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This full-time course is designed for UK, European Union and international students wishing to access in-depth academic study in the field of Human Resource Management, with a view to working, researching or teaching in the subject area. This is a high-quality and distinctive programme for candidates with a good first degree, or those with other acceptable qualifications and relevant experience.

The MA/PG Diploma programme in Human Resource Management provides a thorough understanding of the employment relationship and an excellent grounding in the theory and practice of Human Resource Management, labour management and industrial relations. It examines key institutions, problems and issues in contemporary Human Resource Management and industrial relations, including the rights and interests of employees as well as the formation and impact of public policy. This course provides an excellent foundation for a career in the management of human resources and associated management positions in both the public and private sectors.

The main focus is on the United Kingdom, but this is set within a broader comparative perspective, enabling students to assess contrasting systems of industrial relations and to evaluate a range of crucial issues on a European and a global scale.

Keele University is a main provider of Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations courses and research in the UK. The subject group is active in research and publication, focusing on international and national employment and equalities aspects of public policy, spanning both private and public sectors, and typically featuring high levels of engagement with employers, trade unions, and government bodies.

Course Information

Postgraduate students benefit from a wide range of support, including a range of learning resources, research training and accessible tutors and supervisors. Each student is allocated an academic tutor, whose role is to work with the student to explain key themes, develop study and writing skills and provide advice on assessment. Non-native English speakers are also supported by the English Language Unit of the University, who provides additional language tuition.

Major course aims:

• To provide academically rigorous education in HRM, industrial relations and associated disciplines.

• To develop the analytical skills of students.

• To develop a critical approach to HRM literature, issues and practice.

• To prepare students for further study or career progression.

There are seven taught modules and a research-based dissertation.  Each of these modules is assessed by an essay, and the research-based dissertation consists of an extended piece of writing based on a small research project carried out by the student. In order to obtain a Masters degree, students must obtain 180 credits, of which 120 credits are from taught modules and 60 credits from the dissertation. Students taking the postgraduate diploma follow the taught modules only. All modules are core modules. The modules address a wide range of human resource management issues, as follows.

Module 1: Understanding & researching the employment relationship (10 credits)

Part (a) is the course induction and part (b) covers research methods - The module introduces students to the themes covered in the course and, later in the academic year, covers the research methods used in the study of HRM to prepare students for the dissertation.

Module 2: Foundations of the employment relationship (20 credits)

Perspectives on industrial relations; how jobs are regulated; the nature of the employment relationship and the origins of the labour contract; labour markets and the labour process; employers and the State.

Module 3: Employers and the management of labour (20 credits)

Managerial origins, rights and authority, features of managerial organisation and structure, theories of worker behaviour, and the role of HRM in the management of labour.

Module 4: Managing employee resources (20 credits)

Contemporary issues in HRM; recruitment and selection; retention; performance management; appraisal and discipline; and equality at work.

Module 5: Managing employee relations (20 credits)

Joint regulation of the employment relationship, including collective bargaining and information and consultation procedures; State policy on joint regulation; strategic options in collective bargaining; and bargaining strategies in the private and public sectors.

Module 6: Pay Determination (20 credits)

Pay as income; absolute and relative levels of pay; productivity, and links between pay and output and/or performance; payment systems; pay structures; pay negotiations; the role of the state in determining pay levels.

Module 7: Employee development and training (20 credits)

National vocational education and training frameworks, labour markets and the organisational context for employee development, the learning organisation, identifying training needs, examining the effectiveness of training.

Module 8: Research dissertation (60 credits)

Students are encouraged to undertake research into an HRM issue within an organisation. Students receive research methods training and are allocated a supervisor to oversee the fieldwork research and the writing up of the dissertation.

How to Apply

Further details on the application procedure can be found here. 

If you have any queries regarding the application procedure please contact:

For UK/EU admission enquiries:

UK/EU Admissions Office
Tawney Building
Keele University
Staffordshire
ST5 5BG
UK 

Tel: +44 (0) 1782 7334472
Email: ukeuadmissions@paa.keele.ac.uk
Fax: +44 (0) 1782 632343

For international admission enquiries:

International Admissions
Keele International
Walter Moberly Building
Keele University
Staffordshire
ST5 5BG
UK 

Tel: +44 (0) 1782 733501
Email: international@keele.ac.uk
Fax: +44 (0) 1782 734238 

Please indicate the course(s) you are interested in.

Applicants whose first degree was not taught in the English Language will be required to show competency in English (IELTS 6.5 or equivalent)

Overseas applicants for the PG Diploma and MA Human Resource Management will increase their chances of acceptance if the can provide a GRE or GMAT score to indicate their readiness for graduate study.

For overseas students who do not meet all direct entry requirements, we offer the opportunity to take an intensive Business or Computing Pre-Masters programme. For more information follow the link to the International Study Centre.

We welcome informal enquiries about our PG Diploma and MA Human Resource Management and these should be addressed to the Course Director (Dr Carola Weissmeyer)

There is no application deadline, but early applications may increase the chances of acceptance.

Fees

Details of fees for taught postgraduate courses are maintained by the postgraduate office (follow the link for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences).

Funding Opportunities

Bursaries:

Details of Keele Graduate Bursaries can be found here.

Other sources of funds:

British Council

Overseas students can find information about what grants may be available from the British Council on their website . Alternatively, contact your local British Council office.

Career Development Loans

Another common route for funding is through Career Development Loans. The Department for Education and Employment coordinates such a scheme. For information about these, see their website.

The Graduate Attributes Statement is designed to raise awareness of the attributes that will be developed whilst you are a student at Keele University. It explains each of the attributes in detail, tips on how to achieve them and how they relate to your chosen programme of study.

The Graduate Attributes Statement for this course can be downloaded as a PDF here.