Overview
This qualification is perfect for you if you want to develop your personal effectiveness and business acumen. You’ll learn how to design and manage your own strategy, enhance people management skills, and learn how best to apply specialist evidence-based HRM knowledge in thoughtful ways with the aim of improving working lives for all.
Our Masters in Human Resource Management course builds on core human resource management theory and practice to examine the range of people management challenges which organisations face. The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), therefore you can obtain professional membership of the CIPD.
To study with us you don't need to have previous work or study experience in the field of Human Resource Management. As part of the course we deliver teaching in the key concepts and practices of HRM, alongside developing the practical skills you need to become a successful HRM professional. In your final semester you'll also have the opportunity to do a consultancy case study, acting as a human resources (HR) consultant to fictional companies, while solving realistic HR problems and working with HR practitioners.
We teach you the need for thoughtful and ethical management practice, and this course is no exception. Ethics and considerate practice should be the focus of organisations and is the foundation for our course.
We have a number of internationally recognised academics teaching on this course and available to help you during your studies. We offer a collaborative learning process and encourage you to talk about your work experiences, about what you believe good people management to involve, and where work practices need to be legislated.
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) accreditation
- CIPD accreditation ensures you’ll study materials which are current and industry led.
- Student membership of CIPD enables you to attend networking events including the annual student conference.
- The accreditation offers additional opportunities to network with industry professionals at CIPD events.
We are AACSB accredited
The University of Stirling is accredited by AACSB International in recognition of our excellence in business education. This puts the University of Stirling Management School among the top 6% of business schools globally.
Preparing business leaders of the future
Postgraduate education at the University of Stirling Management School goes beyond textbooks and lecture rooms, as we focus on your personal and professional development.
Our unique Flying Start Leadership Programme equips you with the awareness, knowledge and techniques essential for building a successful career. These range from practical skills, like effective public speaking, to developing ways to work under pressure in difficult situations and manage conflict. Find out more about Flying Start.
Top reasons to study with us
Course objectives
On successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
- show an understanding of HR theory and practice at a strategic level, demonstrating complexity in your thinking regarding theories relevant to the people profession;
- be able to synthesise information from a range of sources, critically question it, evaluate it, and be able to apply it effectively to people management issues;
- select and demonstrate appropriate communication approaches and outputs using written, verbal, and digital methods;
- demonstrate integrity of approach and propose ethical solutions to people management issues;
- demonstrate initiative and capability to construct arguments designed to influence practitioners by researching and producing evidence-based solutions to people management issues.
Research overview
In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), 80% of our research impact in Business and Management Studies was classed as world-leading or internationally excellent.
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
A minimum of a second class honours degree or equivalent. Applicants without these formal qualifications but with significant appropriate/relevant work/life experience are encouraged to apply
Other routes of entry
If you don't currently meet our academic requirements, INTO University of Stirling offers a variety of preparation programmes that can earn you the qualifications and skills you need to progress onto some of our courses. Explore INTO University of Stirling to see the pathway and pre-masters routes available.
International entry requirements
English language requirements
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each sub-skill.
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 62 overall with 60 in each sub-skill.
- IBT TOEFL 80 overall with 18 in reading, 23 in writing, 19 in listening and 21 in speaking.
See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.
Pre-sessional English language courses
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.
Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses.
Course details
In the first semester we give you a grounding in the key concepts and practices of HRM, the practical skills needed by HRM professionals, and the business context that HR contributes to. In the second semester you're given the opportunity to choose from a selection of specialist HR topics. The final semester of the course involves a consultancy case study – where you'll get an opportunity to act as a HR consultant to fictional companies, with realistic HR problems to solve.
The list below shows compulsory and illustrative option modules for this course. Option modules are revised over time and, in some cases, will be dependent upon pre-requisite and/or co-requisites being taken. The options available each year can be subject to change due to student demand and availability of teaching staff.
Key features of the course
- Eight core modules covering the essential knowledge areas of the CIPD profession map.
- Additional professional skills built into the course, not separate to it.
- An emphasis on developing digital communication and influencing skills.
- A contemporary and forward-looking course, with an emphasis on integrity of purpose and critical thinking and societal awareness.
- A case study approach to the final project that allows you to develop your contracting and problem-solving abilities in a safe environment with HR professionals who volunteer their expertise to our students.
Modules
Course Details
Teaching
This is a one-year, full-time course of two taught semesters, followed by a further three-month independent study period, where you'll work on a consultancy case study.
You'll be taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops, presentations and practical case study exercises. Where possible, we further support your learning and development through guest presentations from HR managers and staff from local organisations.
Assessment
You’ll be assessed through a variety of methods including examinations and essays, as well as group video presentations and other electronic media to produce summaries and/or reports. Compulsory modules are usually assessed with a minimum of one open assessment (essay or report), and one closed examination at the end of the module. Professional Skills for HRM requires you to compile video and written evidence of the core HRM skills taught on the module.
Classroom hours
Each 20-credit module includes 40 contact hours of teaching. Contact hours comprise a mixture of lectures and seminars, or workshops.
Our lectures will introduce you to the concepts and theories of HR, helping you put into context the additional reading and preparatory work needed for seminars. In addition to the 40 classroom hours, each module will involve an additional 40 hours of preparatory reading and exercises, necessary for seminar discussions. Workshops combine taught content with practical activities, and are usually taught in longer classes of about 3-4 hours.
In a typical week, you can expect to be in scheduled classes for approximately 15 hours per week and this can rise to around 20 hours per week in the October-November period. Guided reading and preparation activities are in addition to the time required to fulfil assessment requirements such as essays and reports.
Course director
Fees and funding
Fees and costs
| 2024/25 | 2025/26 | |
|---|---|---|
| Students from the UK and Republic of Ireland | £10,900 | £10,900 |
| International (including EU) students | £20,600 | £22,900 |
University of Stirling alumni will automatically be awarded a fee waiver for the first year of Masters studies through our Stirling Alumni Scholarship.
Applicants from the UK or Republic of Ireland who hold a first-class honours degree or equivalent will automatically be awarded a £2,000 scholarship through our Postgraduate Merit Scholarship.
Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.
If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Eligible students could receive a scholarship worth between £4,000-£7,000. See our range of generous scholarships for international postgraduate students.
Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.
If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Postgraduate tuition fee loans
This course is eligible for a postgraduate tuition fee loan from one of the UK’s governments. See the Scholarships and funding section, below, for more details.
Additional costs
There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.
Scholarships and funding
Funding
Eligible international students could receive a scholarship worth between £4,000-£7,000. See our range of generous scholarships for international postgraduate students.
University of Stirling alumni will automatically be awarded a fee waiver for the first year of Masters studies through our Stirling Alumni Scholarship.
Applicants from the UK or Republic of Ireland who hold a first-class honours degree or equivalent will automatically be awarded a £2,000 scholarship through our Postgraduate Merit Scholarship.
If you have the talent, ability and drive to study with us, we want to make sure you make the most of the opportunity – regardless of your financial circumstances.
Learn more about available funding opportunities or use our scholarship finder to explore our range of scholarships.
Postgraduate tuition fee loans
Scottish students may be eligible to apply to the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for loans of up to £11,500 to cover tuition fees and associated living costs.
English students can apply for a loan of up to £12,167 each year as part of the Postgraduate Masters Loan Scheme.
Welsh students can apply for financial support of up to £18,770 as a combination of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales.
Northern Irish students can apply for a postgraduate tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 from Student Finance NI.
International students may be able to gain additional funding from loan providers.
Cost of living
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.
Payment options
We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay
After you graduate
Graduating with an MSc HRM gives you the foundations you need to progress into a career in human resource management. Equally, it offers you the skills and knowledge to pursue a career in different areas related to business practice, as well as local or international socio-economic development policymaking and implementation.
The University of Stirling Management School has a dedicated Employability Manager and from the very beginning of the course your career is our focus.
Employability skills
As a student on the MSc Human Resource Management, you’ll learn significant transferable skills that are valued by employers.
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