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Why choose the Graduate School of Business


Internationally recognised as the premium management qualification, helping to shape innovative leaders who excel in creativity and strategic free thinking.

Designed for practising HRM professionals who have at least two years’ relevant experience and wish to progress into more senior roles or launch their own enterprises.

Our postgraduate taught business and management courses rank 4th overall in their subject field in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2024, with top 3 rankings for teaching, engagement, learning community and course organisation.

About the course

Bedfordshire’s 20-month Executive MBA in Human Resource Management prepares you for pivotal career paths in HR management, talent development and organisational-change leadership, where you will excel in nurturing positive workplace environments; maximising employee potential; and driving organisational success. Our robust industry connections, expert academic team and industry-relevant projects ensure your learning reflects real-world HRM scenarios and challenges. 

The course is part time and uses a blended approach, combining on-campus study with online distance learning in your own time. This flexibility helps you to fit your studies around your work and other commitments.

For further course information, contact Lubna Siddiqi at lubna.siddiqi@beds.ac.uk

Facilities and specialist equipment

  • State-of-the-art business suite equipped with industry-standard hardware and software
  • Access to Harvard Business Publication learning resources and simulations
  • Business pods, boardroom areas and IT suites designed to simulate a professional office environment
  • Library resource service offering full support 24/7

Industry links

The EMBA Human Resource Management is aligned with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the professional body for HR, learning and development.

We also work closely with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the UK’s leading organisation representing businesses.

Your student experience

Develop the essential skills needed for success as an HR business professional, including in organisational development, learning and development, and people management, enhancing your ability to navigate complex workplace dynamics and drive meaningful change.

Learn from a highly qualified academic team who play an active role in human resource management, using their engagement in research, conferences and consultancy to shape their teaching and expose you to the latest industry developments.

Benefit from executive coaching to support your personal development and ambitions while developing your skills through group work guided by industry and academic experts.

Work on live consultancy projects with leading employers in organisations across private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

Acquire essential professional skills aligned with bodies like the Chartered Management Institute and chambers of commerce.

Enrich your learning journey through immersive visits to a range of organisations, offering first-hand exposure to diverse business environments and practices.

Join our Global Guest Speaker series, featuring academics, industry leaders, and professionals from organisations like Luton Borough Council, the European Commission, and bodies such as the Association of Project Management (APM).

Solve real-life problems working with the University’s Research and Innovation Service (RIS) where you can assist local businesses and SMEs to up-skill and innovate.

What will you study?


Areas of study may include:

  • Organisational development
  • Learning and development strategies
  • Innovating in a strategic environment
  • Creative leadership
  • Change management principles
  • Managing people
  • Team development and workplace communication
  • Diversity, equity and inclusion practices
  • MBA project

How will you be assessed?


The assessment strategy is forward-looking and deliberately innovative both to best test the intended learning outcomes and to reflect complex tasks undertaken in practice. Students are exposed to a range of assessment types and individual assessments within units are clearly identified and provide an effective measurement of performance, with an acceptable and balanced overall student workload.

The underpinning philosophy of all the assessments is to develop the skills to support students’ success in the new economy, foster collaboration and reflection as well as the ability to learn how to learn. For this reason, there are no traditional exams on this course, instead challenging and stimulating tasks that will develop participants. Tutors will provide timely feedback on formative and summative assessments to support students’ skills, knowledge, development and understanding.

To maximise learning for all students, a range of innovative assessment methods appropriate for developing the professional skills and knowledge required of an Executive MBA are used throughout the course including:

  • Writing a detailed analysis to a constrained word limit
  • Acting as a consultant for another participant’s organisation
  • Generating solutions to real-world business problems
  • Producing a presentation on an innovative topic
  • Keeping a reflective journal
  • Experiential learning by planning a venture, pitching ideas or acting as a consultant or leader. 

Such a strategy avoids mechanistic, formulaic assessment; stimulates creativity; underpins the applied focus of the course; and supports enquiry-based learning. Students will receive constructive feedback from course tutors, and student peers. The team will support students to use this feedback as part of continuing professional and self-development.

The culmination of study is the EMBA Project which enables students to engage in a focussed investigation leading to a distinctive analysis of a selected problem and will be supported by classroom sessions aimed at focussing the project and supporting research techniques.

There will also be scheduled Research Methods workshops to develop your research capabilities. The notions of accountability and academic integrity will be an integral part of this course; plagiarism and any other attempt to deceive in the context of assessments will not be tolerated and the courses will be managed in this respect in line with current university regulations. The assessments designed are new, require interaction and cooperation and are difficult to plagiarise.

Careers


Graduates of this course have the essential HR and business skills, specialist expertise and adaptability to drive meaningful change across various professional fields including human resources, organisational development, and learning and development. If you are in a mid-level management position within your organisation, you can now look towards a more senior executive-level post. Many students use the Executive MBA to develop their own business, social enterprise or entrepreneurial career. The MBA could also be part of a route back into employment after a break – for instance, following a period as a full-time parent. Finally, you may choose to continue your studies at Doctoral level.

Entry Requirements

2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related areaA minimum of 2 years relevant work experience and to be employed in a relevant role throughout the course.

Entry Requirements

2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related areaA minimum of 2 years relevant work experience and to be employed in a relevant role throughout the course.

Entry Requirements

2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related areaA minimum of 2 years relevant work experience and to be employed in a relevant role throughout the course.

Fees for this course

UK 2025/26

The standard fee for the Executive MBA (2yr course) for students starting in the academic year 2025/26 is £17,350. This is the cost of the whole two year course.

Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk

Fees for this course

UK 2025/26

The standard fee for the Executive MBA (2yr course) for students starting in the academic year 2025/26 is £17,350. This is the cost of the whole two year course.

Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk

Fees for this course

UK 2025/26

The standard fee for the Executive MBA (2yr course) for students starting in the academic year 2025/26 is £17,350. This is the cost of the whole two year course.

Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk

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