The attraction, retention and development of high-calibre people are a source of competitive advantage for organisations today and are the responsibility of human resource professionals. This puts human resource management at the centre of business performance and a critical partner for organisational success.
This programme offers an insight into the principal areas of managing human resources and the important influences of the wider international environment, providing a critical assessment of the HRM and employment relations approach.
Teaching staff on the programme comprise academics who all understand the current business climate and are personally committed to students’ success. They bring a breadth of experience and expertise to their teaching and are involved in a wide range of research and professional activities. Many of the staff are members of the University’s Research Centre for Employment, Competitiveness and Growth, which was established in 2003 to develop world-class research and knowledge transfer activities through a multidisciplinary approach to HRM.
The programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Europe’s largest professional institute for HRM and HR development, to its Advanced Level Standards. As a CIPD Approved Centre, we are recognised as a professional deliverer of HRM education so that on completion of this programme, you will have acquired the level of knowledge and understanding to apply for full professional membership of the CIPD. We work closely with the CIPD to deliver extra-curricular events to enhance your learning, skills and employability. Such events have included an annual event with key speakers on a topical HRM issue, and a careers event involving a variety of HRM practitioners. Our relationship with the CIPD also gives you the opportunity to attend CIPD hosted events in the local area to further enhance relevant skills, knowledge and employability.
Graduates typically go on to specialist management positions or consultancy roles in all areas of human resource management, including employee relations, reward and recognition, recruitment, retention, and people and organisational development within a diverse range of organisations.
The Business School has a wide range of funding opportunities for postgraduate students, which include Scholarships, Bursaries, the Double Loyalty Scheme for University of Kent undergraduates and the KBS Early Bird Scheme. The Early Bird equates to a 10% discount on tuition fees.
For more information on funding available from the University of Kent, please visit the Student Funding page.
This course is accredited by AACSB and CIPD
With over 25 years’ experience delivering business education, Kent Business School is ranked as a top 20 UK business school, both for the standard of our teaching and student satisfaction. Our portfolio of postgraduate programmes demonstrates the breadth and depth of our expertise. Academic research and links with global business inform our teaching, ensuring a curriculum that is relevant and current. We also hold a number of accreditations by professional bodies.
Studying at Kent Business School (KBS) gives you the opportunity to increase your employability with real-life case studies, a student council and a business society. We have strong links to local and national organisations providing opportunities for projects, internships and graduate placements. The School attracts many high-profile speakers from industry and last year included visits and lectures from staff of the Bank of England, BAE Systems, Barclays, Lloyds Insurance, Cummins, Delphi and Kent County Council.
The School currently has 60 PhD students, who form a dynamic and close-knit research community.
Students who wish to apply for a higher degree should have a good honours degree from the UK or equivalent internationally recognised qualification, in business or a relevant social sciences discipline. Consideration will be given to those applicants holding a good second class honours degree.
Applicants without an honours degree may also be considered on the basis of work experience, professional qualifications and the relevance of the programme to their current professional role.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.
This course requires a Good level of English language, equivalent to B2 on CEFR.
Details on how to meet this requirement can be found on our English Language requirements webpage.
Examples:
IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component
PTE Academic 63 with a minimum of 59 in each sub-test
A degree from a UK university
A degree from a Majority English Speaking Country
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
The course structure below provides a sample of the modules available for this programme. Most programmes require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
The following modules are offered to our current students. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation:
Duration: One year full-time
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:
You will gain knowledge and understanding of:
You develop intellectual skills in:
You gain subject-specific skills in:
You will gain the following transferable skills:
Kent Business School currently occupies a purpose-designed building consisting of executive learning facilities with wireless provision throughout. Each postgraduate student is assigned a specific member of academic staff who acts as your first point of contact throughout your studies. There is a lively postgraduate community at the School, with plenty of space to relax and interact with your fellow students and our academic staff.
On the Canterbury Campus, Kent Business School will soon be moving into a new academic building, known as The Sibson Building, a vibrant new campus destination. New academic facilities and social spaces for Kent Business School at Medway have also recently opened. The Sail and Colour Loft features six seminar rooms, a group learning room, a computer suite, quiet study areas, student social spaces and a special reference collection of core text books. Kent’s libraries offer over a million books, periodicals and journals, and we have subject-specific librarians to help you secure access to the information you need.We also offer excellent teaching facilities with tailor-made specialist resources.
Postgraduate students can access a range of specialist software packages used in quantitative analysis and in finance. Most academic schools have specific study areas for postgraduates and there is also a general postgraduate common room with work area.
Kent Business School has more than 60 internationally recognised academics from 22 different countries. Most of our teaching faculty are involved with researching the latest issues in business and management, working with organisations to provide new insight for business leaders and policymakers. Their knowledge and findings feed into the programmes to ensure they are both cutting-edge and globally relevant.
Kent Business School has close links with: ifs (Institute of Financial Services); dunnhumby, who partners the Consumer Insight Service in the Centre for Value Chain Research; Hong Kong Baptist University, with whom we offer a joint Master’s programme in Operational Research and Finance Business Statistics; University of Castellanza (Italy); Audencia Nantes Business School (France); Aarhus School of Business and Social Sciences (Denmark); Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; University of Ingolstadt, Bayern (Germany); City University of Hong Kong; Renmin University of China, School of Business.
Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Critical Perspectives on Accounting; Quantitative Finance; Human Resource Management Journal; Journal of Product Innovation Management; European Journal of Operational Research; and Psychology & Marketing.
All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.
All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.
Research activities at Kent Business School are broadly organised into six areas;
Research in our People, Management and Organisation group examines themes in the areas of employment relations, human resource management, organisational behaviour and leadership. The group covers a wide range of research, including employment relationships, the role of social partners, the effects of skills, technology and culture on the world of work, employee engagement, and the role of leadership.
For more information, see our Applied Research Centre:
Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website.
You gain much more than an academic qualification when you graduate from Kent Business School – we enhance your student experience and accelerate your career prospects.
In today’s business climate employers are increasingly demanding more from new employees, we are therefore proud that they continually target our graduates for their organisations across the globe. Employers respect our robust teaching and reputation for delivering international business expertise, leading global research and an outstanding international learning experience.
From the moment you start with us, our efforts are focused on helping you gain the knowledge, skills and experience you need to thrive in an increasingly competitive workplace. Graduates typically go on to specialist management positions or consultancy roles in all areas of human resource management, including employee relations, reward and recognition, recruitment, retention, and people and organisational development within a diverse range of organisations.
The programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Europe’s largest professional institute for HRM and HR development, to its Advanced Level Standards.
As a CIPD Approved Centre, we are recognised as a professional deliverer of HRM education so that on completion of this programme, you will have acquired the level of knowledge and understanding to apply for full professional membership of the CIPD.
Kent Business School is a member of the European Foundation for Management Development (EMFD), CIPD, CIM, CILT and the Association of Business Schools (ABS). In addition, KBS is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA).
The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Next steps
We will be taking applications for this programme soon. Please check back shortly.
Supporting your success
Kent ranked top 50 in The Complete University Guide 2024.
Fees and funding
Kent has risen 11 places in THE’s REF 2021 ranking, confirming us as a leading research university.
Accommodation
