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The teaching of Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations at Keele has its roots in adult education. It is dedicated to the widest possible access for potential students and was pursuing the system of lifelong learning long before the term became popular.
We are a main provider of Human Resource Management/Industrial Relations courses and research in the UK with over 250 full-time undergraduates and over 50 part-time and full-time postgraduates. Students come from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines, and from Europe, Africa and the Far East, as well as the UK. We have a number of full-time and part-time doctoral students. Most of the students on the part-time programmes have a practical knowledge of Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations and are drawn from a wide range of institutions such as ACAS, trade unions, public and private sector organisations, and other educational establishments.
The School is active in research and publication, with an emphasis on contributions useful to practitioners. Research interests and publications include public sector pay and industrial relations, trade union organisation, and industrial relations in the European Union.
We offer a Masters course which has four different part-time streams depending upon the module choice and award title. The stream chosen will depend upon your interests and career path. However, all courses are designed to prepare students for working in organisations in a senior role related to staff and employment, whether in personnel or in trade union functions. There is a European stream which focuses on European aspects of human resource management. Drawing on wide research interests and long-term links with practitioners, our courses are ideally suited both to new graduates and those with some professional experience. A critical approach to both the literature and practice provides a solid academic foundation for those wanting a career in the field, whether as practitioners or academics.
Applicants are normally required to hold at least a second-class honours degree (2.1 or 2.2) or equivalent. Students who have appropriate professional qualifications or relevant work experience may also be considered.
The Masters courses are delivered through a taught part consisting of six 20 credit modules (totalling 120 credits) and a research part consisting of one 10 credit research module and one 60 credit dissertation. Students who successfully complete only the taught modules will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma. The part-time courses start in September each year and are designed to be taken over eighteen months (Postgraduate Diploma) or two years (MA).
The courses are designed to be both practicable and accessible to those in full-time employment who want to build on their own experience to gain an academic qualification. Our part-time Masters courses are therefore available by distance learning with residential study periods at Keele, and extensive learning support. They are flexible enough to allow completion by students anywhere in the UK, Ireland, or Europe, and from any occupation.
Course Modules
Taught Modules (120 credits)
All students take the following three core modules:
- The Employment Relationship
- Workers and their Organisations
- Collective Bargaining and the State
The next three modules depend on which pathway you are taking:
Industrial Relations
- Industrial Action
- Pay Determination
- Comparative European Industrial Relations
Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations
- Managing Employee Resources
- Pay Determination
- Discrimination and Equal Opportunities at Work
Industrial Relations and Employment Law
- Individual Labour Law
- Collective Labour Law
- European Union Social Policy and Law
European Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management
- Managing Employee Resources
- Comparative European Industrial Relations
- European Union Social Policy and Law
Research part (70 credits)
Researching the Employment Relationship
Dissertation
The dissertation is 15,000-20,000 words. Where applicable, students are encouraged to undertake research connected with their current or previous industrial relations or HRM experience. Students are required to produce a written research proposal, material is supplied on research methods, and all students are allocated a supervisor.
Teaching delivery
The Postgraduate Diploma (PgD) course is delivered through six residentials at Keele over both years of study supported by distance learning study packs, electronic resources and a dedicated personal tutor for the core part of the course. Each student does six essay assignments.
Students who register for the MA (or progress from the PgD to the MA) attend two further residentials in year 2 and write a dissertation of between 12,000 and 15,000 words. Where applicable, students are encouraged to undertake research connected with their current or previous industrial relations or HRM experience. Material is supplied on research methods, and all students are allocated a supervisor.
Residentials are held in September, January, April and June of each academic year.
Assessment
Each module on the taught part of the course is assessed through a 3,000 word essay, with a pass mark of 50%. For those taking the Masters course there is a 1,500 word research methods essay and a dissertation of 15,000-20,000 words.
