Human Resource Management

Entry requirements

Masters in Management programmes are intended for graduates in any subject or discipline; no previous study in business or management is necessary.

For example, in the past we have had graduates from a diverse range of degrees such as Music, Anthropology, Medicine and Geography. Business and Management undergraduate students may find some content overlaps with their first degree.

The equivalent of a UK first or upper second class honours degree.

This programme is intended for graduates in any subject or discipline; no previous study in management is necessary. Please note however, management undergraduate students, or students who have completed a professional management qualification may find some content on this programme overlaps with their prior learning.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Our MSc in Human Resource Management focuses on the importance of managing people in the workplace and explores how this function of management makes a major contribution to business success.

This one-year full-time course provides you with the skills and knowledge to achieve a successful career in HR and does not require you to have any background experience in business or in management.

The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD), which is the largest professional HR and Learning organisation in the world with some 140,000 members, and on successful completion you will become eligible for the award of the organisation’s Advanced Diploma in Human Resource Management.

As a student on the course you will join the University’s renowned Business School. The Business School is one of an elite group of UK institutions to have been accredited by all three major business accreditation bodies, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the Association of MBAs and the European Quality Improvement System.

World-class Business Education

• 8th (UK) 35th (Europe) 50th (Global) - QS World University Rankings: Masters in Management 2025

As well as a core module in HR management, you will also cover a wide range of contemporary commercial subjects. These include business strategy, business analytics, individual behaviour in an organisation, employee relations and themes in work and society.

You will also take optional modules and at the end of the course, you will complete a dissertation, which can be a work placement-based business project or a research-led piece of writing.

Course structure

Year 1 modules

Core modules:

Strategy

aims to explain business success or lack of success by considering the relationships between strategy and the external business environment and between strategy and the internal resources and capabilities available.

Business Analytics

will develop critical insights into the decision-making processes essential for contemporary business and management. This module is designed to develop your capabilities in data analytics, covering descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive methods, and provides hands-on experience with real-world business challenges.

Organisational Behaviour

addresses key issues of individual behaviour within organisations and includes sensitive topics such as an individual’s personal and mental ability, the management of attitudes and work motivation and addressing issues of injustice and inequality.

Work and Society

builds your knowledge around trends in work and society such as the changing context of work, globalisation, power and management control in organisations and language, rhetoric, and organisational communication.

Employee Relations

develops your ability to understand trends in modern employment relationships and how relations between managers and employees are conducted. You will understand the reasons behind such trends and consider how they vary in a global context.

Human Resource Management

develops your understanding of key issues in the processes and practices of human resource management and shows you how to understand and analyse research in the field.

Research Methods and Dissertation (General Management or International or Business Project route)

provides the necessary training to undertake advanced-level research. You will investigate a relevant topic, and, using material from core and optional modules, complete a dissertation or business project. Dissertation can be undertaken here at Durham or abroad at a partner university.

You have the option to choose between a traditional dissertation format or a business project. The business project involves working with an external organisation to carry out a business issue-led investigation, addressing specific management challenges across a range of organizations. This practical approach allows you to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems, gaining invaluable experience and insights.

This module will introduce you to a variety of research methods in the social sciences, including both quantitative and qualitative methods. You will learn to review research studies, understand their theoretical principles, and evaluate their methods and findings, equipping you with the skills necessary for conducting rigorous academic or applied research.

Optional modules:

In recent years, optional modules have included:

• Consulting
• Digital Marketing
• East Asian Business and Management
• Employee Reward Strategy
• Global Business
• Global Sport Business
• Human Resource Development
• International Study Tour
• Leading and Managing Change
• Responsible Business
• The Science of Leadership
• A language module such as those offered by the University’s Centre for Foreign Language Study

Information for international students

If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.

Fees and funding

For further information see the course listing.