Human Resource Management MSc (with 12 month placement)

What makes Human Resource Management MSc at Worcester special?

The course is designed to develop your Human Resource Management understanding and skills. The themes of internationalisation, employability and sustainability are central to the programme and the international context will be at the forefront in all modules, allowing you to explore and investigate the core content in a multicultural and global setting.

You will have the opportunity to study alongside students with diverse backgrounds to encourage cross-learning and be exposed to different practices of employment relationship from around the world. International business context will be provided through links to live case studies to enable you to gain an appreciation of real business situations. You will also have the option to choose an internship pathway to gain a further understanding of relevant practice.

Sustainability and sustainable development will be explored throughout the course to enable you to develop a critical understanding and awareness of operating as a leader in sustainable and ethical business.

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Certificate in Strategic Management (a Chartered Management Institute qualification) optionally awarded upon successful completion of the programme, which will greatly impact your long term career aspirations. You will also have access to Associate Membership of the CMI.

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Chartered Management Institute Logos

Overview

Key features

Scholarships and Discounts for international students, based on their grades
Opportunities to work with senior academics who have extensive experience in Project Management
Gain Human Resource knowledge and skills to manage in a range of national and global settings
Develop the ability to apply knowledge and understanding of Human Resource Management to complex issues, both systematically and creatively
Opportunities to experience relevant practice through the internship pathway option
A flexible design allowing two entry points, in September and January

Entry requirements

The Human Resource Management course is available for aspiring individuals who can exhibit good intellectual abilities and personal and professional skills. The minimum entry requirements are:

An honours degree at 2:2 level or above in any subject (or International students holding a qualification recognised as equivalent by the University)

Entry to the MSc in Human Resource Management requires all applicants to complete an application form. Where information on the form is insufficient for a decision to be made the applicant will be requested to attend an interview with the Admission Tutor.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Students with relevant previous study at postgraduate level or with extensive experience may be considered eligible for recognition of prior learning. Please contact the Registry Admissions Office for further information or guidance on 01905 855111. Further information on Recognition of Prior Learning can be found at our Registry Services page.

Other information

Students whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate proficiency to a minimum level of 6.5 IELTS (and minimum of 5.5 in each element) or equivalent.

We accept IELTS, Pearson and many Cambridge certificates as proof of English language fluency on our degree courses. Other equivalent English qualifications will also be considered as well as qualifications recognised as equivalent by the University. Some courses may require a higher score for professional accreditation or registration. Find out more about language requirements and support.

If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk for advice.

Ever since I set foot on campus I received brain waves and continued to gather inspiration that would facilitate my aspiration to become a leading entrepreneur back home.

Anthony Olusegun Birch, Nigeria, Management & Human Resources MSc

Course content

Our courses are informed by research and current developments in the discipline and feedback from students, external examiners and employers. Modules do therefore change periodically in the interests of keeping the course relevant and reflecting best practice. The most up-to-date information will be available to you once you have accepted a place and registered for the course. If there are insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this might not be offered, but we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative.

Modules	Mandatory Leadership and Change Management International Human Resource Management Engaging the Diverse Workforce Coaching and Mentoring Managing Corporate Reputation Research Methods 60 credit research module Research Project (Dissertation)	Students need to select two of the following optional modules: Managing Across Cultures Cybersecurity and the Online Market Business Information Systems Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation Managing for Sustainable Futures

Modules

Mandatory

Leadership and Change Management
International Human Resource Management
Engaging the Diverse Workforce
Coaching and Mentoring
Managing Corporate Reputation
Research Methods

60 credit research module

Research Project (Dissertation)

Students need to select two of the following optional modules:

Managing Across Cultures
Cybersecurity and the Online Market
Business Information Systems
Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Managing for Sustainable Futures

The placement

You will have the opportunity to go on a work placement for 6 or 12 months. You are supported in finding placements and can apply for a vacancy as you would a job. There are dedicated sessions to support you in CV writing, interview skills and job applications as well as access to 1:1 tutorials. Most placements start on completion of the taught modules.

The placement will allow you to gain first-hand experience within a real business environment to enhance your future employability and are usually paid. Some students choose to base their research project on a business-related issue arising during the placement. This would give you access to research participants and primary data, and allow you to apply the theories and principles discussed on the programme to a real organisation.

While on placement, you will be supported by a dedicated placements team able to respond to any problems you may be having, an individual tutor who visits you twice while you are on placement and you will retain access to all the University facilities including e-resources. At the end of the placement, you are required to submit a placement portfolio containing your learning contract, a satisfactory employer appraisal, a case study and an end of placement presentation.

You can get in touch with the Placements Office on placements@worc.ac.uk.

Part-time option

The course will normally take one academic year to complete. Part time students will complete the course over 2 years at least. The maximum registration periods allowed for the completion of these awards in part time mode (without credit on entry) is 6 years.

Teaching and assessment

The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement.

A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and also the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help you to flourish and be successful.

Teaching

You are taught through a combination of interactive workshops, lectures, seminars, laboratory practical sessions, organisational fieldwork and practical activities.

Interactive workshops take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion and small group activities. Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures, and laboratory practical sessions are focused on developing subject specific skills and applied individual and group project work. Wherever possible, students are to reflect on their knowledge, experience and practice and to think creatively of potential solutions that impact positively on business performance and professional practice.

In addition, meetings with Personal Academic Tutors are scheduled on three occasions during the year. Meetings with Research Project supervisors are scheduled throughout the execution of the project.

An optional internship (up to 6 months in duration) is available to all students, taking place on completion of the taught modules. This internship will not be credit-rated but will allow the student to gain first-hand experience within a real business environment to enhance their future employability. Students may also choose to make use of this opportunity to base their Research Project on a business-related issue arising during the internship. There may be possibilities, with the employer’s permission, to gain access to research participants and primary data, and to apply their understanding of theories and principles discussed within their programme to a live organisational setting.

Contact time

Each module will have a weekly session of two hours. In a typical week you will have around 8 contact hours of teaching, but this might differ based on the number of modules taken in each semester if you selected the Part time study mode. Typically, class contact time will be structured around:

Delivering theoretical content to address contemporary business issues
Practical tasks relating theory to practice
Discussions and group activities
Case studies and simulation exercises

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, a full-time student is expected to undertake around 30 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve reading, researching, preparing for group work, rehearsing presentations, preparing for assessments and exams.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Duration

Full time students can finish the course in one year. Students who take the internship option will not be required to take extra modules, but their course duration will be extended by 6 months.
Part time students would normally complete the course in no less than two years, but the maximum registration period is 6 years. They have the option of selecting up to 90 credits of study per year, but the Research Project should be the final module taken.

For September starters – without internship:

Semester 1: September – January
Semester 2: January – May
Semester 3: May – September

For January starters – without internship:

Semester 1: January – May
Semester 2: September – January
Semester 3: January – June

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration.

Please note that whilst we try to be as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week; and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings.

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

Feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments. Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessment which is graded and counts towards the overall module grade.

The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory and optional modules taken, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern, for a full time student is:

Semester 1:

1 Research proposal
1 Exam
2 Individual reports
1 Group presentation
1 Essay

Semester 2:

1 Group presentation
1 Reflective essay
1 Individual report

Semester 3:

Research Project

The precise assessment requirements for part time students will vary according to the modules selected.

All assignments will be internally marked and moderated as well as being externally examined as per the University of Worcester assessment policy.

Teaching staff

Teaching is informed by research and consultancy, and all lecturers on the course have or are working towards a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy.

You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.

Meet the team

Students will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. Our programme tutors are experts both in their subject matter and in the delivery of this course in innovative and powerful ways.

Members of our faculty include:

Laurence Curtis

Laurence is a Senior Lecturer specialising in Procurement and Supply Chain Management. Prior to joining the University, he worked in a variety of Procurement, Supply Chain and Programme Management roles across industry, including at Airbus where he was the A330/A340 Programme Procurement Manager with the responsibility to ensure ongoing product development, production and in-service support.

Dr Laila Kasem

Laila is a Senior Lecturer in Strategic Marketing at Worcester Business School with expertise in the areas of strategy, international business, marketing and entrepreneurship. Laila is interested in research that advances the theory as well as the practice of various organisations. She is also interested in migrant entrepreneurship, particularly refugee entrepreneurship. Laila teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students on a variety of subjects that relate to her research including global strategy, international business and strategic marketing.

Isabel Clarke

Isabel has been teaching in Higher Education for almost 10 years. Prior to moving into higher education, Isabel had a successful career as a communications practitioner working within a range of high-profile organisations including Silverstone Circuit and the McLaren Formula One team. Her most recent Executive post was as Head of Regional Affairs for ITV in the Central Region

Dr Paulo Mora-Avila

Paulo has an extensive international experience in the fields of Marketing, Advertising and PR, performing roles both in academic and practical levels.

He holds an MBA from Royal Holloway University of London and a PhD in Marketing, Social Media and Consumer Behaviour with a focus on branding from the University of Birmingham.

Paulos teaching experience include Lecturer in Marketing at Birkbeck University of London, Lecturer in Marketing Strategy at Hult Business school and Assistant to Lecturers in Marketing Management at Birmingham University. His teaching and research areas of interest include, consumer behaviour, brands, social media, digital marketing, corporate reputation, and cross-cultural and cross-generational marketing.

Dr Pamela Murray

I enjoy enhancing student and client performance using a combination of experiential, educational and psychological development methodologies. The University suits my philosophy of education in that students are robustly challenged whilst being carefully supported. I appreciate working collaboratively with peers and seniors in WBS, across the University and externally. There are many opportunities for me to inform my teaching practice through working in the local community and in a range of sectors.

Qualifications
PGCert in Education
MA Leadership Studies
PhD Coaching Science
MPhil Sport Psychology
MSc Recreation Management
BA (Dist) Sports Coaching and Management
Extensive professional qualifications

Professor Robin Bell

Robin is Professor of Entrepreneurship and the DBA Programme Director at the Worcester Business School. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a UK Council for Graduate Education Recognised Research Supervisor.

Careers

Graduate destinations

The job market for the MSc in Human Resource Management is strongly affected by the state of the global economy and includes a wide range of employers, with areas such as the UK Public Sector & NHS, software companies and publishing houses amongst some of the more recent employers.

Student employability

Employability is a key element of the philosophy of the MSc in Human Resource Management course design. The course is structured around producing competitive graduates ready for the current challenges of the job market. They are taught a wide range of current and relevant topics and trained to exhibit the best attributes and qualities of critical, open-minded, inclusive and skilful individuals. Besides, the international nature of the candidates, the diversity of expertise and backgrounds together with the UoW commitment to the sustainability agenda will play a crucial role in shaping the learning experience and the qualities of the graduates which will have a profound impact on their employability.

Students develop the skills and knowledge required to perform as ‘thinking practitioners’. Students are helped to develop effective Continuous Professional Development Plans and update their C.V. to assist future job searching. Students are also encouraged to seek CIPD membership as soon as their professional experience allows. All students have access to University support services including careers advice. There is an option for students to attend a professional work placement during the programme to provide real Human Resource Management experience and provide a context for the dissertation.

Links with employers

The course team are in contact with a wide range of organisations and also the professional body (CIPD). The team communicate with these professionals to ensure that the theoretical and practical elements of the course reflect the real-world situation and that students are armed with the up-to-date knowledge and competencies that they will need for a career in Human Resource Management.

The Business School works closely with a number of professional organisations including the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Institute of Commercial Management, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Chartered Institute of Management Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Institute of Financial Accountants, Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals, and British Computer Society.

The Business School has worked with a number of business clients in developing and delivering its programmes. These include – The NHS (a range of Primary Care and Acute Trusts); Local Government (a range of County, District and Unitary Authorities); West Mercia, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and Staffordshire Constabularies; Ministry of Defence and The Royal Air Force; Her Majesty’s Prison Service; Royal Mail; Financial Services Organisations (e.g. Lloyds TSB, HBOS Plc, Clerical Medical, NFU Mutual and Virgin Money); Housing Associations, Southco, Malvern Instruments, Allpay Limited, G4S Secure Solutions, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service and Hitachi Capital.

The Business School has well-developed working relations with the local business community many of whom contribute to postgraduate programmes through the internship option to give students a real-world insight into the future world of work and/or to provide live client briefs to students. Senior managers from this business community have been involved in the design of this programme. They were consulted on the skills and attributes they expect to see in our graduates as we well as the knowledge and academic competencies they want our graduated to exhibit.

Costs

Fees and funding

Full-time tuition fees	UK and EU students The standard tuition fee for full-time home and EU students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes courses in the academic year 2025/26 is £9,450 per year. For more details, please visit our course fees page.	International students The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes courses in the academic year 2025/26 is £17,900 per year. For more details, please visit our course fees page.
Part-time tuition fees	UK and EU students The standard tuition fees for part-time home and EU students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes/PGCert/PGDip courses in the academic year 2025/26 are £788 per 15-credit module, £1,575 per 30-credit module, £2,363 per 45-credit module, and £3,150 per 60 credit module. For more details, please visit our course fees page.	International students The standard tuition fees for part-time international students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes courses in the academic year 2025/26 are £1,492 per 15-credit module, £2,983 per 30-credit module, £4,475 per 45-credit module, and £5,967 per 60 credit module. For more details, please visit our course fees page.
International fees and finance	If you are an international applicant, information on international fees and relevant scholarships is available on our International student fees page.
Postgraduate loans	The Government will provide a loan of up to £12,471 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2024 per eligible student for postgraduate Masters study. It will be at your own discretion whether the loan is used towards fees, maintenance or other costs. For more details visit our postgraduate loans page.
Accommodation	Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study. We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Halls' at £131 per week to 'Ensuite Premium Halls' at £228 per week (2025/26 prices). For full details visit our accommodation page.
Additional costs	Every course has day-to-day costs for basic books, stationery, printing and photocopying. The amounts vary between courses. If your course offers a placement opportunity, you may need to pay for an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.
International Scholarships and Discounts	There are substantial Postgraduate Scholarships and Discounts available for International Students of up to £3,000 and based on their grades. Further information is available on our International student fees page. Alternatively, please contact the course leader, Dr Taroun a.taroun@worc.ac.uk

How to apply