Course Specification for MA Human Resource Management
1. Name of course and highest award MA Human Resource Management 2. Scheme
Postgraduate Scheme 3. Total credit for course
200 Level M credits 4. Possible interim awards
Advanced Diploma in Professional Development (40 credits) PG Certificate in Human Resources (60 credits)
PG Diploma in Human Resources (120 credits) 5. Awarding/validating institution/body
London Metropolitan University 6. Teaching institution
London Metropolitan University 7. Course also accredited by
Chartered Institute of Personnel Development
Licentiate Status for the Advanced Diploma in Professional Development Graduate Status for the MA Human Resource Management
8. Professional body exemptions/accreditation
Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (as in 7 above).
9. External subject benchmarks 10. UCAS code (undergraduate only) 11. London Met course code
12. Route code 13. JACS code
14. Source of funding HEFCE
15. Approved to run from September 2005 16. Mode of attendance
Part-time evening only Part-time day and evening 17. Expected duration of course
Two-years part-time
18. Organised work experience/sandwich year/year abroad None
19. Career education, information and guidance 20. Admissions
September and February 21. Teaching location
City Campus
22. Home academic department LMBS
23. Course Leader Helen Davis
24. Main educational aims of the course To develop ‘thinking HR performers’ by
(i) Providing an opportunity for applicants to gain appropriate professional qualifications within the field of human resource management.
(ii) Providing the opportunity for postgraduate education which benefits individuals across a wide range of occupations concerned with employment and human resource management, by enabling them to relate their practical experience to relevant theoretical and empirical research-based ideas and concepts.
(iii) Providing a sound theoretical basis for, and a systematic understanding of people management and development, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of human resource management and development practice;
(iv) Providing a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to students’ own research;
(v) Encouraging originality in the application knowledge, together with a practical
understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge;
(vi) Stimulating conceptual understanding that enables students to critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline of people management and
development, and to evaluate methodologies, developing critiques of them and, where appropriate proposing new hypotheses;
(vii) Developing students’ skills in interpersonal relationships in the work context to a high level; and
(viii) Providing a sound and sophisticated understanding of the business environment within which HR managers work.
25. Course learning outcomes
For the Advanced Diploma in Professional Development On completion students will be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of the contexts in which managers operate and the constraints that these can place on management action
Analyse and interpret and apply various forms of management-related information
The role and contribution of strategies, how these relate to operational initiatives, and how they can contribute to business outcomes.
Analyse strategic and operational issues within organisations, and develop proposals for dealing with these taking account of appropriate factors in the situation.
For the MA HRM
Upon successful completion of the programme participants will be able to:
Identify and make effective use of a range of theories, methods and techniques for providing human resources for an organisation and ensuring their optimum utilisation
Deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of incomplete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
Demonstrate self direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, acting autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional level
Continue to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a higher level
Demonstrate the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment as regards the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility, decision making in complex and unpredictable situations, and the independent learning ability required for continuing professional development
Produce a 15,000 word academically sound and professionally relevant dissertation.
26. Course structure diagram Course Title: MA HRM
Course Type: Postgraduate Course Leader: Helen Davis Part-time September Entry
Award Semester Code Title Status Credit
Points
Autumn HRP035C Managing People for Results
C
20Autumn HRP034C Managing Resources in
Context
C
20 The successful completion ofHRP034C & HRP035C leads to the award of the Advanced Diploma
PG Certificate Spring HRP049C People Management &
Resourcing C 20 The successful completion of
HRP049C, HRP034C and HRP035C leads to the award of the PG Certificate
Spring HRP002C Researching Employment
and HRM C 20
Year 2
Autumn HRP046C Employment Relations (*) D 20 Designate Autumn HRP047C Learning and Development
(*) D 20 Designate
Spring HRP022C Managing Diversity and
Equality (*) D 20 Designate
Spring BLP006C Labour Law (*) D 20 Designate
Spring HRP036C Reward Management (*) D 20 Designate
PG Diploma
Successful completion of six taught modules leads to the award of the PG Diploma in HRM
MA HRM Year-long HRPP16C Dissertation C 60 Successful completion of the PG Diploma + the dissertation leads to the award of MA HRM
(*) Designates are not always available each year; Reward Management (HRP036C) and Labour Law (BLP006C) will however be the prioritised options.
Part-time Spring Entry
Award Semester Code Title Status Credit
Points
Spring HRP035C Managing People for Results
C
20Spring HRP034C Managing Resources in
Context
C
20 The successful completion ofHRP034C & HRP035C leads to the award of the Advanced Diploma
PG Certificate Autumn HRP049C People Management &
Resourcing
C 20 The successful completion of HRP049C, HRP034C and HRP035C leads to the award of the PG Certificate
Autumn HRP002C Researching Employment and HRM
C 20
Year 2
Spring HRP046C Employment Relations (*) D 20 Designate Spring HRP047C Learning and Development
(*)
D 20 Designate
Autumn HRP022C Managing Diversity and Equality (*)
D 20 Designate
Autumn BLP006C Labour Law (*) D 20 Designate
Autumn HRP036C Reward Management (*) D 20 Designate
PG Diploma
Successful completion of six taught modules leads to the award of the PG Diploma in HRM
MA HRM Year-long HRPP16C Dissertation C 60 Successful completion of the PG Diploma + the Dissertation leads to the award of the MA HRM
(*) Designates are not always available each year, Reward Management (HRP036C) and Labour Law (BLP006C) will however be the prioritised options.
Diagram of Award Titles
Level Title of available award Notes
Advance Diploma in Professional Development
Advanced Diploma in HR The successful completion of
HRP034C & HRP035C l(40 credits)
PG
Cert PG Certificate HR The successful completion of
HRP049C, HRP034C and HRP035C (60 credits)
PG Dip PG Diploma HR The successful completion of
six modules (120 credits) on the PgDip programme
Masters MA HRM The successful completion of
seven modules plus a triple weighted dissertation (200 credits)
Note that HRP044C – the Continuing Professional Development module consists of the workshop sessions. The student’s plan and self-assessment are due in week 8 of the 2nd year.
Weighting Submissionweekno Weighting Submissionweekno Weighting Submissionweekno Weighting Submissionweekno Weighting Submissionweekno
Unseen
28. Additional general comments (if appropriate)
The MA HRM is an integrated programme of study over two years. Students enrol onto the MA and are organised into Learning Support Groups that they remain with throughout their two years of study.
29. Standard University entry requirements, inc APEL/AP(E)L
Note that we are severely constrained by the CIPD in terms of the ability to APCL. The general CIPD route is that AP(E)L is not recognised by the Chartered Institute and the APCL route only for those coming to the course with an MBA. Given the integrated nature of the MA and the role played by Learning Support Groups from initial entry, exemptions from part of the programme are not normally been permitted.
30. Career opportunities
Part-time students on the MA are typically working in HR positions, and the majority are using it to advance their careers either within their own organisation or in moving jobs to other organisations. The currency of the CIPD’s graduate status is a key factor in the attractiveness of the programme. Many HR posts require prospective candidates to either possess or be studying for CIPD graduateship.
31. Course summary
This harmonised course consists of seven modules and a triple weighted dissertation delivered over four semesters and, like the Pg Dip and MA in HRD has a very concentrated first semester, necessary to cover all the CIPD Leadership and Management materials and deliver the whole programme in two years.
32. Course Regulatory Schedule
The course conforms to both University Scheme and University Academic Regulations. Where a course in addition has course specific regulations, which have been formally approved by the University these will be included below.