Human Resource Management

The highlights

• Gain vital career development skills and improve your professional status on a course which paves the way for Associate membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and is also a stepping stone to Chartered Membership
• Gain the specialist knowledge, confidence and professional standing you need to apply for leadership and management roles in HRM
• Build your confidence and skills in developing HRM strategies, policies, procedures and change programmes
• Tailor your assignments and reports to your own workplace, for immediate value and impact 
• Gain either a Postgraduate Diploma by completing stages one and two, or a full Masters qualification by completing stage three as well (an independent study)
• Top up your existing qualifications in HRM or HRD to a full masters degree with just one year of flexible part-time study.

Accelerate your career development

This course puts you on the fast track to a qualification which raises your professional standing and improves your career prospects. It fully prepares you to meet the CPD requirements of the HR profession.

If you already have a Postgraduate Diploma in HRM or HRD – or a CIPD Advanced Level Diploma – you can top these qualifications up to the full MSc award in just a year.

You may also be interested in our Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management which is ideal both for specialist HR practitioners and for general managers who would like to improve their portfolio of skills. 

HRM from a business perspective

This MSc in Human Resource Management is suitable for both specialist HR practitioners and for general managers who would like to improve their HRM skills.

Our emphasis is on how HR strategies and decisions have an important and lasting impact on the performance of organisations, whatever their size, type and sector. We set the HRM specialism firmly within the broader field of business, management and corporate strategy.

You’ll gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of organisations, how they are managed and the external challenges they face. We draw on the latest thinking, pioneering research and fascinating case studies, including looking at HRM in an international context. 

Professionally approved

One key benefit of this postgraduate course is that it's a stepping stone towards Chartered Membership of the CIPD. This can advance your career further still — opening doors to promotion, a higher salary and an increased range of job opportunities.

From the start of the course you will join the CIPD and gain full access to the restricted member areas of its website and to local branch network events — all of this will support your studies.

As long as you achieve the Postgraduate Diploma stage of this degree, you will have completed the 'knowledge' criteria requirements for Advanced CIPD membership and you will automatically gain Associate status of the CIPD. When you can also demonstrate evidence of the necessary 'activity' and 'behaviour' criteria, you will be ready to apply for Chartered Membership status.

During your studies, we’ll give you help and guidance to make your online application for the appropriate CIPD membership level.

Deliver genuine business impact

All your assignments and reports reflect real-world scenarios and are usually based on your own workplace practice and experiences. By investigating current business issues from a HRM perspective, you can add substantial value to your organisation as you work towards your qualifications.

At stage three (masters level), you will undertake a research project within the workplace that is directly relevant to your role and the goals of your employer. Recent independent study projects have covered areas such as talent management, employee engagement, the evaluation of learning and training, organisational change, HR analytics and knowledge management.

Build your networks

As well as using our own in-house expertise to teach you, we invite figures from industry to come in and share their knowledge with you. For example, we run ‘expert witness’ sessions where you can question senior HR managers about their careers. You’ll also be invited to masterclasses and guest lectures delivered by influential thinkers, such as our Visiting Professors in HRM, Dr Linda Holbeche and Professor Lynette Harris. 

As well as our national links with CIPD, we work closely with the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire branch, which has over 3,000 members from a wide range of organisations. This branch holds events at the University, which you can attend, enabling you to make new contacts in a professional forum. You’ll hear first-hand what happens at the sharp end of the HR business — from the challenges of identifying talent to how it feels to attend a tribunal. 

Chart your career path

Career development planning is at the heart of this course and you will be fully prepared to meet the continuing professional development (CPD) requirements of your profession. From the outset, you will reflect on your experience, practice, ambitions and skills gaps to create a clear route to future success. You will be allocated a personal tutor who will help you develop your critical self-analysis skills and build your professional identity.

Diverse and supportive

You will be inspired by our expert lecturers with wide-ranging experience of HRM. They have designed the course to be intellectually challenging but offer support and guidance all the way to help you excel.

This MSc attracts a diverse mix of students — established and aspiring HR practitioners from different age groups and from different roles across the public, private and charitable sectors.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

• taught lectures
• case studies
• role play
• debating
• student presentations
• enquiry-based learning
• problem-solving activities
• a significant research project (independent study/dissertation).

At every stage of the programme you are encouraged to apply your learning to work-based scenarios so that you can make an immediate business impact. We will challenge your ways of thinking and behaving as you seek solutions to complex business problems.

This programme is approved by the CIPD so if their Professional Standards and programmes change, this MSc may also need to change.

How you are assessed

For each module, you will be assessed by coursework, scenario or work based assignments. At stage three (masters), you will be assessed by your independent study.

You'll usually need:

• A degree of at least a 2:2, or equivalent
• If English is not your first language, you will also need IELTS 6.5 with 5.5 in each skill area
• Relevant work experience

2024/25 (August 2024 - July 2025)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable

Additional costs and optional extras

2025/26 (August 2025 - July 2026)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable

Additional costs and optional extras

About postgraduate awards

Please note at postgraduate level, you’ll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the respective awards. If you have any questions please contact us.

This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MA or MSc. If you are studying part time you will normally complete your studies over two or three years, depending on the course structure.

Funding your studies

Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.

Find out about funding your studiesFind out about funding your studies

Alumni discount for Derby graduates

We offer a discount on postgraduate course fees for all Derby alumni.

Find out about the Alumni discountFind out about the Alumni discount

This MSc can help you progress towards the higher levels of HR management, but because people are a vital component of any organisation, it can also help you excel in more general management roles. Its approval by the CIPD means it's well-regarded by employers, and its content will ensure you leave as a forward-thinking practitioner with high levels of professionalism and a thorough grasp of modern strategic practice.

After completing this course, most of our students go on to gain promotions or secure more senior roles in other organisations. Our graduates now work across the world in HR management and director positions for public, private and not-for-profit organisations, including Boots, the NHS, Rolls-Royce, Toyota and local authorities. 

Wherever your career takes you, we equip you with some key transferable skills that will be of value in any professional role. These include: leadership, teamworking, networking, communication, and the ability to present and justify intellectually rigorous arguments. We also develop your critical self-analysis and reflective practice skills, which will support lifelong learning and encourage you to continuously grow and develop throughout your career.

Ongoing careers support

Our support continues beyond graduation. You are entitled to further help and guidance from the Careers and Employment Service for up to three years after leaving the University.

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.