International Human Resource Management | University of Bedfordshire

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About the course

An organisation’s success may depend on how well it enables its employees to become skilled committed and empowered with the tools they need to grow and meet their goals. This course develops you as an HR specialist with an international outlook able to meet these management challenges.

Gain a high level of practical knowledge and develop the expertise to make an invaluable contribution to effective organisational management on a course where you explore the latest ideas at operational and strategic levels and learn to recognise the people management implications of corporate decisions and goals.

Your studies encompass aspects of HRM such as leading people; strategic management; and talent resourcing and development. You will also understand how relevant employment law applies in a global context.

Every taught unit on this course is delivered in a six-week block with six entry points through the year allowing you to start at a time that suits you.

Why choose this course?

Experience a multidisciplinary practice-based approach to learning across HR management; strategic management; employee relations; human resource development; and international business principles
Be able to optimise employee performance through exploring and analysing a range of perspectives relating to workplace organisation and its effective management
Understand and offer solutions to current issues in human resource management in global organisations
Study and analyse data using the latest techniques and knowledge

Find out more about financial support available

What will you study?

Strategic Management

This unit covers the field of strategy-making and strategic management. You will consider current issues and challenges facing directors, senior managers and entrepreneurs in guiding the long-term development of organisations. The objectives of organisations and the means of achieving these objectives through the mobilisation and deployment of assets and resources and the integration of the various functions of the organisation will be the focus of the unit.

Performance Achievement Planning

This short course is a professional development course that is designed to support all PG students in the University of Bedfordshire Business School to enhance their employability and develop a professional profile through their journey in the Masters. The specific aims are to:

Enhance students’ professional, personal development and communication skills.
To support students to evidence how their experience at masters level has contributed to the development of their professional profile as required after graduation.
To support students to develop the necessary academic skill required for successful completion of postgraduate research

Employment Law In A Global Context

This unit supports effective enquiry and analysis of employment law in a global context; it discusses its relevance to the global labour market and the inter-relationships between different jurisdictional approaches to employment law.

This unit is highly relevant in today’s business and corporate sector as successive developments in economic and social thinking have elevated the status of the ‘human resource’ (employee) above that of being simply a ‘unit of production’. These developments in the workplace environment have been accompanied by a range of legislative and regulatory structures aimed at supporting and protecting the employee whilst at the same time recognising the rights of the employer. This unit will therefore examine this relationship in respect of the modern approach to employment law. It will further consider aspects as the difference between employees and independent contractors etc.

Additional consideration will be given to what is meant by “contract of employment” and the core rights enjoyed by employees. Other factors that will be explored include the role of representative bodies such as trade union representation and rights – including the regulation of industrial action. The global dimension of this unit will consider countries both of the developed and the developing world, as well as relevant international standards and guidelines.

Leading People In Creative Teams

This unit aims to provide you with a rigorous framework of knowledge and understanding concerning people management and leadership. The unit will have a strong focus on the links between people management practices and organisational/project outcomes. Major contemporary issues in people management will be highlighted to encourage you to engage with key developments in theory and practice.
Creativity and innovative skills are recognised widely as being useful in management and leadership and the unit aims to develop these skills to support enhancing leadership and management practice.
This unit aims to enable you to develop vital skills to become an effective leader of people; to manage others fairly and effectively and to increase levels of engagement, commitment, motivation and performance.

Talent Resourcing And Development

This unit aims to provide you with a thorough understanding of HRM activities underpinning two major and fundamental objectives of the HR function – the resourcing and development of people for organisational performance.

This unit focuses on the practical aspects of training, learning and development, recruitment, selection, employee retention and dismissal, but also on strategic aspects aiming to equip you with critical understanding and the essential skills required for developing people, especially within a global context.

Business Dissertation

Aims:

To bring theory and practice together to formulate a topic of your interest whether it is a research-oriented topic or a more clinical topic that is relevant to the context of business and conduct research on your choice of topic relevant to your field of study
To stimulate you to reflect on issues critically and to identify aspects that need further research
To provide you with the opportunity to explore a topic and appreciate the importance of literature review in the learning process
To critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of other people’s research to formulate your own study
To enhance skills in time-management, research management, project organisation and decision-making
To apply and reflect on the practicalities of research including access to sources and ethical considerations

Relevance

An important aim of a Master’s degree is to master and apply your knowledge and skills independently so that you can successfully carry out research. This dissertation provides you with the opportunity for sustained independent study that builds on your research proposal and represents the culmination of your Master’s level studies.

How will you be assessed?

A number of different assessment methods will contribute to your development and will enhance your employability. We consider it essential that comprehensive feedback is provided in due time so it is integrated in your learning process. When group work is required the marks given will be individual following the University of Bedfordshire's regulatory scheme. In some cases different kinds of assessment may be used in combination making sure however that there are no hidden tasks.

The intensive character of this Course's delivery as it is outlined in its Teaching and Learning philosophy is consistent with the needs of today's world for graduates who accumulate knowledge fast and are able to express the outcome of this process in a way that is meaningful and comprehensive. Welcome and induction activities will be followed immediately by a week of intensive direct contact time followed by your own contribution through individual learning will take you to your first assessment point. At the end of your six-week block your final assessment will be due. This will be a demanding but very rewarding experience.

The overall underpinning rationale for an assessment strategy of this course is based on the following quote from QAA section 6 Assessment: "There are good reasons why forms of assessment vary widely. These include the need to ensure that types of assessment including reassessment test the intended learning outcomes accurately and fairly and are appropriate to the subject being studied the mode of learning and to the students taking the module or programme".

The assessments for this course will enable students to engage in reflection as part of independent learning providing them with both the confidence and emerging skills to react to the feedback provided to them to monitor and improve their future performance.

The below given assessment methods are deemed appropriate for the given course/unit learning outcomes:

Individual Written Report Essays or Literature Review: Your knowledge and skills are developed when you undertake the task of writing an individual report and the whole process contributes to your improvement when it comes to conducting postgraduate level research and developing your enterprise. The ability to perform literature informed research to review and evaluate the relevant sources and to use an appropriate methodology in order to analyze and evaluate the relevant concepts is being assessed. These will be used mainly as summative assessments particularly for both HRM specialist units.
Oral Presentation: A number of transferable skills will be developed including the ability to present your findings in a professional clear and concise manner. We will use this assessment type as part of learning experience both for formative and summative purpose.
Reflective Report: Evaluating your own contribution to a task and/or team is essential in the context of this course but in the workplace as well. It serves as a good formative assessment for some innovative class activities for students for example: Designing an assessment center and role play exercises.
Dissertation / Professional Practice / Live Project: Regardless of which masters capstone experience you opt for you will have to produce an individual independent piece of work. You will be asked to identify the research question or problem under investigation review the relevant literature and develop a sound methodology in order to explore the problem proceed with the analysis discuss your findings and make recommendations. It is the capstone of this course and builds on the knowledge and skills acquired in all Units. It will be one of the most challenging but yet enjoyable and rewarding experiences you will encounter.

The use of a wide range of sources both academic and other is a requirement for a postgraduate degree. The notions of accountability and academic integrity will be an integral part of your course. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. You will be informed about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it during the delivery of each Unit. Where an individual project is required you will be asked to show the different stages of your work or to present it in its entity upon completion. Where collaborative tasks are assigned an individual reflective report will be necessary to indicate your contribution to the team. All coursework assignments will require a thorough evaluation of the sources used and referencing will be done according to the Harvard Referencing System.

Careers

When you complete this course you will be ready to work as a human resources business partner in an international organisation giving support to other managers and able to offer critical insights into the world of people in the workplace.

You will be in a good position to progress into one or more of the following areas: human resource management; administrative services; compensation; benefits and job analysis; business development; labour relations; training development; personal coaching leadership; and leadership management. The course also opens the way to roles in researching specialist HRM fields and consultancy.

If you would like to continue with your academic studies you will have a good foundation for progression onto MPhil or PhD level.

Entry Requirements

2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area

Entry Requirements

2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area

Entry Requirements

2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area

Entry Requirements

2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area

Entry Requirements

2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area2.2 honours degree or equivalent in related area

Entry Requirements

Fees for this course

UK 2024/25

The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2024/25 is £10,000 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees and living costs. Visit www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan

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