Postgraduate MSc
Human Resource Management with Industrial Placement
Are you a strong communicator with leadership qualities? Do you see yourself working in people management?
Accreditation
Are you a strong communicator with leadership qualities? Do you see yourself working in people management?
A Human Resource Management (HRM) department is committed to enabling staff members to do more, maintain their wellbeing, and grow professionally as part of the business.
The CIPD-accredited MSc Human Resource Management with Industrial Placement course is delivered by published academics and co-developed by industry leaders and will kickstart your career by exploring HR Management practices such as employee relations, employee resourcing, HRM development, HR data and performance management alongside the theory of general management and leadership.
Taking a 12-month industrial placement allows you to gain work experience in the UK or overseas as part of your Master's. While the placements are self-sought, the School offers support through extra-curricular engagement with our dedicated placements team. Opting for this course with a placement takes the length of your course to up to two years.
Watch our Postgraduate Placements video here.
You’ll learn a broad overview of human resource management including practices and business skills involved in managing people, HRM and development in practice, HR Analytics, employee resourcing, employment relations, research methods and consultancy skills. You will finish your master's with a detailed report with the support of a dedicated expert supervisor. At the end of Stage One, you start your Industrial Placement.
"With an MSc HRM degree from Kent, I hope to have a career that will take me to the top of an organisation."
~ Billy Ward, Human Resource Management 2021
A minimum of a second-class UK degree, or an equivalent internationally recognised qualification in a variety of subject areas is accepted, but we encourage particularly applicants from the social sciences and humanities.
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.
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
Students must select 30 credits from the Level 7 Human Resource modules or from Level 7 KBS modules with approval from the Director of Studies.
The key purpose of this module is to encourage learners to develop a strong sense of self-awareness and of their own strengths and weaknesses as managers, colleagues and HRM professionals. The module is primarily concerned with the development of skills, and specifically seeks to develop and improve a range of definable skills that are pivotal to successful management practice and to effective leadership. The module also seeks to develop further more-specialised skills that are of particular significance to effective higher-level people management and provides opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development. Finally, the module seeks to help learners make the most of their formal programmes of study with the inclusion of key postgraduate study skills and requires critical reflection on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint.
This module will provide students with an in-depth and critical understanding of the major internal and external environmental contexts within which human resource managers operate in public, private and NGO sectors. It will also provide insights in terms of customising and delivering effective HR strategies consistent with the cultural or organisational contexts. The awareness of markets, products and services is now a key attribute for HR practitioners.
Prospective practitioners need to be aware of the wide range of contexts in which HR work takes place, and the influence of external bodies of various kinds, and this applies to all types of practitioner, including the personnel and development generalist or specialist, line manager or consultant. The manager of people also needs to develop an analytical and critical reflective approach to the subject, to enable him or her to distinguish between the conflicting solutions put forward to human resource problems.
Key elements of professional HRM&D competence in organisations are a strategic business orientation and a concern with adding value through HR practice. This module introduces students to the aims and objectives of HRM&D function in organisations and how these are met in practice.
The module is designed to introduce students to the range of practical skills required by HR professionals. Building on their understanding of the basic notions in the field, students will learn current best practices and procedures within organisations.
The module will include core lectures but its focus will be on case studies, practice based workshops and directed learning activities. These will include activities around various HRM functions within an ethical and legislative framework.
This module will provide students with a range of theoretical and practical knowledge, providing them with the opportunity to think critically and evaluate the theory and practice of employee resourcing. This will enable students to develop and apply employee resourcing tools and techniques to specific organisational contents in which they might operate.
The curriculum will provide students with a range of theoretical and practical knowledge, providing them with the opportunity to think critically and evaluate the theory and practice of employment relations. This will enable students to develop and apply employment relations to specific organisational contexts and consider the implications of employment relations for employee commitment, organisational change and organisational performance in a competitive global economy.
This module aims to provide an understanding of the importance of HR analytics in practice. It will also ensure that students have hand-on experience to apply current quantitative techniques and tools to a variety of problems encountered in HR. Special emphasis will be given to the analysis of diversity within companies and how HR analytics can contribute to a better understanding on how this relates to performance, retention and the wider organisational climate.
Employers are in search for individuals who possess logical thinking, analytical capability, leadership, communication and the ability to work under pressure. This module develops the necessary research knowledge and skills for students to be able to successfully complete a piece of research in industry or consultancy contexts or academia.
This module introduces students to the concepts of digital innovation and digital media. The module covers relevant theories and concepts to analyse the strategic value of emerging technologies.
This module will provide students with a good understanding of key concepts and theories in the field of Programme and Project Management. Students will learn about key practices and techniques and gain a good understanding of how they might be applied in real business contexts.
The module content includes business consultancy skills that are transferable into the business consulting profession, internal consultancy positions within organisations, and senior management roles.
The module focusses on managing organisations in a responsible way by looking at the ethical issues that emerge in the interactions of a business with its stakeholder groups. Subjects covered will typically include:
• Corporate Social Responsibility• Sustainability• Social responsibilities of sectors and industries• Ethical issues in the interaction with stakeholders• Implementation of socially responsible and sustainable programmes and initiatives.
Under the supervision of an expert on the HRM field, this module advances students' knowledge and skills linked to the diagnosis and investigation of a complex business issue from an HR perspective. Upon the completion of this module students will be able to position identified issue within the body of contemporary HR knowledge, collect and analyse data, derive supportable conclusions and make practical and actionable recommendations for change, improvement or enhancement of current practice.
The applied nature of the report requires a critical evaluative approach, empirical investigation and analysis and a combination of academic research and business report writing skills.
Students will spend a period of time working in an industrial or organisational setting, applying and enhancing the skills and techniques they have learned on the programme. Work will be carried out under the direction of a placement supervisor. This support will include ensuring that the work they are expected to do within the placement company/organisation meets the learning outcomes of the module.
Students will spend a period of time working in an industrial or organisational setting, applying and enhancing the skills and techniques they have learned on the MSc in Business Analytics programme. Work will be carried out under the direction of an industrial supervisor and supported by a dedicated Placement Support Officer within the School. This support will include ensuring that the work they are expected to do within the placement company/organisation meets the learning outcomes of the module.
Students will spend a period of time working in an industrial or organisational setting, applying and enhancing the skills and techniques they have learned on the MSc in Business Analytics programme. Work will be carried out under the direction of an industrial supervisor and supported by a dedicated Placement Support Officer within the School. This support will include ensuring that the work they are expected to do within the placement company/organisation meets the learning outcomes of the module.
Students will spend a period of time working in an industrial or organisational setting, applying and enhancing the skills and techniques they have learned on the MSc in Business Analytics programme. Work will be carried out under the direction of an industrial supervisor and supported by a dedicated Placement Support Officer within the School. This support will include ensuring that the work they are expected to do within the placement company/organisation meets the learning outcomes of the module.
Students will spend a period of time working in an industrial or organisational setting, applying and enhancing the skills and techniques they have learned on the MSc in Business Analytics programme. Work will be carried out under the direction of an industrial supervisor and supported by a dedicated Placement Support Officer within the School. This support will include ensuring that the work they are expected to do within the placement company/organisation meets the learning outcomes of the module.
Duration: 2 years full-time
The course consists of six compulsory and four optional modules in Stage 1 with Stage 2 consisting of a piece of human resources-related research.
If you opt for the Industrial Placement, you will be required to complete the Industrial Placement Report.
On completion of the course, all students achieve two qualifications – the MSc in Human Resource Management plus the advanced level 7 knowledge to become eligible for Chartered Membership of CIPD.
We use a variety of teaching methods, including:
Classroom-based learning is supported by the latest online technologies and learning platforms.
Your progress on this course is assessed through a variety of means, including:
Students wishing to undertake the optional industrial placement will be required to successfully complete all stage 1 modules. The Industrial Placement is assessed by the completion of the Industrial Placement Report.
Industrial placements are the perfect way for you to enhance your career prospects and deepen your understanding of a specific area of expertise. You can opt to take an in-company or self-employed industrial placement of up to 12 months (visa dependent), allowing you to gain work experience in the UK or overseas.
Our lively and active postgraduate community is brought about in part by our strong research culture and by the close community between our staff and students. Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books and embed their research in their teaching.
Students have regular contact with their course and module conveners with staff on hand to answer any questions and to provide helpful and constructive feedback on submitted work.
You can also get involved with extra-curricular academic and social activities with guest lectures, talks and workshops organised by our academic staff, research centres and the ASPIRE team. You can catch up with our most recent Open for Business Seminar Series.
Our Medway campus is full of history and offers a unique experience to our students. We have recently moved to the Pembroke site, our new Medway home. This move puts Kent Business School at the heart of the Medway Campus, a former Royal Naval base combining historic and new buildings. You can find the Drill Hall Library, the Deep End where Kent Union at Medway are based and the Oasis lounge right on campus.
Off campus, there is lots to do in the historic town of Rochester and nearby Chatham, with cinemas, theatres and good shopping. London is just 40 minutes away by fast train.
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.
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.
Kent Business School is a research-led business school. Our research strategy is developed around the core theme of sustainable innovation which cuts across the entire School. This theme can be seen as being divided into two sub-strands of research aimed at answering these main questions:
Kent Business School advances knowledge through constant promotion and support of innovative research. We have an impact on wider society through extensive collaborations with external partners which range from other academic institutions to a variety of local, national and international businesses as well as the NHS. Within this wider context, our main strategic aim has been geared towards establishing ourselves as a leading institution for research in sustainable innovation.
Kent Business School is a global leader in research and develops a wide portfolio of research related activities including workshops, conferences and research seminar series. This has led to a large number of international collaborations and to over 200 co-authored papers with international partners.
Specialising in public-sector critical accounting and accounting history.
Looking into a wide array of financial issues from derivatives pricing to real-estate modelling.
Innovating in wide-ranging topics such as operational research and systems thinking.
Studying issues surrounding consumer behaviours, product development and maintaining value supply chains among others.
People, Management and Organisation
Specialising in improving human resource management, organisational behaviour and leadership.
Strategy and International Business
Helping in the development of innovative business strategies for business all over the world.
Centre for Logistics and Heuristic Optimisation
Helping companies to solve complex strategic, tactical and operational problems.
Centre of Productivity and Workplace Performance
Contribute to the productivity debate and drive improvements at all levels; from the national economic output, to changes in the ways SME’s operate.
Centre for Quantitative Finance
Providing quantitative analysis of issues in the financial markets for businesses and policy makers.
Helping both academics and practitioners tackle the challenges emerging from the rapid development of new digital technologies
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.
Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website.
Studying an MSc in Human Resource Management sets our students up for the most senior roles in fields such as employee relations, reward and recognition, recruitment, retention, and people and organisational development.
Our Human Resource Management graduates find work in public and private sector management and consultancy both overseas and in the UK in a wide range of companies and organisations, including:
Many of our students also stay local and find job opportunities regionally in small and medium firms or even set-up their own businesses as well-equipped entrepreneurs.
You gain much more than an academic qualification when you graduate. We enhance your student experience and accelerate your career prospects to help you achieve your ambition.
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. As part of the course, undertake an Industrial Placement or opt for an In-Company Scheme to work on a real business case study. Go on our Business Start-up Journey and transform your idea into a business through ASPIRE. Our qualified careers practitioners provide support for up to three years after graduation.
Additionally, the Postgraduate Employability Edge programme, available to PGT students at Kent Business School takes place from Welcome Week through to the end of the academic year and is designed to enhance your career prospects further.
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.
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
Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.
You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.
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
