Business and Human Resource Management BA (Hons)

Study a CIPD accredited course highly relevant to modern workplaces. Undertake a year-long placement and put your learning into practice. Gain sought-after skills and knowledge for a rewarding career in Human Resource Management.

Business and Management guest lectures

Learning, teaching and assessment in 2021/22

Overview

This course focuses on the practical skills outlined in the CIPD Professional Map. Study full-time and choose an optional years' placement (applied route).

Compared to our core Business and Management course, there is a greater focus on how inspire and develop people effectively. Concentrated upon the acquisition of skills required to manage the changing HR function including modern individualised contractual employment relationships, often remotely and digitally managed in an authentic, transparent and ethical manner.

Sunderland Business School prioritises employability across all years of undergraduate degree. These help you strengthen the six key essential attributes of being capable, enquiring, creative, enterprising, ethical and global in outlook necessitated by the world today.

Why us?

This course has over 90% Overall Satisfaction according to the National Student Survey 2020
Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD)
91.7% of our BA (Hons) Business and Human Resource Management graduates are in employment, further study or training within six months of graduating, according to DLHE 2016/17 (based on full-time, first degree, home leavers)
83.2% of our BA (Hons) Business and Human Resource Management graduates are in graduate-level employment, further study or training within six months of graduating, according to DLHE 2016/17 (based on full-time, first degree, home leavers)

Available as a sandwich year course where you can engage in a one-year industrial placement
Places HRM in a business and management context to allow better understanding of the role of HRM within the organisation
Our Business courses were ranked 3rd overall in the UK in the 2018 UK Engagement Survey
Our Business courses were ranked 4th in the UK for Assessment and, 2nd in the UK for Retention and Progression, and 3rd in the UK for Employability in the 2018 UK Engagement Survey

Our partners, accreditations and networks

Course structure

With an innovative mix of experiential learning and knowledge development in terms of the role, function and influence of managers and leaders in a changing business world, the course provides you with opportunities for creative, reflexive, innovative and entrepreneurial skills development in live work environments.

Examples of experiential learning methods include live projects, placement opportunities, workplace shadowing and panel presentations.

The course features innovative teaching methods and learning by doing and reflecting. This includes problem-based learning, where you’ll work within a small team to explore issues or decide how to manage a situation. This helps you to dissect, challenge and debate issues.

Other learning techniques include company visits, guest speakers and cutting-edge e-learning technologies. These are in addition to a combination of lectures, seminars, debates, tutorials and workshops.

Assessment methods include: Narrative reports, e-portfolios, live employer based consultancy projects, negotiated assessments, case studies, reflective statements, audio journals, posters, digital storyboards, blogs, podcasts and YouTube videos.

Year 1 (national level 4):

Business Organisations and Society (30 credits)
Business Management Skills Development (30 credits)
Understanding Markets and Marketing (30 credits)
Fundamentals of Financial Decision Making (30 credits)

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

Year 2 (national level 5):

Managing Self and Others (30 credits)
Delivering Projects for Organisational Success (30 credits)
Cognitive Creative Learning and Development (30 credits)
Contemporary Human Resource Management (30 credits)

Year 3:

Applied Placement Portfolio 1 (120 credits)

Final year (national level 6):

Strategic Leadership and Collaboration (30 credits)
Managing Business Continuity and Resilience (30 credits)
Business Consultancy Project (30 credits)
Professional Human Resource Skills (30 credits)

Facilities

You'll be based at The Reg Vardy Centre, on the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s. It’s a modern building with great views of the River Wear, and just a few minutes’ walk from the coast.

Entry requirements

Our typical offer is:

Qualification	Minimum grade
High School Diploma along with one of the following at the required grade: SAT I and SAT II, ACT or Advanced Placement	GPA 3.0 or above and: Sat score of 1100/1600 from SATs AP (Grades 3+ in at least 2 subjects) ACT (score of 26+)

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

If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, we also offer this course with an Integrated Foundation Year.

If English is not 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

2021/22 fees

The annual fee for this course is:

£9,250 if you are from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled
£12,500 if you are an international student

Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.

Take a look at the Your Finances section to find out about the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

Students graduating at the Stadium of Light

Career ready

Our students graduate with current and sought-after skills and knowledge across all areas of human resource management. You'll understand how businesses create success, how to manage business operations, how to make informed decisions, and how to lead change in organisations. In addition, CIPD-accredited qualifications can significantly enhance your career opportunities.

The employability focussed curriculum of the course has been designed in collaboration with a range of employers including: CDC Wealth Management, Caterpillar, Nissan, Network Rail, NCC, NHS, Enterprise Rent a Car, Uplift LP, Sedgefield SSP CIC, Castle Howard and NRL.

Guest speakers

Our regular programme of guest speakers from industry allows you to listen to people who are already in the type of management position that you may one day hold. Recent speakers include Maurice Duffy, CEO of Global Blackswan, Mike Johnson, CEO of Castrol and Executive Vice President of BP, Uday K. Dholakia, Senior Partner of Global Consulting, Neil Stephenson, CEO of ONYX, James Ramsbotham, CEO of the North East Chamber of Commerce, as well as other representatives from a number of our region’s largest employers.

Paid placements

The faculty-based employability team will support you in securing an optional paid work placement to further enhance your employability between your second and final year. It effectively becomes a third year of a four-year course, and you’ll earn an average salary of £14,000-£18,000 a year depending on your location.

Placements are an excellent opportunity to put your learning into practice and understand the context for your new knowledge. The contacts made during placements can also be valuable for future job offers.

Student Business Society

The University supports student-led initiatives that help you gain practical experience of human resource management. Recently the business school has launched an HR Society, meeting monthly, comprising staff, students of all levels, (undergraduate to doctoral) local employers and the local CIPD branch. A perfect opportunity for Networking and building relationships with her other HR professionals, benefits include HR Business Mentors, shadowing, attending North East Employer Network meetings.

There is also a general Student Business Society organises events and guest speakers, as well as attending tours of various companies. With its professional approach, it’s a great way to put into practice the lessons about how to make organisations function effectively. There is something for every student who is studying a subject related to business.

Top-up route

A top-up entry option is available to those who have already successfully completed a Higher National Diploma (HND) or Foundation Degree and wish to progress onto the final year of the honours degree course. Topping up your existing HND or Foundation Degree will take one year of full-time study and may open up future career options to you depending on your chosen career path.

Contact us to find out how you can get credit for your previous learning and top-up your qualification to a range of degrees.

Meet the students

I was offered to continue working on a flexible contract whilst studying my final year at University

Alan Lloyd Blakey
My placement year was such a fantastic opportunity and enhanced my knowledge of the business sector.

Ellie McKenna
The teachers and support staff have so much experience and knowledge so use them as much as you can.

Lauren Scott

Meet the team

Related courses

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: 17 February 2021

Sign up to receive emails about your subject area.

Keep me up to date relating to my interest in the University of Sunderland via:

Email

You may unsubscribe at any time.

Using Your Personal Information
The University of Sunderland is collecting this data in order for you to receive information on your chosen subject(s). Your information will be stored securely in our Customer Relationship Management system which is provided by a 3rd party and used only for the administration and provision of this information. Should you choose to opt in to further communications we will also use your information to facilitate other useful marketing information based on your preferences. Further information on how your data is stored and used can be found in our Privacy notice - marketing.