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

12 monthsProgramme duration

Tuitionfee

24,952 GBPTuition Fee/year

Scholarship

4Scholarships

Starting Month

Jan, SepStarting Month

Programme overview

Main Subject

Human Resources Management

Degree

MSc

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

Our MSc Human Resource Management 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. 

A key feature of the programme is its strong alignment with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the leading global professional body for HR and people development. This accreditation ensures the curriculum reflects current professional standards, enhances your employability, and supports your progression towards professional membership, giving you a recognised pathway into the HR profession.

You will build a highly transferable skillset valued by employers worldwide. Designed for aspiring and early-career HR professionals, the programme combines rigorous academic insight with real-world application. You will explore contemporary HRM theories alongside emerging global challenges—such as sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and digital transformation—enabling you to design innovative, ethical, and socially responsible people practices.

Programme overview

Main Subject

Human Resources Management

Degree

MSc

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

Our MSc Human Resource Management 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. 

A key feature of the programme is its strong alignment with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the leading global professional body for HR and people development. This accreditation ensures the curriculum reflects current professional standards, enhances your employability, and supports your progression towards professional membership, giving you a recognised pathway into the HR profession.

You will build a highly transferable skillset valued by employers worldwide. Designed for aspiring and early-career HR professionals, the programme combines rigorous academic insight with real-world application. You will explore contemporary HRM theories alongside emerging global challenges—such as sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and digital transformation—enabling you to design innovative, ethical, and socially responsible people practices.

Admission Requirements

79+
169+
6.5+
2.7+
59+
A minimum of honours degree at 2:2 or non-UK equivalent in a related subject. Suitable degrees often include Business, Economics, Psychology, Sociology or other Social Sciences degree. Non-relevant degrees with evidence of essay writing or critical thinking will also be considered, in conjunction with 2+ years of work experience in HRM.

We welcome applications from international students and accept qualifications from around the world. Please refer to the entry requirements for your country for more details.

1 Year
Jan
Sep

Tuition fees

Domestic
12,744 GBP
International
24,952 GBP

Scholarships

IMechE Scholarships (for Mechanical Engineers)

IMechE Scholarships (for Mechanical Engineers)
Master Bachelors Open

Value

$21800

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 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

IMechE Scholarships (for Mechanical Engineers)

IMechE Scholarships (for Mechanical Engineers)
Bachelors Master Open

Value

$218000

Deadline

31 Aug 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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