Description
In this MSc you’ll learn about the role of the HR professional, the nature of professionalism and approaches to addressing ethical dilemmas, sustainable HR management, and EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion). You’ll develop the people management skills that are essential for HR work such as selection and appraisal interviewing, delivering training, managing performance, organisational development and people analytics. You’ll also gain the skills and understanding needed to work at a strategic level in an organisation in relation to HR issues. This will include employee relations, learning and development, talent management, engagement with employees and stakeholders, and the ability to address change management issues.
Key features of the course
- Develop essential people management skills for working in HR
- Gain the skills and understanding needed to create organisational HR strategies
- Develop the core behaviours and knowledge to address business and change management issues in an uncertain world
- Understand a HR professional's role; tackling ethical dilemmas, EDI, and favouring sustainable HR management.
This qualification provides a route to professional membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). See 'Careers' for more information.
Planning your studies
You must hold a bachelors degree awarded by a recognised UK university, or equivalent. Please contact us if you hold a qualification that you believe is an equivalent level to a UK degree, to ensure that it meets the requirements for admission.
You will need to be able to draw on experience of working in or with organisations. This experience can be drawn from a wide range of situations such as employment in public and private sector organisations and in self-employed or voluntary roles.
Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum score of 6.5 under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see their website for details.
How long it takes
The minimum time to complete this qualification is three years by studying 60 credits a year. You should allow 12-13 hours of study per week for each 30-credit module. The maximum time to complete is seven years.
Career relevance and employability
This qualification provides a route to professional membership of the CIPD if you wish to develop a career in HR management. If you intend to use this qualification for CIPD membership you will need to indicate that intention at the start of your studies via a Diagnostic Questionnaire to facilitate registration with CIPD as a student on a CIPD approved award. You will also need to have active membership/student membership of CIPD (paying associated annual membership fees) throughout your studies. CIPD membership does give you access to a wide range of relevant resources and the CIPD network.
This qualification also provides training in research and academic skills for those wishing to develop academic careers in the field of human resource management.
More generally, by studying a postgraduate business qualification you can expect your salary to increase and for it to have a positive impact on your career progression, as well as bringing improvements to your organisation.
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.
Modules
To gain this qualification, you need 180 credits and we recommend that you study the modules in the following order:
90 credits from the following:
plus 30 credits from the following:
plus a 60 credits from the following:
Compulsory module |
Credits |
Next start |
- Dissertation (HRM) (B894) NEW
Research skills are important for all HR professionals in order to improve organisational practice. Design and implement your own research into an aspect of HRM.
See full description
|
60 |
Nov 2024 |
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
If you’ve successfully completed some relevant postgraduate study elsewhere, you might be able to count it towards this qualification, reducing the number of modules you need to study. You should apply for credit transfer as soon as possible, before you register for your first module. For more details and an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.
On completion
On successfully completing this course, we’ll award you our Masters in Human Resource Management. You’ll be entitled to use the letters MSc HRM (Open) after your name.
If your masters degree is awardable with a distinction or a merit, the qualification regulations explain how you can achieve these.
You’ll have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
How to register
If you want to study for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of
our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the
module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
During the registration procedure you will be asked to declare which qualification you are studying towards.
See a full list of modules available for this qualification