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Human Resource Management (MLitt) 2021 entry

The Masters in Human Resource Management (MLitt) provides a comprehensive approach to the management of an organisation’s most valuable and valued assets – the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives.

Applications for 2021 entry for this course have now closed. See which courses are available for the upcoming academic year.

Key information

Course type

Postgraduate, leading to a Master of Letters (MLitt)

Course dates

  • Start date: 6 September 2021
  • End date: 30 September 2022

Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.

Course duration

One year (12 months) full time

Entry requirements

  • A good 2.1 undergraduate Honours degree in business, management or a related subject from the UK or the equivalent international qualification. The University also considers applicants who have majored in another subject but have a business or management minor. Applicants with business experience are welcome, and work experience may be taken into account in the evaluation of applications.
  • If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.
  • English language proficiency. See English language tests and qualifications.

Students without a relevant background in business or management are advised to consider the Management MLitt programme.

The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.

Tuition fees

Home: £11,990
Overseas: £24,240

Application deadline

Admission to this programme will close once the programme is full. Applicants should apply as early as possible to be eligible for certain scholarships and for international visa purposes and to ensure their application is submitted before the programme is full.

Application requirements

  • CV
  • personal statement explaining why you have chosen the programme, why this subject is important to you and why you have applied to study at the University of St Andrews in particular (500 words)
  • one original signed academic reference
  • academic transcripts and degree certificates
  • evidence of English language proficiency (required if English is not your first language).

A sample of academic writing is not required for this programme.

For more guidance, see supporting documents and references for postgraduate taught programmes.

Course information

The Masters in Human Resource Management is a one-year taught programme run by the School of Management.

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.
  • 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 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 - 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 2020–2021 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2021 entry.

  • Contemporary Global Issues in Management: focuses on how various global trends impact upon economies, organisations and the practice of management, business and marketing within the context of responsible enterprise.
  • Managing and Developing People: analyses the type of policies and practices necessary for mutual commitment and engagement between employee and employer.
  • 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 practice, problematising and theorising about human resource management.

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

Here is a sample of optional modules that may be offered.

  • Alternative Investment
  • Behavioural Finance
  • Creative Marketing Communications
  • Entrepreneurship and Business Development
  • Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity
  • Ethics, Organisations and Management
  • Financial Systems
  • International Financial Management
  • International Marketing
  • Managerial Decision-making
  • Managing Natural Resources
  • Marketing and Society
  • Managing Non-governmental Organisations
  • Risk Management
  • Scenario Thinking and Strategy.

The following modules are also available to all students on the programme but are required for the CIPD accreditation

  • Leadership in Organisations
  • Managing People in Global Markets

Optional modules are subject to change each year and require a minimum number of participants to be offered; some may only allow limited numbers of students (see the University's position on curriculum development).

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.


The modules listed here are indicative, and there is no guarantee they will run for 2021 entry. Take a look at the most up-to-date modules in the module catalogue.

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 activities, both subject related and social. The University also has a number of other student societies relating to the management discipline.

Funding

Jane M Klausman Women in Business Scholarship
For women pursuing a business or business-related degree.

Find out more about postgraduate scholarships

Recent Graduate Discount
The University of St Andrews offers a 10% discount in postgraduate tuition fees to students who are eligible to graduate or who have graduated from St Andrews within the last three academic years and are starting a postgraduate programme with the University of St Andrews. 

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, human resource 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:

  • Bosch
  • Citibank
  • Clydesdale Bank
  • IBM
  • Lego
  • Meritis
  • Microsoft
  • Porsche Group
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers Consultancy.

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students on a taught postgraduate course and offers a programme of events to assist students in building their employability skills. Further information about career destinations.

Masters Extra (MX) Programme

The Masters Extra (MX) programme is designed specifically for taught masters students in the School of Management and focuses 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.

Find out more about the MX Programme.

Research degrees

Many Management graduates continue their education by enrolling in PhD programmes at St Andrews or elsewhere.

ESRC Scottish Graduate School of Social Science
Fully funded awards for PhD students in the School of Management.

Management PhD studentships
The School of Management often offers PhD studentships comprising a stipend at RCUK level and a fee waiver at home and EU level.

PhD in Management

Contact

School of Management
University of St Andrews
The Gateway
North Haugh
St Andrews
KY16 9RJ

Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 2200
Email: pgmanagement@st-andrews.ac.uk

Management website

Policies

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

Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.

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.

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.

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