University of Wolverhampton Business School

MA Strategic People Management and Human Resources (Extended)

MA Full-time 12 months

This course enables entry onto the MA HRM  if you did not gain a first or second class honours at degree level (or equivalent).

This course enables entry onto the MA HRM  if you did not gain a first or second class honours at degree level (or equivalent).

Award
MA
Start date(s)
13 January 2025,16 September 2024
UCAS Code
Course specifications
Course length
Full-time (12 months)
Campus location
University: City Campus
UCAS points calculator

Why choose this course?

6th in the UK for Business and Management courses (The Guardian University Guide 2025)

This course enables entry onto the MA HRM  if you did not gain a first or second class honours at degree level (or equivalent). It will add to your existing skills and knowledge providing you with enhanced understanding and abilities which will prepare you for Masters courses, whilst also providing English support if you need help in this area.

The aim of the MA HRM is to provide you with the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills pertinent to your development as a Human Resource professional. You will be able to operate in international environments given the unique design of our programme. The course is intellectually challenging and upon completion, you will have the skills, knowledge and understanding to be able to function exceptionally well as an HR professional. In addition, all modules are also aligned to the professional standards of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) which offers you the opportunity to apply for membership of the CIPD.

The course is designed for students who want to embark on advanced level study of Human Resource Management to develop analytical and evaluation skills that can be applied to real work situations.  The course recognises that people management is a key force for successful economic growth and thus emphasises the development of knowledge and understanding of a range of management and business practices and the ability to apply them effectively in an innovative manner. The course also adopts an interdisciplinary approach and will help you develop your own understandings of complex and challenging business environments. To help this process we also (where possible) arrange visits to some of the larger businesses such as Toyota, JCB and Whitbread. These are designed to give you an insight into the structural complexities and management of large business concerns, thus giving you valuable experience of the concepts you study in class. Coupled with an innovative assessment portfolio, you are provided with a mutually inclusive and dynamic learning experience based on the principles of continuous professional development.

What's unique about this course?

  • All modules are also aligned to the professional standards of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD)

  • This award will develop your knowledge of a wide range of organisational issues related to the people profession and support you in achieving the next step up in your career in HR, L&D or OD&D

  • The course content reflects our close working relationship with local organisations to understand their needs in relation to managing, supporting and developing their people to drive organisational success.

  • 6th in the UK for Business and Management courses (The Guardian University Guide 2025)

What happens on the course?

This exciting and innovative programme is designed for those professionals looking to enhance and develop their masters’ level strategic level knowledge and behaviours to support career development in the People Management Profession (including Human Resources, Learning and Development and Organisational Development). 

We have a longstanding relationship with local branches of the CIPD and this ensures that you have access to a wide range of practitioners to develop their networking and other professional skills.  CIPD branch members also provide voluntary services such as mentoring which students who are CIPD members can access to help support their personal and professional development.

The course is mapped onto the required areas of the CIPD 2018 Profession Map to meet the requirement for the academic element of Chartered Membership and offers four key areas of focus.  Additionally, the completion of the Master's level work-based project provides the MA qualification alongside CIPD eligibility.

The first covers a broad range of practical business skills including identifying people-related business issues; developing the skills to investigate and provide solutions to such issues through evidence-based enquiry; understanding the need to provide a business case to support aspects of the wider people strategy and the impact of this on other areas of the business.

The second area focuses on best practice Strategic People Management in context including key responsibilities, value added contribution and impact of the key People Profession practices. It considers contemporary issues within strategic HRM and strategic HRD and the influence of internal and external contexts on this. The importance of a wide range of people practices are critically analysed.

The third area considers the importance of strategic change and competent, inclusive and appropriate leadership approaches to support the change process.  It identifies internal and external factors, the use of effective teams and consideration of stakeholder management. It discusses culture, people practices, management leadership and how these link to the psychology of change and organisational readiness for change processes.

The fourth area explores a range of currently evolving issues within the wider people management arena.  This is designed to ensure that people professionals are up to date with their knowledge and practice.  As it is based on current research and issues, the content may therefore be subject to change to reflect this.  Recent research identified key trends such as digital transformation; talent planning; internal change; changing demographics.

The Master’s project module allows for the identification of an organisation-critical strategic people-related issue in any field of human resource management, human resource development or organisational development and for primary research to be carried out into the issue.  The resulting project will not only allow the development and demonstration of a range of appropriate research skills, but also provides the organisation with an insight into the issue and practical recommendations to help address it.  This links closely to the business and employability skills required at this level.

Overall, the course adopts an interdisciplinary approach and will helps develop understanding of complex and contested notions in the business environment and the wider people management professions.  This provides the opportunity to develop informed perspectives and collective responsibilities as a people professional within local, national and international communities.

Course Modules

Potential Career Paths

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

The Business School currently holds devolved status from the CIPD. This was the culmination of ten years of student performance above the national average in all areas.

The course aims to develop students at advanced level for a professional career in HR by developing knowledge and understanding of the disciplines of HR, encouraging critical reflective thinking and developing independent personal development skills.  The course covers a range of topics in the field of HR including, Leadership, Resourcing, Reward, Talent Management, Employment Law, Employee Relations and Change Management, written against the national standards for the profession, and is endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Completion of the course enables students to apply for professional membership of the CIPD.

This course offers the opportunity to work with organisations including visits to companies working in an international context.

  1. Critically evaluate contemporary organisations in terms of their principal operating environments.
  2. Critically analyse how resourcing, talent management and reward strategies are developed and evaluate the different theories and perspectives within employment law and employee relations.
  3. Identify and justify a business issue that is of strategic relevance to the organisation in terms of research and research methods.
  4. Analyse and critically evaluate the historical and theoretical basis of organisational designs and their development in terms of their value and contribution to organisational life.
  5. Critically evaluate the practice, relevance and contribution of HRM and HRD to organisational success and effective change management using major contemporary research and debates in the field of HR.
  6. Synthesise relevant critical thinking through academic research completing an independent research project/dissertation at Masters level.
  7. Analyse the different approaches and techniques that facilitate detailed study at the postgraduate level in business and management issues.

Location Mode Fee Year
Home Full-time £9230 per year 2022-23
Home Full-time £9690 per year 2023-24
Home Full-time £10175 per year 2024-25
International Full-time £16000 per year 2022-23
International Full-time £17000 per year 2023-24
International Full-time £17500 per year 2024-25

These fees relate to new entrants only for the academic year indicated for entry onto the course, any subsequent years study may be subject to an annual increase, usually in line with inflation.

The entry requirements for the MA HRM (Extended) are:

  • Any undergraduate degree from a UK university or overseas equivalent, or a professional qualification and/or experience considered to be equivalent to the above;
  • A reference from a tutor who has supervised the applicant’s undergraduate studies and/or employer;
  • Please check our minimum language entry requirements before submitting your application;
  • We offer a range programmes in English as a Foreign Language if you don't meet these requirements.
  • A Certificate in Personal Practice, a Certificate in Training Practice, a Certificate in Recruitment and Selection, or an equivalent CIPD certificated programme, plus two years’ relevant experience.
  • Students holding the PgD Human Resource Management may be eligible to enter with advanced standing.

Students may apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL) subject to the guidelines set out in the RPL Handbook. RPL includes accreditation of prior certificated learning and /or accreditation of prior experiential learning.

Applications are also welcome from individuals who do not possess the above qualifications but who have significant management experience and are able to demonstrate previous non-certificated learning equivalent to the above.  In such cases, admission to the programme will be based on an evaluation of the applicant’s ability to continue to benefit from and achieve the award.

Postgraduate Loan (Home Fee Status):

You may be able to get a postgraduate student loan from Student Finance England of up to £12,167 to help pay for a Master’s degree. Applications are made through Student Finance England and more information on the regulations and eligibility criteria can be found at Masters Loans gov.uk.

* Any RPL will invalidate your eligibility as you must study a minimum of 180 credits


Changes for EU students:

The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as Overseas (International) students for fee purposes. More information about the change is available at UKCISA:

EU citizens living in the UK with 'settled' status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, will still be classified as Home students, providing they meet the usual residency requirements, for more information about EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) click here.


Postgraduate Loyalty Discount:

You can get 20% discount on a taught on-site postgraduate course if you’re a University of Wolverhampton Graduate.

The University offers a generous 20% Loyalty Discount to students progressing from an undergraduate programme to a taught postgraduate programme, where both courses are University of Wolverhampton Awards.

There is no time limit on how long ago you completed your degree as long as this is your first Masters level qualification.

The discount applies to the first year of enrolment only. Students who receive a loyalty discount are not entitled to any further tuition discount or bursary. For full terms and conditions click here.


Self-funded:

If you are paying for the fees yourself then the fees can be paid in 3 instalments: November, January and April. More information can be found by clicking here.


Sponsored - Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

Your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Charitable Funding:

You might also want to explore the possibility of funding from charitable trusts; please see the following websites Association of Charitable Foundations, Directory of Social Change or Family Action. Most charities and trust funds offer limited bursaries targeted to specific groups of students so you will need to research whether any of them are relevant to your situation.


You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

Telephone

01902 32 22 22

Email

enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Online

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