Human Resource Management - MSc

The programme involves a taught and a project component.

The taught programme is assessed by a mixture of coursework assignments throughout the year, and by examinations in May and June.

Once these are completed, you work full-time on the project component and write a business report based on this, applying techniques and insights presented in the programme to a specific problem.

This programme aims to:

• educate you as a manager and business specialist and thus improve the quality of Human Resources Management (HRM) as a profession
• provide preparation for, and/or development of, a career in business and HRM by developing skills at a professional or equivalent level, or as preparation for research or further study in the area
• add value to your first degree by enabling you to develop an integrated and critically aware understanding of HRM and assist you in taking effective roles within the discipline
• develop your knowledge and understanding of HRM, the external context in which it operates and how HRM is delivered
• develop an appropriate range of cognitive, critical and intellectual skills, research skills and relevant personal and interpersonal skills
• foster the enhancement of your lifelong learning skills and personal development, enabling you to work independently and with originality, thus contributing to business and society at large
• bring the scholarly and critical insights of the social sciences to bear on the subjects, activities and processes associated with HRM
• provide teaching and learning opportunities that are informed by high-quality research and scholarship, from within the Kent Business School and elsewhere.

Knowledge and understanding

You will gain knowledge and understanding of:

• the impact of contextual forces on organisations, including: environmental, social and technological change issues, international developments and corporate governance
• management within organisations, encompassing the various processes, procedures and practices for effective leadership and management of organisations, including the application of theory to the advancement of human resource management practice
• theoretical and applied perspectives of HRM
• the management and development of people within organisations, organisational theory, behaviour, industrial/employee relations, HRM, change management
• a service orientation for customers and equivalent stakeholders relevant to HRM
• business understanding and the corporate perspective, including awareness of business processes and operations
• the use of relevant communication and information technologies for application in HRM
• the development of appropriate HRM policies and strategies with a changing context to create an achievable vision for the future.

Intellectual skills

You develop intellectual skills in:

• critical thinking and creativity
• managing creative processes in yourself and others
• organising your thoughts, analysis, synthesis and critical appraisal. This includes the capability to identify assumptions, evaluate statements in terms of evidence, detect false logic or reasoning, identify implicit values, define terms adequately and generalise appropriately
• the ability to select, organise, develop and synthesise complex material
• the analytic skills necessary for the analysis of problems and the identification of appropriate solutions
• the ability to apply a systematic approach to situational analysis
• the ability to plan, work and study independently and to use resources in a way that reflects best current practice and anticipated future practice
• a capability to communicate persuasively and cogently and co-ordinate or eventually lead a team of multifunctional specialists.

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in:

• problem-solving and decision-making: establishing criteria, using appropriate decision-making techniques including identifying, formulating and solving business problems, the ability to create, identify and evaluate options, the ability to implement and review decisions
• professional and ethical management: recognising ethical situations, applying ethical and organisational values to situations and choices that are required for effective achievement in the personnel and development arena
• the ability to conduct research into business and management issues
• the ability to identify, find, record, organise and manipulate knowledge relevant to the development and management of organisations.

Transferable skills

You will gain the following transferable skills:

• information and knowledge: scanning and organising data, abstracting meaning from information and sharing two-way communication, listening, negotiating and persuading or influencing others
• oral and written communication, using a range of media, including the preparation of business reports
• personal drive and effectiveness: self-awareness and self-management, a willingness to use all available resources to accomplish objectives, time management, sensitivity to diversity in people and in different situations, the ability and commitment to continue learning and continuing improvement, an aspiration to achieve goals that deliver value-added outcomes
• effective performance within a team environment and the ability to recognise and utilise others’ contributions in group processes.