Human Resource Management (MSc) 12 months Postgraduate Programme By University of Southampton |TopUniversities
Programme Duration

12 monthsProgramme duration

Application Deadline

18 Aug, 2027Application Deadline

Starting Month

SepStarting Month

Programme overview

Main Subject

Human Resources Management

Degree

MSc

Study Level

Master's

Study Mode

On Campus

Course summary
How do organisations attract, develop and support people across different cultures and markets? And what does good people management look like when workplaces are changing fast?
If you want to build a career in human resource management and understand how people strategy can shape organisational success, MSc Human Resource Management is for you.
At Southampton, you’ll explore HR from both operational and strategic perspectives, developing an understanding of the decisions organisations make about people and how those decisions connect with wider business priorities.
You’ll engage critically with current debates and issues shaping the HR landscape, using evidence to question established approaches and evaluate what works in different organisational settings.
A global perspective runs through the programme. You’ll consider how HR practices operate across different countries and contexts, helping you understand the challenges of managing people in increasingly international organisations.
What sets this MSc apart is its analytical, evidence-driven approach. Rather than simply learning established HR practices, you’ll develop the skills to interrogate evidence, weigh competing perspectives and make informed recommendations.
The programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), connecting your academic study with professional standards in human resource management.
Find your place in a field where people, evidence and organisational strategy come together, and build the insight to help workplaces work better for both employees and employers.
Key features of this course
**Think strategically about people.** Explore both operational and strategic human resource management, helping you understand how day-to-day people decisions connect with longer-term organisational goals.
**Challenge assumptions with evidence.** Develop an analytical approach to HR, learning how to evaluate research and use evidence to support better-informed decisions.
**Take a global perspective.** Examine human resource management across different international settings and consider how culture, institutions and organisational context can influence practice.
**Engage with the issues shaping HR now.** Explore contemporary debates and challenges affecting organisations and the people who work within them.
**Connect study with professional recognition.** The MSc is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, linking your learning with recognised professional standards.
**Build your professional network.** You’ll have student membership of the CIPD while you study, giving you an early connection with the professional HR community.
Your future career
You’ll graduate with specialist knowledge of HR alongside skills in analysis, critical thinking, evidence-based decision-making and strategic problem-solving.
The programme is designed to prepare you for a career in human resource management in an international context, whether you are beginning your career in the field or developing existing professional experience.
Your ability to assess evidence, understand different organisational perspectives and connect people strategy with wider business priorities can support progression across a range of HR-focused roles.
On successful completion of the programme, you can progress from CIPD student membership to CIPD Associate Member status.
Wherever your career takes you, you’ll leave Southampton better equipped to question established practice, make informed decisions and contribute to organisations where people and strategy move forward together.
Further information
MSc Human Resource Management is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
During your studies, you’ll be eligible for CIPD student membership.
On graduation, you can progress to CIPD Associate Member status.

Programme overview

Main Subject

Human Resources Management

Degree

MSc

Study Level

Master's

Study Mode

On Campus

Course summary
How do organisations attract, develop and support people across different cultures and markets? And what does good people management look like when workplaces are changing fast?
If you want to build a career in human resource management and understand how people strategy can shape organisational success, MSc Human Resource Management is for you.
At Southampton, you’ll explore HR from both operational and strategic perspectives, developing an understanding of the decisions organisations make about people and how those decisions connect with wider business priorities.
You’ll engage critically with current debates and issues shaping the HR landscape, using evidence to question established approaches and evaluate what works in different organisational settings.
A global perspective runs through the programme. You’ll consider how HR practices operate across different countries and contexts, helping you understand the challenges of managing people in increasingly international organisations.
What sets this MSc apart is its analytical, evidence-driven approach. Rather than simply learning established HR practices, you’ll develop the skills to interrogate evidence, weigh competing perspectives and make informed recommendations.
The programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), connecting your academic study with professional standards in human resource management.
Find your place in a field where people, evidence and organisational strategy come together, and build the insight to help workplaces work better for both employees and employers.
Key features of this course
**Think strategically about people.** Explore both operational and strategic human resource management, helping you understand how day-to-day people decisions connect with longer-term organisational goals.
**Challenge assumptions with evidence.** Develop an analytical approach to HR, learning how to evaluate research and use evidence to support better-informed decisions.
**Take a global perspective.** Examine human resource management across different international settings and consider how culture, institutions and organisational context can influence practice.
**Engage with the issues shaping HR now.** Explore contemporary debates and challenges affecting organisations and the people who work within them.
**Connect study with professional recognition.** The MSc is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, linking your learning with recognised professional standards.
**Build your professional network.** You’ll have student membership of the CIPD while you study, giving you an early connection with the professional HR community.
Your future career
You’ll graduate with specialist knowledge of HR alongside skills in analysis, critical thinking, evidence-based decision-making and strategic problem-solving.
The programme is designed to prepare you for a career in human resource management in an international context, whether you are beginning your career in the field or developing existing professional experience.
Your ability to assess evidence, understand different organisational perspectives and connect people strategy with wider business priorities can support progression across a range of HR-focused roles.
On successful completion of the programme, you can progress from CIPD student membership to CIPD Associate Member status.
Wherever your career takes you, you’ll leave Southampton better equipped to question established practice, make informed decisions and contribute to organisations where people and strategy move forward together.
Further information
MSc Human Resource Management is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
During your studies, you’ll be eligible for CIPD student membership.
On graduation, you can progress to CIPD Associate Member status.

Admission Requirements

92+
67+
6.5+
120+
You'll need a 2.2 degree in any of the following subjects, engineering, humanities, business, maths, physical sciences, information systems, management, social sciences and lanugages (includes Business English, English, International Business, Chinese Lang/Lit). Please check our website for subjects that are not accepted. Applicants with relevant work experience are encouraged to apply.

18 Aug 2027
1 Year
Sep

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