There are few aspects of business more fundamental than people: they’re a vital ingredient of any organisation. It’s down to the HR professionals to deal with a vast range of business-critical issues, shaping workplace policies like redundancy, maternity leave and rewards, and supporting strategic decisions on areas like recruitment.

The best HR professionals have an in-depth understanding of how organisations operate and what the business objectives are – helping them advise employees and partner with the business.

We’ll help you explore the latest thinking in the subject, starting with first principles of managing people, analysing information and understanding behaviour. From there, you’ll expand into topics like managing across cultures and leading change. And, in your final year, you’ll also be able to pick your own subject as a research topic.

By the time you graduate, you won’t just have extensive knowledge of the role, you’ll also have a deeper understanding of the business and legislative landscape. In other words, you’ll leave ready to start your career in the world of HR.

Placement options

Our BA (Hons) Human Resource Management degree offers the chance to spend a year getting a taste of professional life. It’s an opportunity to develop core skills, explore your career goals and discover about how your industry really functions – and shows employers that you’re ready to get to work.

Our Business School Placement Team is ready to help. They offer a wide range of services, including employer presentations, advice and placement fairs. They’re well connected, with an extensive network of relationships with placement employers locally, nationally and internationally. But it’s also up to you – the more proactive you are about applying for placement opportunities, the better.

We focus on helping you develop the skills to work across a range of organisations around the world, whether you specialise in one area, or work across the discipline. 

HR professionals are employed in a wide variety of sectors, including:

• banking and finance
• retail; including supermarkets and online stores
• hospitality, tourism and events
• public sector organisations such as government departments, councils, hospitals and the police. 

Many of our graduates go into training schemes with international companies like IBM, McDonald’s, or GE Healthcare. Some have chosen to develop their careers abroad – in Europe, Asia, and South America.

Other graduates have chosen to continue their HR studies at postgraduate level to become CIPD Chartered HR Managers.