Course information

Course highlights

• Students are enabled to make an effective contribution as human resource specialists, taking account of the complexities within the discipline of human resource management.
• The programme is accredited through the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. See accreditation below.
• Students have the opportunity to participate in the Masters Extra (MX) Programme, which includes guest lectures from eminent academics and business executives, specific sessions to enhance career development opportunities and a range of corporate visits.

Teaching format

The Masters in Human Resource Management is a one-year taught programme run by the School of Management. The taught elements of the programmes are delivered through a mixture of core and option modules using a range of delivery methods, including lectures, small group tutorials, workshops and seminars. The average lecture size is 30 students, however, in some cases there will be seminars of 15 to 18 students or larger lectures with up to 100 students, which would normally be augmented by small group tutorials.

Assessment comprises a combination of coursework and examinations. Over the summer months, students undertake a research project culminating in a written dissertation of 15,000 words. You will attend a weekly series of lectures and workshops focusing on research methods and other topics to help prepare you for the dissertation.

Further particulars regarding curriculum development.

Accreditation

Students who successfully complete the programme's compulsory modules along with two optional modules in Managing People in Global Markets and Leadership in Organisations will receive accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Modules

The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. Typically, modules consist of three to five contact hours per week including lectures, seminars and tutorials. Assessment is either entirely by coursework, or through a combination of coursework and a two-hour end-of-semester examination.

For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue which is for the 2015-2016 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2016 entry.

Compulsory modules

• Contemporary Global Issues in Management: how various global trends will impact upon economies, organisations and the practice of management.
• Skills and Challenges for the HR Professional: explores ways in which to conceptualise HRM in organisations, and the ways in which context influences the practice of HR in different organisational and occupational settings.
• Masterclasses in Human Resource Management: reviews a range of contemporary and critical issues relating to the practise, problemising and theorising about human resource management.

and one of:

• Managing Human Resources: reviews the key theoretical and practical aspects involved in managing human resources.
• Managing and Developing People: analyses the type of policies and practices necessary for mutual commitment and engagement between employee and employer.
  

Optional modules

Student choose two optional modules, taking one in each semester. For the latest optional module information, see the module catalogue.

• Alternative Investment
• Creative Marketing Communications
• Entrepreneurship and Business Planning
• Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity
• Ethics, Organisations and Management
• Financial Systems
• International Financial Management
• International Marketing
• Leadership in Organisations
• Managerial Decision-making
• Managing Natural Resources
• Managing People in Global Markets
• Marketing and Society
• Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs): Critical Perspective
• Risk Management
• Scenario Thinking and Strategy

Optional modules are subject to change each year, and attendance may be limited (see the University’s position on curriculum development).

If you would like to know more about the content of your modules for this programme, you can view the module guides for the current year of study.

Dissertation

Students attend lectures throughout semesters 1 and 2 to prepare them for conducting the research portion of the dissertation. The dissertation is normally on a specific area of Human Resource Management, however at the School of Management, you will have the freedom to develop a topic of your own, which is of interest to you and will contribute towards career development or further study goals.

Students are assigned a supervisor based on a research proposal submitted in the second semester. They will then research and write a 15,000-word dissertation over the summer to be submitted on a date specified in August. 

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for their Masters degree (MLitt), there are exit awards available that allow suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of a MLitt.

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The School of Management

The School of Management organises activities and builds relationships around the concept of responsible enterprise.

Responsible enterprise informs teaching and research about:

• managing within organisations
• the impact of human enterprise on the environment
• the interaction between forms of investment and social and organisational impact
• the need to foster creativity and development.

Accountability, governance, sustainability and ethics are key to the understanding of and engagement with a wide variety of organisations – private, public and social.

The School of Management has won major grants to undertake research and develop research centres. The research findings are reported in top international journals, which means the School is influential in shaping policy and practice.

The School’s world-class research makes a significant contribution to teaching at St Andrews.  School staff work as a supportive community to ensure that students think and engage critically with subject matter, both practical and theoretical, developing their abilities and their skills in analysis, synthesis, evaluation and application.

Careers

Alumni from the Human Resource Management programme and more generally from other Masters programmes in the School of Management have secured employment in the fields of general management, marketing and brand management, accountancy, investment analysis, fund administration and other aspects of the financial services industry.

Graduates from the Masters in Human Resource Management have taken up roles in a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sector including:

Masters Extra (MX)

The Masters Extra (MX) Programme is designed specifically for taught masters students in the School of Management and focusses on careers, and personal and professional development. This series of talks, workshops, networking opportunities and activities includes guest lectures from leading academics and experienced managers. Participants earn a Certificate in Career Development through regular attendance.

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Events

The School of Management hosts events and guest lectures beginning in Orientation Week and throughout the year, providing students and staff with opportunities to socialise and to engage with visiting scholars, professionals and practitioners.

The Management Society, a student-led organisation, hosts a broad range of events and activities, both subject-related and social. The University also has a number of other student societies relating to the management discipline.

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Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our Admissions policy.

Curriculum development

As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online. (PDF, 72 KB).

Tuition fees

The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online. (PDF, 84 KB).