Business Management (Human Resource Management) MSc



Develop your business management skills with a focus on human resource management that you can study any time or place during term time

Overview

Our online (part-time) MSc Business Management (HRM) will equip you with the practical skills and expertise to help further your career in human resources.

During the course you’ll learn about business and human resource management (HRM) theory, including developing skills needed to successfully manage and motivate staff, real issues faced by contemporary human resource managers, and international HRM.

This course is designed to deliver accessible, creative and flexible postgraduate business education and offer a choice in how, when and where you study.

You can pay for this course flexibly on a module-by-module basis. This means that you don't have to pay the full course cost upfront.

Student using a laptop

Mode of Study:

Online learning

Duration:

21-33 months

Start date:

JanJun

Course details

Sharing much of its content with the online (part-time) MSc Business Management, this course offers you the opportunity to pursue a specialism in HRM, opening doors to increased career opportunities at postgraduate level.

The course puts HRM in an international context and will inform you about contemporary HRM and how to apply this to real life scenarios.

You’ll gain a sound theoretical grounding in business and management theory with a focus on HRM and stimulate an enquiring, analytical approach to widen the application of your business management skills to support a range of career routes in human resource management.

This course is ideally suited to individuals who intend to balance their personal commitments with their studies. It will build on your existing experience and knowledge and enhance it with contemporary business theory, giving you the expertise you need to take on senior roles.

What you study

  • Creating Business Excellence and Marketing
  • Business Economics and Finance in a Global Environment
  • Organisational Change and Management 
  • Leadership, Strategy and Innovation    
  • HRM in an International Context
  • Contemporary HRM  
  • Research Methods
  • Dissertation (40 credits)

For the award of MSc Business Management (HRM) you must successfully pass all eight modules, giving a total of 180 credits. All modules are 20 credits, except where indicated.

Further information can be found in the indicative delivery schedule.

How will my degree reflect sustainability and sustainable development?

The Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) – established under the UN Global Compact – places a clear onus on Higher Education to ‘transform management education and develop the responsible decision-makers of tomorrow to advance sustainable development’. The Business School is a PRME signatory, and we seek to influence professional practice and policy nationally and internationally, helping to drive key societal, economic and environmental impacts.

Our mission is ‘to empower communities to apply business knowledge for positive societal impact’ and we work constantly to embed practical actions into our curriculum, to promote sustainability and relate these to the key ideas of sustainability, as reflected in the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes now reflect one or more of the SDG, and our research is targeted to solve real world problems, mapped against the criteria used in the Times Higher Education’s Impact Ranking.

The most recent annual league table for Sustainability - compiled by People & Planet, the UK’s largest student campaigning network - again places Edinburgh Napier in a top 3 position among Scotland’s 19 universities. This reflects their assessment of our performance across a range of environmental and ethical considerations, which include carbon reduction and management, and education.

What is distinct about equality, diversity and inclusion?

Edinburgh Napier University is enriched by the diversity of perspectives, cultures and backgrounds brought by all within our global community. We are committed to a positive environment where diversity and inclusiveness is celebrated and everyone is treated fairly regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, disability, age, ethnic origin, religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status or whether pregnant or on maternity leave. We commit ourselves to providing a learning, working and social environment that is free from discrimination, prejudice, intimidation, stigmatisation and all forms of harassment and bullying.

The Business School's vision: 'To be the Business School for empowerment, enterprise and employability for all'.

Our mission statement: 'Empowering our communities to apply business knowledge for positive societal impact'.

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    How you’ll be taught

    This course is delivered fully online. You can choose from three start dates (September, January, May) and typically takes between 21-33 months to complete, subject to your pace of study and module availability. You'll study eight modules in total, with a maximum of two modules each trimester where available.

    Our online learning environment uses materials created especially for the course by our module leaders. Your learning experience will be enriched through online discussions that supplement the written materials, as well as case study analyses from diverse sectors and articles from leading academics and practising professionals.

    You’ll learn through a combination of self-directed independent online learning materials, online discussion topics and independent study.

    You’re not alone while studying online. Our support team are available by email and phone to answer your administrative queries, our academics host weekly academic support sessions and are available on email, and you can access our virtual database of frequently asked questions 24 hours a day. You’ll also have access to our online library resources and IT support.

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    Assessments

    All assessments are undertaken and submitted online. These vary for each module and may include:

    • Reports / case studies
    • Digital end of unit test
    • Dissertation
    • Project
    • Essays

    Within each trimester, whilst there is flexibility to work through the material at your own pace you need to be aware of the assessment dates as there is no flexibility in these.

    If there is any question regarding the authorship of any submitted assessments, we reserve the right to require students to undertake an online viva.

Disclaimer

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information is available in our disclaimer.

Entry requirements

What are the entry requirements for Business Management (Human Resource Management)?

The entry requirement for this course is a Bachelor (Honours) Degree at 2:2 or above. We look for applicants to have a background in any discipline in order to be eligible for the programme.

We may also consider lesser qualifications if you have sufficient professional work experience within the industry.

To succeed on our Global Online degrees you must have access via computer or laptop to view and download written and video content. You will also need basic IT skills that enable you to write and edit document, send and receive email, find your way around our online learning environment and search for and access online learning resources, download files and use online forums.

Can I get admission into Business Management (Human Resource Management) based on my working experience in this sector?

This course has academic entry requirements which are assessed alongside relevant work experience. Full details of any relevant work experience, including references should be submitted with your application and may be considered for entry where the minimum academic entry requirements are below those required.

Usually, unrelated work experience is not considered sufficient for entry without meeting the minimum academic entry requirements. Please contact us with your specific circumstances by submitting an enquiry form above and we will be happy to discuss your options.

Can I make an appointment with an advisor to discuss further about the admission process?

If you want to get more information on the admission process, please get in touch with the postgraduate admissions team by submitting an enquiry form above.

English language requirements

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test and our minimum English language requirements will apply.

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English, or your undergraduate degree was taught and examined in English. Check our country pages to find out if this applies to you.

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
Entry requirements by country

Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:
  • BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery
  • All Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

See who can apply for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies
Postgraduate admissions policies

Get in touch with your local representative

We have trusted representatives in key locations who offer guidance and advice about our Global Online programmes.

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Tuition fees
2024/25 2025/26
UK Students *£910 *£tba
Overseas Students *£930 *£tba
Modules are purchased via our online store and paid for in full at time of enrollment. Rate shown above is for 20 credits*; as course comprises 180 credits, the total cost in 2024/25 is UK students £8,190 and Overseas students £8,370.
Please note tuition fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from one year to the next. For more information on this and other Tuition Fee matters please see Frequently Asked Questions about Fees Click this link for Information of Bursaries and Scholarships


Please note:

The discount for Edinburgh Napier alumni can only be applied to year one of a full-time Postgraduate degree, any additional years are exempt from the discount.

For part time Postgraduate degrees the discount will apply to years one, two and three only and any additional years will be exempt from the discount.

Please read our full T&C here

The Business School

We are a modern, global and dynamic business school home to students, staff and researchers inspired by the world around them to provide creative, sustainable solutions to economic challenges and the needs of society.

Careers

In recent years, students have come to our MSc courses with degrees from many different disciplines, and have gone on to build careers in a range of industries in the public, private and voluntary/not-for-profit sectors.

Students studying in the Jack Kilby Computing Centre