MSc Human Resource Management (HRM) 12 months Postgraduate Programme By Heriot-Watt University |TopUniversities
Programme Duration

12 monthsProgramme duration

Tuitionfee

24,176 GBPTuition Fee/year

Scholarship

9Scholarships

Main Subject Area

Human Resources ManagementMain Subject Area

Programme overview

Main Subject

Human Resources Management

Degree

MSc

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

Overview

The MSc Human Resource Management degree provides you with the crucial insights, skills, and knowledge to develop sustainable and socially responsible HR practices for managing people. You’ll gain a critical understanding of the core theories, principles and concepts that underpin contemporary organisation practice and explore socially responsible and sustainable models of human resource management (HRM). You’ll gain a critical awareness of the current and emerging issues in research and knowledge creation and gain the skills to develop original, creative solutions in response to these problems. The MSc will provide you with the skills to apply your knowledge and understanding to professional practice and solve contemporary organisational problems.   

Beyond subject knowledge and skills, you’ll gain key transferrable skills which will aid you throughout your professional career. You’ll be able to make formal presentations about specialised topics to audiences with a variety of levels of expertise, effectively communicate using both written and verbal means to a range of audiences and undertake critical evaluations of a wide range of written, numerical and graphical data. This invaluable skillset will make you highly sought after upon graduation.   

You’ll have the opportunity to specialise and choose an optional course – from team craft, managing diversity in business, and psychology of leadership – to customise your learning and develop your specific interest. Your human resource management dissertation will allow you to further build on these subject interests, by presenting you the opportunity to carry out an original research project at the forefront of knowledge. The knowledge base, subject and transferable skills you will gain will prepare you for lifelong learning and personal development.   

You’ll focus on real-world problems and explore ways human resource management can help us address them. The career-focused master’s degree provides you with the practical knowledge and skills necessary for the workplace. You’ll explore a range of organisational contexts and practices which will set you up for a professional HR career. The MSc is accredited and approved by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, providing you with a route to gain professional qualifications.   

Expertise  

Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active academics whose work covers four key areas:  
  • Employment, Work and the Professions  
  • Logistics and Sustainability  
  • Networks and Enterprise Excellence  
  • Social and Economic Data Analysis  

Your learning environment   

The MSc Human Resource Management programme is taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials, allowing you to get to know and build relationships with the teaching staff, academics and your peers. You will be assessed by coursework, exams, and your dissertation, and will receive support and feedback throughout the programme.   

Outside of the classroom, you can join Heriot-Watt’s Business Society which holds regular social events and provides networking opportunities and insights into relevant career prospects.  

Customise your learning   

You’ll have the opportunity to focus on the areas of HRM that interest you the most. You can customise your degree to match your specific interests or career pathway by selecting a specialist course.    

In semester three, you’ll ‘deep dive’ into your chosen area of HRM in your dissertation. You will demonstrate your mastery of the subject area by developing new insight from the analysis of valuable primary research.  

You can choose whether to study the programme full-time, part-time, or by course. This flexibility allows you to fit your postgraduate studies around your lifestyle. If you decide to study part-time, you register for two courses per semester and progress to the dissertation at the end of your second year.  

You may have the opportunity to Go Global on our Inter-Campus Transfer. Opportunities for postgraduate study abroad are assessed on a case-by-case basis and if you are interested in studying at our Dubai campus or Malaysia campus for a semester or longer, you should contact the Go Global Team.   

Industry  

We work closely with industry to ensure our course content is up-to-date and reflects the current and emerging needs of industry and employers. You’ll gain the right blend of knowledge, practical skills, and soft skills to set you up for life after graduation. 

The Human Resource Management master’s degree will equip you with the mind-set, knowledge and expertise to manage people in the workplace. The degree will provide you with the crucial blend of skills that employers so desperately seek. You’ll gain experience in online collaborative working, business communications, and synthesising diverse information sources, which is highly valued by employers worldwide.

Programme overview

Main Subject

Human Resources Management

Degree

MSc

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

Overview

The MSc Human Resource Management degree provides you with the crucial insights, skills, and knowledge to develop sustainable and socially responsible HR practices for managing people. You’ll gain a critical understanding of the core theories, principles and concepts that underpin contemporary organisation practice and explore socially responsible and sustainable models of human resource management (HRM). You’ll gain a critical awareness of the current and emerging issues in research and knowledge creation and gain the skills to develop original, creative solutions in response to these problems. The MSc will provide you with the skills to apply your knowledge and understanding to professional practice and solve contemporary organisational problems.   

Beyond subject knowledge and skills, you’ll gain key transferrable skills which will aid you throughout your professional career. You’ll be able to make formal presentations about specialised topics to audiences with a variety of levels of expertise, effectively communicate using both written and verbal means to a range of audiences and undertake critical evaluations of a wide range of written, numerical and graphical data. This invaluable skillset will make you highly sought after upon graduation.   

You’ll have the opportunity to specialise and choose an optional course – from team craft, managing diversity in business, and psychology of leadership – to customise your learning and develop your specific interest. Your human resource management dissertation will allow you to further build on these subject interests, by presenting you the opportunity to carry out an original research project at the forefront of knowledge. The knowledge base, subject and transferable skills you will gain will prepare you for lifelong learning and personal development.   

You’ll focus on real-world problems and explore ways human resource management can help us address them. The career-focused master’s degree provides you with the practical knowledge and skills necessary for the workplace. You’ll explore a range of organisational contexts and practices which will set you up for a professional HR career. The MSc is accredited and approved by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, providing you with a route to gain professional qualifications.   

Expertise  

Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active academics whose work covers four key areas:  
  • Employment, Work and the Professions  
  • Logistics and Sustainability  
  • Networks and Enterprise Excellence  
  • Social and Economic Data Analysis  

Your learning environment   

The MSc Human Resource Management programme is taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials, allowing you to get to know and build relationships with the teaching staff, academics and your peers. You will be assessed by coursework, exams, and your dissertation, and will receive support and feedback throughout the programme.   

Outside of the classroom, you can join Heriot-Watt’s Business Society which holds regular social events and provides networking opportunities and insights into relevant career prospects.  

Customise your learning   

You’ll have the opportunity to focus on the areas of HRM that interest you the most. You can customise your degree to match your specific interests or career pathway by selecting a specialist course.    

In semester three, you’ll ‘deep dive’ into your chosen area of HRM in your dissertation. You will demonstrate your mastery of the subject area by developing new insight from the analysis of valuable primary research.  

You can choose whether to study the programme full-time, part-time, or by course. This flexibility allows you to fit your postgraduate studies around your lifestyle. If you decide to study part-time, you register for two courses per semester and progress to the dissertation at the end of your second year.  

You may have the opportunity to Go Global on our Inter-Campus Transfer. Opportunities for postgraduate study abroad are assessed on a case-by-case basis and if you are interested in studying at our Dubai campus or Malaysia campus for a semester or longer, you should contact the Go Global Team.   

Industry  

We work closely with industry to ensure our course content is up-to-date and reflects the current and emerging needs of industry and employers. You’ll gain the right blend of knowledge, practical skills, and soft skills to set you up for life after graduation. 

The Human Resource Management master’s degree will equip you with the mind-set, knowledge and expertise to manage people in the workplace. The degree will provide you with the crucial blend of skills that employers so desperately seek. You’ll gain experience in online collaborative working, business communications, and synthesising diverse information sources, which is highly valued by employers worldwide.

Admission Requirements

6.5+
2.7+
A good Honours degree (first or second class), or its non-UK equivalent, in a related subject.

1 Year
Sep

Tuition fees

Domestic
12,344 GBP
International
24,176 GBP

Scholarships

The Island Scholarship Programme - Orkney Campus (UK) (International)

The Island Scholarship Programme - Orkney Campus (UK) (International)
Master Open

Value

100% tuition fee waiver

Deadline

31 Mar 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Postgraduate European Union Scholarship

Postgraduate European Union Scholarship
Master Open

Value

$5000

Deadline

31 Jul 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Norway Early Bird Scholarship

Norway Early Bird Scholarship
Bachelors Master Open

Value

$6000

Deadline

1 May 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

International Merit Scholarship

International Merit Scholarship
Bachelors Master Open

Value

$2000

Deadline

30 Jun 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Heriot-Watt University Expenses Bursary

Heriot-Watt University Expenses Bursary
Bachelors Master Open

Value

$525

Deadline

31 Aug 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Heriot-Watt Sports Scholarships

Heriot-Watt Sports Scholarships
Master Bachelors Open

Value

25% tuition fee waiver

Deadline

31 Jul 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Heriot-Watt Actuarial Scholarship For Academic Excellence

Heriot-Watt Actuarial Scholarship For Academic Excellence
Master Open

Value

20% tuition fee waiver

Deadline

30 May 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Americas and Europe (Non-EU) Scholarship

Americas and Europe (Non-EU) Scholarship
Bachelors Master Open

Value

$5000

Deadline

15 Jun 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Alumni Discount Scheme

Alumni Discount Scheme
Master Open

Value

20% tuition fee waiver

Deadline

31 Jul 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

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