Human Resource Management MSc

Whether you are just starting your career or looking to take your next step, this course will be relevant in businesses in any sector and of any size, from local to global. We take an international perspective on HRM, considering many different cultural contexts.

The topics you will explore include:

• Employee relations
• Employee engagement, learning and development
• Resourcing and talent management
• Globalisation and international forces
• Social and technological change
• Government policies and regulation

You will engage with the latest research in HRM, and learn to apply this to find practical solutions to real business problems. This will give you valuable insight into current debates and developments in the industry.

We encourage the sharing of knowledge and experience between students and staff with a wide range of professional backgrounds. This fosters a collaborative learning community which will provide both support and varied perspectives throughout your study.

You will have the opportunity to gain a professional accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD) alongside your MSc.

You can choose to study this course with a Year in Industry, allowing you to apply your learning and gain valuable experience. If you choose a Year in Industry you will be studying for a total of 2 years. Your first year will be a teaching year. In your second year you will either be on placement or conducting a skills and research based module.

How you will study

You can study this postgraduate course full time or part time. This allows you to fit your studies around other commitments.

If you choose to study full time the course will take 1 year to complete, or 2 if you choose a year in industry. You will study:

• 5 compulsory modules, including a final Capstone Project module

If you choose to study part time the course will take 2 years to complete and the modules will be split across both years.

You can find out which modules are available in each term in the Course Specifications.

Modules

Teaching and learning

All of your modules will be delivered using a variety of different teaching sessions. This includes:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Guest speakers
• Workshops
• Events

Each module has a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), where you and other postgraduate students will benefit from online debate and collaborative approaches to learning.

Our teaching draws on both our research and professional experience. This means your learning is informed by the most current thinking in the subject area. You can find out more about our research and backgrounds by visiting our staff pages.

Optional placement year

Choosing the placement year option can give you a competitive edge in your future career. It is an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills you have learned in the workplace.

You will be on placement for a full academic year, after you have successfully completed all of the taught modules. During your placement, you will also work towards and complete your Business Consultancy Project.

Assessment

We use a wide variety of assessment types, which help you to develop skills relevant to the workplace. This includes:

• Presentations
• Critical essays
• Portfolios
• Reflective journals
• Case study work

You will receive feedback on your work throughout each module. This will help you to improve your work for your graded assessments. We will advise you on developing your skills, useful areas for research and how to extend your business knowledge further.

Qualifications

If your degree is in an unrelated subject, but you can provide evidence of relevant professional experience, your application may still be considered.

International students

If you are an international student you will need to show that your qualifications match our entry requirements.

Information about international qualifications and entry requirements can be found on our International pages.

If English is not your first language you will need to show that you have English Language competence at IELTS level 6.0 (with no skill below 5.5) or equivalent.

International entry requirements

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)

If you do not have traditional qualifications, you might be able to provide evidence of professional experience in the subject as an alternative way to meet the entry requirements. This is called Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). Appropriate references and records of employment would need to be presented to support your case for admission. 

Terms and conditions

Our terms and conditions, policies and procedures contain important information about studying at York St John University. You can read them on our Admissions page.

UK 2025 - 2026 entry

The tuition fee for this postgraduate course in the 2025 - 2026 academic year is:

• £8,600 for full time study
• If you choose to study this course with a Year in Industry, the tuition fee for full time study would be £9,890

These costs apply to all UK, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man students.

Postgraduate loans are available to help you pay for your master’s course. Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

Funding opportunities

International 2025 - 2026 entry

The tuition fee for this postgraduate course is £11,800 for full time study in the 2025 - 2026 academic year.

If you choose to study this course in the 2025 - 2026 academic year with a Year in Industry, the tuition fee for full time international students would be £15,400.

These costs apply to all students living outside the UK.

Due to immigration laws, if you are an international student on a student visa, you must study full time. For more information about visa requirements and short-term study visas, please visit the International Visa and Immigration pages.

Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

International Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

Alumni Scholarships

If you are alumni of York St John University we have scholarships available to help you continue your studies.

Scholarships for alumni

Additional costs and financial support

Course-related costs

While studying for your degree, there may be additional costs related to your course. This may include purchasing personal equipment and stationery, books and optional field trips.

Accommodation and living costs

View our accommodation pages for detailed information on accommodation and living costs.

Where could Human Resource Management take you?

This course will provide you with varied and versatile skills which can applied across a wide range of industries and organisations. Specialist modules such as Data Analytics and the Blockchain will give you the industry-ready, transferable skills needed for a competitive edge in the marketplace.  The leadership, coaching and people management skills you develop will prepare you for a wide range of roles, which could include:

• Human resources manager
• Training and development officer
• Occupational psychologist
• Officer manager
• Management consultant
• Recruitment consultant
• Talent agent

The course could also lead you to undertake further postgraduate study through an MPhil or PhD.

Alumni stories

Visit our YSJ Snapshots blog to see what our past students from across the University have done with their York St John degrees.

Stand out from the crowd with postgraduate study

Far fewer people have postgraduate degrees than undergraduate qualifications. This gives you something extra to set yourself apart in a competitive graduate job market. Those with a postgraduate qualification will earn an average of £5,000 a year more than those with only an undergraduate degree (Department For Education Graduate Labour Market Report 2023).

Our careers service, LaunchPad, provides career support tailored to your ambitions. Through this service you can access:

• Employer events
• LinkedIn, CV and cover letter sessions
• Workshops on application writing and interview skills
• Work experience and volunteering opportunities
• Personalised career advice

This support does not end when you graduate. You can access our expert career advice for the rest of your life. We will help you gain the experience and confidence you need to succeed.