Three BNU students in a meeting with a member of staff sat around a table in the BNU library

Apply now Book Open Day

MA Human Resource Management

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), our MA in Human Resource Management will help you build the skills you need to give businesses an edge and become a confident and competent HR practitioner.

Thanks to our proximity to London, we've been able to build great industry links over the years that benefit our students. We also have strong relationships with many local businesses and global organisations.

The MA Human Resource Management at BNU has far exceeded my initial 'logistical' requirements and has given me so much more confidence, not just academically, but to be able to apply critical thinking in my workplace too.

Jane Whiley

Why study this subject?

HR professionals are in demand as the people who mobilise an organisation's greatest asset: its people. A master’s in Human Resource Management will allow you to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to lead and manage people in the competitive business environment.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

Our MA in Human Resource Management is designed for professionals who have an organisational responsibility for human resources at an operational, tactical or strategic level and are looking for professional and career development.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) have accredited our course, the largest body for HR professionals in Europe, adding extra value to your CV.

Our course balances academic theory and practical knowledge and skills. You'll learn advanced theories and strategic insights alongside developing your organisational, leadership and management skills.

Our range of contemporary, optional modules give you the opportunity to specialise. Whether you're interested in organisational development, learning and development, occupational psychology or employment law, we give you the chance to further your knowledge in those areas.

At BNU, we believe that one-to-one teaching makes a huge difference. Our tutors each have a wealth of HR experience and are experienced academics. You'll always have the full support of our staff. Their guidance will help you unlock your potential.

What facilities can I use?

We’ve invested in a range of state-of-the-art facilities across our campuses to support your learning.

Our library is the perfect place to find the resources you need and a quiet place to study, filled with four floors of books, journals, computer suites and study rooms. Or, if you’d rather work off campus, e-Journals and resources are only a few clicks away using our Virtual Learning Environment.

What will I study?

On this course, you will study a range of modules, which will help you:

gain an overall and systematic understanding of the advanced study of human resource management and the changing context within the field
develop a critical awareness and understanding of the relevant underpinning concepts, theoretical frameworks and academic knowledge in this field.
perform effectively as an HR professional or prepare you for further study in the area.

How will I be taught and assessed?

BNU runs a wide range of courses designed to make students 'business ready'. We have an excellent teaching team that blend practical experience with leading research into business theory.

We give you the opportunity to discuss and debate the latest concepts and developments in HR. Our guest lecturers will keep you updated on the industry with their own experiences.

We recognise that you may be taking this course while you're working. To help fit with your working life, we offer a flexible approach to education, delivering a mixture of lectures, tutorials and group learning.

While you'll have a set amount of contact hours, we make sure that every hour is packed with informative and beneficial knowledge.

Useful Documents

MA Human Resource Management Programme Specification

What are the course entry requirements?

To apply, you'll need either an honours degree (or equivalent) or a CIPD level 5 qualification. As we accept applications on an individual basis, we also look at your experience in HR as this can be just as valuable as a degree.

We also interview applicants as part of our admissions. Interviews help us gauge who you are as a person as well as a prospective student. If your first language is not English or your language of instruction at undergraduate level was not English you be required to demonstrate English proficiency at a score of IELTS level 6.5 or its equivalent.

Modules

This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.

Year 1 Modules

Leading, Managing and Developing People

Essential Human Resource Management

Performance Management

HRM in Context

Developing Skills for Effective Use of Information

Dissertation

Investigating a business issue from an HR perspective (optional)

Strategic Leadership (optional)

Organisational Psychology (optional)

Employment Law (optional)

Learning and Talent Development (optional)

What are the tuition fees

Home and EU fees, Academic Year 2022 - 2023:

Year 1 fees: £3,500
Year 2 fees: £6,700

The University is unable to accept any new applications from students who require sponsorship for a student visa to start in September 2022. This is due to the overwhelming popularity of our courses and visa processing timeframes. Applications are still being taken from students who are already in the UK and hold the right to study.

From September 2022, those students living in the UK or Republic of Ireland, and EU nationals with settled status in the UK, will be considered Home students.

Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees.

You could benefit from financial support through a bursary or scholarship during your time as a student. For more details visit our financial support, bursaries and scholarships section.

What are my career prospects?

We've designed this course to give you an advantage when applying for a position in Human Resource Management and similar roles.

Recent graduates have gone on to jobs in positions such as:

Diversity Manager
Employee Relations Specialist
External Recruitment Consultant
Learning and Development Manager
Learning Design Manager
HR Business Partner.

HR isn't limited to major businesses with hundreds of employees. There is a huge demand in HR advice, especially when a company can't invest in a full-time HR professional or for SMEs and start-up businesses. Some of our graduates have set up their own HR consultant companies and some work as freelance consultants.

Did you know?

We are one of the top 10 UK universities mostly likely to produce graduates who go on to own or manage a business (Capital on Tap, 2021), find out more about this excellent news.