Human Resource Management (CIPD accredited) MSc

Expand your expertise in recruiting and retaining talent. Develop your leadership and management skills. Progress your career in human resources.

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Overview

This 12-month MSc Human Resource Management will allow you to gain specialist knowledge in an area relevant to your interests.

You'll study a range of HR topics, such as developing human resources and professional practice, talent management and resourcing for sustainable performance, organisational development, digital learning practices, employer relations, and developing research practitioners.

When you successfully complete the course, you'll have fulfilled the requirements for professional membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD).

After completing MSc Human Resource Management, you will have the option to study a Postgraduate Certificate focusing on management, digital marketing, or finance and management. This will extend your studies from 12 months to 16 months.

Why us?

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD)

The course affords multiple employer engagement opportunities, employer visits, and listening to guest speakers

Course structure

Teaching methods include a mixture of online and on-campus lectures, case studies, workshops, and computer-based learning.

Your progress will be assessed through individual and group assignments, business reports, presentations, case study analysis, portfolios of work, time-constrained activities, and the master's reflective project.

Compared to an undergraduate course, you'll find that this master's degree requires a higher level of independent reading and research.

We're able to accommodate part-time study on this course, so please get in touch to find out more about this.

MSc course modules:

Developing Human Resources and Professional Practice (30 credits)

Develop a range of skills which are pivotal to successful management practice and to effective leadership, including decision-making, the management of information (both manual and digital), team-working and interpersonal skills. By the end of this module, you'll be able to analyse personal development techniques, critically evaluate yourself and your professional skills and regulate your own personal actions and ethical behaviours in the relationships process.

Talent Management and Resourcing for Sustainable Performance (30 credits)

Learn about talent management in a changing digital global environment and high performing organisational global strategies with people modules. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to analyse the role and influence of the people management profession as well as managing sustainable performance.

Managing the Employment Relationship (30 credits)

Uncover the changing employment relationship perspectives and the nature of work in the digitally enabled workplace. By the end of this module, you'll be able to apply best practice to effectively negotiate in issues such as collective bargaining to enable conflict resolution to sustain the employment relationship. You'll also be able synthesise roles and functions of different stakeholders in controlling and digitally managing the employment relationship.

Organisational Development and Digital Learning Practices (30 credits)

Explore a range of personal and organisational learning styles as well as academic models. By the end of this module, you'll be able to design a bespoke learning intervention with digital aspects. You’ll also be able to undertake a leaning needs analysis where you will identify specific learning needs with an organisation.

Developing Researching Practitioners (60 credits)

Explore how to become a digitally competent research practitioner and select and review academic literature including secondary data. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to build and assemble sustainable solutions for a people practice issue for an employer case study. As well as reflect on research design for a people practice issue and professional identity approaches in being and becoming an ethical researching practitioner.

Optional PGCert modules:

Postgraduate Certificate in Management Studies

Strategic Leadership for a Sustainable Future (30 credits)

Analyse theoretical approaches to leadership before applying these to strategic and sustainable business issues. Engage with business leaders to identify and develop the employability skills sought after in the digital and global work environments of the future. Conduct reflective practice throughout the module, working to develop a deeper understanding of your leadership style and identify areas for future development as sustainable business leaders.

International Business in Context (30 credits)

Explore the unique opportunities and challenges of conducting business internationally as globalisation and the digital revolution have increased global connectedness in business. Develop innovative and sustainable solutions and strategies for current and emerging international business issues. Critically analyse approaches to leadership and management in a strategic, international business context to develop diverse stakeholder management acumen and digital business competencies.

Or

Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Marketing and Analytics

Integrated Marketing Strategy (30 credits)

Examine the key theories, models, and frameworks that support the identification and assessment of market opportunity, the selection of target markets and the evaluation of choices available to marketers to ensure successful and sustainable marketing mix implementation. Focus on the strategic dimension of marketing, which is a key component of long-term corporate strategy. Explore sustainable competitive advantage and how marketers are required to understand the dynamic environment to identify long-term objectives and deliver short-term tactical marketing solutions in an increasingly digital and sustainably aware world.

Digital Marketing and Analytics (30 credits)

Consider digital marketing in the context of addressing the behaviour and expectations of the contemporary customer in both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) markets, be they local, national, or global. Build the knowledge and practical skills required to deliver digital marketing in the workplace. Respond to a real client case study and apply the theories, concepts, and learning gained throughout the module to address a specific business challenge.

Or

Postgraduate Certificate in Finance and Management

Corporate Governance and Financial Management (30 credits)

Engage in the exploration of portfolio management and wealth planning, as well as risk diversification, by focusing on creating a sustainable investment portfolio through examination and analysis of financial data of listed companies. Examine various financial management concepts such as capital structure, investment appraisal techniques, and mergers and takeovers through real-life case studies. Develop transferable skills needed for roles within financial institutions, stock broking, investment and portfolio management, treasury, and corporate finance departments of companies.

International Financial Markets and Financial Data Analysis (30 credits)

Identify the key characteristics of a financial system, the advantage of using a financial system in lending and borrowing, asymmetric information, moral hazard and adverse selection, market efficiency and real economy, the international monetary system and the need for international financial regulation. Discover the sources of financial data, statistical and graphical methods of financial data analysis, financial data analysis using SPSS/ and R software, applied work.

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

Facilities

You’ll be based at The Reg Vardy Centre, on the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s. The Reg Vardy Centre is a modern building with views of the river, and just a short walk from both the coast and Sunderland town centre.

Entry requirements

Our typical offer is:

Qualification	Minimum grade
a Canadian bachelor's degree	GPA 2.40
a USA bachelor's degree	GPA 2.5

If you already hold a postgraduate qualification, please see our Applying for additional postgraduate degrees Help and Advice article.

If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.

If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.

To apply for this course, you'll need a 2:2 honours degree, or equivalent.

If English isn't your first language, please see our English language requirements.

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

2025/26 fees are:

£8,500 if you're from the UK/Europe
£17,000 if you're an international student
£500 per ten credits for part-time study

Please note that part-time courses are not available to international students who require a student visa to study in the UK.

Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

Student in the Sunderland Futures department

Career ready

This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and if you achieve at least a 40% pass mark in all CIPD-related areas of this degree, you'll have fulfilled part of the requirements for professional membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD). As a member of the CIPD, you'll have access to additional HR research, conferences, training, and development.

Business graduates have secured roles in organisations such as Facebook, Microsoft, Sage, HSBC, IBM, Enterprise, Nissan, Accenture, Procter & Gamble, Merck & Co, Barclays, Nissan, Marriott Hotels, Viacom 18, PricewaterCoopers, and Adidas.

Guest speakers

We invite business leaders into the University to share their experiences with students. Past speakers include Divine Chocolate’s Head of Sales and Marketing and Sunderland Football Club’s CEO.

Learning from business professionals can be very useful if you’re not sure what career to pursue when you graduate. If you already have a plan for your career, these events are an excellent way to start building a network of business contacts

Meet the students

The CIPD-accredited course gave me a solid grasp of industry standards, which has proven invaluable.

Elle Lemon
The Uni supported me through some of my most difficult times in life and I can't thank them enough.

Leanne Hunter

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Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Business, Law and Tourism.

Page last updated: 21 March 2025

We aim to provide clear, accurate and timely information to prospective and current students. We continuously review and enhance course content in consultation with our students and the information provided on our website is the latest available. If you have received an offer from us to start a course, we will communicate any important changes to you in writing. We will always seek to ensure that our prospective students are fully aware of the basis on which they are accepting an offer.