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Business and Human Resource Management at University of Portsmouth - UCAS

Course options

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

This is a Connected Degree Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course. Overview People are a vital business asset — and getting the human side of business right leads to a competitive advantage in industry. Prepare for a successful career in human resources (HR). As a human resources manager you'll formulate policies that address modern workplace issues like flexible working, remote working and equality and diversity, and lead on strategies to recruit and retain the right workforce. HRM covers the strategic approach to the employment, development and wellbeing of people in business. On this degree you'll develop your understanding of human resources in the context of business, as well as discovering the core business disciplines that make organisations successful. You’ll apply your learning through real-world scenarios and learning projects, with opportunities including paid industry placements throughout your studies. If you take on a Business Consultancy Project you'll work on a live client project with a local business in your final year. By taking an industry placement year before or after your third year, you’ll graduate with a year of experience in the workplace as well as your degree. You'll graduate from this course with a head start in the job market, and be able to apply for Associate Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) — something that is often only available after postgraduate study. Course highlights

  • Develop a holistic understanding of how businesses operate as you explore operations, business finance, marketing and data analysis alongside your human resource management modules
  • Learn the human resource management skills you need in a post-Covid world, focusing on workforce retention and talent management, managing equality and diversity and developing creativity and business improvement
  • Practise your skills by setting up recruitment campaigns and getting involved in simulated interviews, selection panels and employment tribunals
  • Benefit from an active programme of specialist and industry talks and networking events
Accreditation This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). This means, if you successfully complete all the required modules, you'll be able to apply for Associate Membership of the CIPD when you graduate. This membership is sought-after by employers and is likely to give you an advantage when looking for your first job. Please note that you will need to pay a membership fee when you apply for your membership. Worried about your grades? If you're not sure you meet the entry requirements, or need some help to get uni-ready, then we offer this course with a foundation year to bring you up to speed. When you successfully finish, you'll get a guaranteed place on this course. Careers and opportunities As a human resource manager you can work in any sector that you're passionate about, whether that's sport, charities, manufacturing, or maybe the arts. Your CIPD accreditation means you're likely to earn more money and have more job options than your non-accredited peers (Reed UK). Best of all is that this qualification opens up many possible career routes. You might want to specialise in workplace training and development, become an expert in employment law, or lead on business development.

Modules

Year 1 Core modules in this year include:

  • Business Accounting (20 credits)
  • Business Operations and Systems Management (20 credits)
  • Introduction to Business Analytics (20 credits)
  • Introduction to Human Resource Management (20 credits)
  • Managing People in Organisations (20 credits)
  • Marketing Principles and Practice (20 credits)
There are no optional modules in this year. Year 2 Core modules in this year include:
  • Employability, Research and Professional Development (20 credits)
  • Human Resource Development (20 credits)
  • Human Resources for the Professional (20 credits)
  • Leadership, Ethics, Governance and Sustainability (20 credits)
  • People Resourcing and Talent Management (20 credits)
Options to choose from in this year currently include:
  • Business & Employment Law (20 credits)
  • Business Analysis and Decision Making (20 credits)
Year 3 Core modules in this year include:
  • Contemporary Employment Relations (20 credits)
  • Dissertation - Organisations Systems and People (40 credits)
  • Strategic and Comparative Human Resource Management (20 credits)
Options to choose from in this year currently include:
  • Business Consultancy Project (20 credits)
  • Business Improvement & Creativity (20 credits)
  • Cross Cultural Awareness for Business (20 credits)
  • Discrimination and Conflict in Employment Law (20 credits)
  • Managing Equality & Diversity at Work (20 credits)
  • Responsible and Sustainable Business (20 credits)
  • Work Based Learning (40 credits)
Placement year (optional) On this course, you can do an optional work placement year after your 2nd or 3rd years to get valuable experience working in industry. We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your situation and ambitions. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year. We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies. Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment method

You’ll be assessed through: Individual and group coursework Examinations Online activities Presentations Your choice of independent research You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future. The way you're assessed will depend on the modules you select throughout your course. Here's an example from a previous academic year of how students on this course were typically assessed: Year 1 students: 58% by written exams and 42% by coursework Year 2 students: 15% by written exams, 17% by practical exams and 68% by coursework Year 3 students: 27% by written exams and 73% by coursework

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • Personnel and Development, Chartered Institute of
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
NN16
Institution code:
P80
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2

Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)

We welcome applications for advanced entry. If you’d like to apply for advanced entry, you need to select the required year when you complete your UCAS application.

This course may be available at alternative locations, please check if other course options are available

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements


English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.
Cambridge English AdvancedCambridge English: Advanced (CAE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Cambridge English ProficiencyCambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
PTE Academic62An overall score of 62 with a minimum of 59 in each skill.
TOEFL (iBT)7979 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing.
Trinity ISEPassTrinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components.

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
74%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
91%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

EU £9535 Year 1
England £9535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535 Year 1
Scotland £9535 Year 1
Wales £9535 Year 1
Channel Islands £9535 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9535 Year 1
International £17200 Year 1

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

Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship Placement Year and Year abroad (at the time of publishing for 2025/26): UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £1,430 EU – £1,430 International (Non-EU) – £2,875. Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice. Please check the course page on our website for the most up to date fee information All fees are subject to annual increase. For more information about fees, go to port.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-and-student-finance/tuition-fees-living-costs-and-other-study-costs
Business and Human Resource Management at University of Portsmouth - UCAS