Course Overview

The way people work is changing rapidly and there’s never been a more exciting time to study and work in human resources.

Gone is the job for life, and in its place we have the gig economy, flexible working, portfolio careers and working lives that are longer than ever before. Those entering the workforce today demand more than just a steady paycheck. They want job satisfaction and to feel that they are doing meaningful work. The nature of contracts is changing; training programmes are becoming more digital and HR systems more complex. Corporate environments are changing as multinationals try to emulate start-up culture.

On this Master’s you’ll learn to face the challenges of a changing HR world, and how to be an innovator in the field. You’ll get an introduction to the key theories, techniques and practices, and learn how to evaluate and utilise them. You’ll even learn how to develop your own.

About

At UEA we believe that meaningful work is key to human happiness, and we see the practice of HR as the practice of improving employee self-development. On this course you’ll learn how to make a difference to people’s lives and support their wellbeing at work, ensuring that productivity is balanced with quality of life.

You don’t need to have studied business or human resources before to excel on this course. You just need to be interested in the field and to be passionate about helping people achieve their potential.

You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the human aspect of business and organisational behaviour. You’ll learn how to build positive human cultures in workplaces, ones that enable people to be more productive and happier. You’ll learn how to inspire people so they can do their best work and feel more fulfilled.

It’s an intensive and specialised course that will set the scene for a successful career working with people. You’ll gain subject expertise and practical skills in all the key HR functions. You’ll learn to ask and propose answers to questions such as, how do humans flourish in the workspace? What are the best ways to improve performance? How do you keep employees inspired and motivated? How can you increase loyalty? You’ll learn to evaluate and design new ways of working, and new workplaces so people become happier and more productive.

Insight into the other business functions is vital for a successful career in HR. For that reason, you’ll also gain a broad exposure to related business skills and topics, such as accounting, finance, marketing, management and operations. This enables you to gain insight into the perspective of the people working in those specialisms – essential for your later career.

The world of business is global, and you’ll find the MSc Human Resources Management has a global outlook in terms of our culture, our cohort and the course content. You’ll study your subject from an international perspective, and you’ll work alongside students from all over the world. This enables you to approach your subject from different angles. It also means you’ll graduate ready to succeed in international settings.

UEA leads the way in research into wellbeing at work and makes key contributions to national organisations such as the What Works Centre for Wellbeing. As specialists in this area, naturally we take student wellbeing very seriously. We work hard to ensure all our students have a positive and fulfilling experience, and graduate ready to pursue their ambitions with confidence.

Employability

After the Course

In an ever-changing business world, HR is an ever-evolving specialism. On this course you won’t just explore the issues of today, you’ll develop the essential critical skills you’ll need for a lifetime of learning.

You’ll graduate ready for a career investing in people, and inspiring them to invest their time, effort and talent in businesses and other organisations. You’ll be ready to make a difference by helping businesses authentically build human thriving.

HR is a vital part of every organisation – wherever there are people, there is a need for human resources specialists. That means that as an HR expert you can work in any country and in any sector, from manufacturing in Asia, to entertainment in the US, and from fashion in Europe to leisure and tourism in South America.

The international flavour of the courses means you’ll be well placed to go on to an international career, working for international companies and multinational corporations.

Careers

A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.

Examples of careers that you could enter include:

Recruitment
Human resources
Training
Diversity
Coaching

Discover more on our Careers webpages.

Entry Requirements

Degree Classification

Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent

Degree Subject

Any subject area. Please note that if you have studied business before at undergraduate or postgraduate level, there may be some overlap. Therefore we recommend you check the modules carefully to make sure that this course is right for you.

English Foreign Language

Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):  

IELTS: 6.0 overall (minimum 6.0 in Writing and Speaking and 5.5 in Listening and Reading)

Test dates should be within 2 years of the course start date.

We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement. 

If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:  

Pre-sessional English at INTO UEA  
Academic English at INTO UEA

Intakes

This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year

Additional Information or Requirements

This MSc course is open to all students who meet the entry requirements but it is primarily aimed at students who have not previously studied a business-related degree, have limited business knowledge from their undergraduate degree, or have a general business degree and would like to now specialise. If you have a business degree, please check the course modules and content carefully to ensure the programme meets your needs and future career aspirations and requirements Alternatively, please consider one of our Professional courses which may be more suitable.

INTO University of East Anglia

If you do not meet the academic requirements for this course, you may be able to study the International Pre-Masters programme offered by our partner INTO UEA. This programme guarantees progression to selected Master's degrees if students achieve the appropriate grade. For more details, please click here: 

International Pre-Masters in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 

Admissions Policy

Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.

Book a visit to discover more

Fees and Funding

Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2024/25 are:

UK Students: £12,900 (full time)
International Students: £22,700 (full time)

We estimate living expenses at £1,023 per month.

Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.

Scholarships and Bursaries

The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.

Course Related Costs

Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.

How to Apply

Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.

To apply please use our online application form.

FURTHER INFORMATION

If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:

Postgraduate Admissions Office

Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk

International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.

MSc Human Resource Management

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