Business and Human Resource Management (Hons), B.A.

Overview

You'll learn the skills you'll need to take on roles that attract and retain the right people, in the right place, at the right time.

In your first year, you'll build business and commercial understanding, underpinning your HR practice. You'll focus on HRM topics in years 2 and 3, with the option to explore specialist areas such as inclusion and diversity, employment law, performance management, and HRM in the global workplace.

Between years 2 and 3, you can enhance your career prospects further by completing a year-long industry placement or studying abroad.

Studying this degree could lead you onto a varied career, where you’ll be a highly valued team member in HR, recruitment or training. You can apply for Associate Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) when you complete the course.

This degree shares a common first year with several other business courses, which, gives you the flexibility to transfer to another course if you develop an interest in a different subject area.

What you'll experience

On this course, you'll:

• Learn the theory and techniques of effective people management
• Practise your skills by setting up recruitment campaigns and getting involved in simulated interviews, selection panels and employment tribunals
• Apply your learning to case studies and scenarios similar to what you'll encounter in your career
• Develop an understanding of employment law and other specialist topics that match your interests and career goals
• Get to grips with professional skills sought after in all areas of business, including critical thinking, presentation, research and teamworking skills
• Be taught by a mix of HRM practitioners and academic researchers

You can also:

• Apply your knowledge in the workplace on a year-long work placement, boosting your employability prospects after the course
• Study abroad through our links with overseas universities, immersing yourself in a different culture
• Learn a language while you earn credit towards your degree as part of the University's IWLP programme

Work experience and career planning

To help you secure a great job when you graduate, our Careers and Employability service can help you find relevant work experience during your course to develop your skills and build links in the industry. 

We can help you identify placements, internships, voluntary roles and opportunities that will complement your studies and develop your abilities.

Teaching

Teaching methods on this course include:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Workshops
• Practical sessions
• Group discussions

Teaching staff include academics and researchers who contribute to CIPD papers and textbooks used on HR courses.

How you're assessed

You’ll be assessed through:

• Individual and group coursework
• Examinations
• Online activities
• Presentations
• Your choice of independent research

You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

Careers and opportunities

Many organisations have a human resources team responsible for attracting and recruiting the right people and managing and developing them throughout their time in the workplace.

Armed with a Business and HRM degree and CIPD Associate Member status, you'll be sought after by organisations that want skilled and knowledgable staff on their human resources team, or working in similar areas like Human Resource Development (HRD).