skills necessary for the workplace. You’ll explore a range of organisational contexts and practices which will set you up for a professional HR career. The MSc is accredited and approved by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, providing you with a route to gain professional qualifications. Your learning environment The MSc Human Resource Management programme is taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials, allowing you to get to know and build relationships with the teaching staff, academics and your peers. You will be assessed by coursework, exams, and your dissertation, and will receive support and feedback throughout the programme. Customise your learning You’ll have the opportunity to focus on the areas of HRM that interest you the most. You can customise your degree to match your specific interests or career pathway by selecting a specialist course. In Semester three, you’ll ‘deep dive’ into your chosen area of HRM in your dissertation. You will demonstrate your mastery of the subject area by developing new insight from the analysis of valuable primary research. Accreditation Our MSc in Human Resource Management is aligned to the CIPD Profession Map and to the core knowledge and behaviour standards for a level of CIPD membership. By studying this degree, you are aligning yourself to the international standard for the people profession. This accreditation provides a strong foundation by giving you the confidence and capabilities to guide your decision making, actions and behaviours, it sets the international standard for people professionals to make their greatest impact and thrive in a changing world of work. Upon successfully completing this programme, you will achieve a CIPD membership outcome, a visible demonstration of your experience and expertise in the people profession.
Modules
September Intake Year 1 Mandatory September -Digital Human Resource Management -HR Strategy and Practice -The Legal Context of Work -Organisational Behaviour Mandatory January -Research Philosophy and Practice -Employment Trends -Sustainable HRM Optional January -Managing Diversity in Business -Psychology of Leadership Mandatory May -Dissertation in HRM January Intake Year 1 Mandatory January -Employment Trends -Research Philosophy and Practice -Sustainable HRM Optional January -Managing Diversity in Business -Psychology of Leadership Mandatory September -Digital Human Resource Management -The Legal Context of Work -HR Strategy and Practice -Organisational Behaviour Mandatory second January -Dissertation in HRM
Assessment method
You will be assessed by coursework, exams, and your research project, and will receive support and feedback throughout the programme.
How to apply
International applicants
If your first language is not English, we'll need to see evidence of your English language ability. The minimum English language requirement for entry to this programme is IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with no score lower than 5.5 except for writing which must be at 6.0 minimum.
Entry requirements
A minimum of honours degree at 2:2 or non-UK equivalent in a related subject. Suitable degrees often include Business, Economics, Psychology, Sociology or other Social Sciences degree. Non-relevant degrees with evidence of essay writing or critical thinking will also be considered, in conjunction with 2+ years of work experience in HRM. We welcome applications from international students and accept qualifications from around the world. Please refer to the entry requirements for your country for more details. English language requirements If your first language is not English, we'll need to see evidence of your English language ability. The minimum English language requirement for entry to this programme is IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with no score lower than 5.5 except for writing which must be at 6.0 minimum. If you do not have IELTS 6.0, we offer a range of English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement for this programme prior to commencing your studies.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
England | £12344 | Whole course |
Northern Ireland | £12344 | Whole course |
Scotland | £12344 | Whole course |
Wales | £12344 | Whole course |
International | £24176 | Whole course |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Sponsorship information
Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries We aim to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with us and we offer a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to achieve this. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support.
Provider information
Heriot-Watt University
Riccarton
Edinburgh
EH14 4AS