Human Resource Management BA

Year of entry

Open Days 2023

Register your interest to be notified when bookings open. Register your interest

UCAS code
N611
Start date
September 2023
Delivery type
On campus
Duration
3 years full time
Work placement
Optional
Study abroad
Optional
Typical A-level offer
AAB
Typical Access to Leeds offer
BBB
Full entry requirements
Accredited
Yes

Course overview

BA Human Resource Management

This industry-accredited degree will support you to become a reflective and ethical Human Resource Management (HRM) professional. You'll graduate with eligibility to gain associate membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), an accolade that is increasingly highly sought after by graduate employers in the HR sector.

You'll study HRM using a combination of economic, political, psychological and sociological methods.

By combining practical approaches with an academic focus, you’ll develop the analytical, leadership and other transferable skills required to work in the business world. The course will also build your understanding of the modern economy, the nature of business and the important role that HRM plays within it.

Leeds University Business School is a leader in the field of HRM and one of the few Russell Group universities to offer the subject for undergraduate study.

Pathways

This programme offers pathways from Year 2 which will allow students to tailor their course to their specific interests or professional aspirations. The pathways will provide modules that can be taken in particular areas and followed through to their final year. This allows a level of personalisation and self-direction not previously available on this programme, providing students with a degree of flexibility to meet their own needs.

The pathways available on this programme are:

  • Ethics and Sustainability
  • Human Resource Data Analytics
  • Advance People Management

Course highlights

  • Choose to take an optional year in industry gaining practical experience or spend a year studying in another culture at one of our many partner universities across the world.

  • A dedicated Personal Tutor will support your academic and personal development throughout your degree. In your first year they’ll help you adjust to university learning and make the most of your time at Leeds.

  • Learn about the latest real-world HRM issues, with teaching informed by our Centre for Employment Relations, Innovation and Change, to prepare you for a successful career in the sector.

Find out more about studying your undergraduate degree at Leeds University Business School.

Supporting your personal development

Throughout your studies, you'll benefit from the support of your Academic Personal Tutor who will work in partnership with you to maximise your personal and professional development.

You’ll also have access to support from the Business School’s Employability and Opportunity team who will help you explore opportunities to develop your professional network and gain work experience.

Specialist facilities

At Leeds University Business School, you’ll have access to specialist facilities including state-of-the-art lecture theatres, collaborative learning and teaching spaces with the latest interactive technology and modern study spaces with dedicated computer clusters.

Explore our virtual campus tour to find out more.

Accreditation

Leeds University Business School has triple accreditation from the three leading bodies AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS

We’re proud to be one of a select number of universities to hold professional accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), meaning you'll graduate with the eligibility to become an associate member of the CIPD. You'll be able to demonstrate to employers that you have the skills, relevant knowledge and professional commitment to deliver on today’s business needs.

Course details

Our degrees have a modular structure. This means that compulsory modules provide you with the core knowledge and skills that you need, while optional and discovery modules allow you to shape your course to suit your personal interests and career aspirations.

Year one

A suite of compulsory modules in your first year will give you a broad introduction to the nature of businesses and those who work within them. You’ll study organisational behaviour, the sociology of work and gain an understanding of the nature of leadership. At the same time, you’ll put this into the context of the broader economy and the institutions which directly impact on business and employees.

Year two

You’ll build on this foundation in the following year, when you’ll examine how the principles of organisational behaviour work in practice. Compulsory modules will also consider management and the changing nature of work and organisations, contemporary HRM and industrial relations together with the economic and legal context in which businesses operate and recruit and retain employees. Optional modules will give you the chance to examine a broader topic such as corporate social responsibility, marketing or understanding data.

Final year

When you reach your final year, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of employment law and examine the challenges and principles of human resource management in more depth. In addition, you’ll select from a wider range of optional modules on topics such as strategic management, management consulting, gender and equality at the workplace, diversity management, people analytics and international business management. The culmination of your studies is your dissertation – an independently researched project on a topic of your choice, which allows you to demonstrate your knowledge and skills.

This course draws upon the latest academic research and professional practice. You’ll be taught by experienced HR practitioners and teaching staff engaged in cutting-edge research, including those active in the Centre for Employment Relations, Innovation and Change (CERIC).

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Human Resource Management BA in the course catalogue

Year 1 compulsory modules

Module Name Credits
Personal Tutorials for HRM 10
Economic Institutions (Labour) 10
Economic Institutions (Industry) 10
Business and Society (Combined) 20
Organisational Behaviour 20
Starting Your Own Business 10
Economics for Management 20

Year 2 compulsory modules

Module Name Credits
Management, Work and Organisations 10
Contemporary Industrial Relations 10
Contemporary Human Resource Management 20
Labour Economics 10
Business and the Legal Environment 20
HRM Research Practice and personal tutorials 20

Year 3 compulsory modules

Module Name Credits
Human Resource Management Dissertation 40
Strategic Human Resource Management 20
Employment Law 20

Discovery modules

Throughout your degree you will benefit from a range of opportunities to expand your intellectual horizons outside or within your subject area.

This course gives you the opportunity to choose from a range of discovery modules. They’re a great way to tailor your study around your interests or career aspirations and help you stand out from the crowd when you graduate. Find out more about discovery modules on our Broadening webpages.

Learning and teaching

You’ll be taught using a range of methods including lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops. The rest of your time will be spent in independent learning, which allows you to develop your skills in research and analysis. Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

You’ll also benefit from dedicated academic counselling from your Head of Year, a lecturer in your subject area who will meet you individually during the year and act as a personal tutor.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

We use a variety of assessment methods to help you develop a range of transferable skills that you’ll need in professional life. These are likely to include coursework, exams, oral presentations, group reports and dissertations.

Entry requirements

A-level: AAB

GCSE: 5 GCSEs at grade C/4 or higher including Mathematics grade B/5 and English Language grade B/6 or equivalent, or an appropriate English language qualification.* *If you have a B/6 in GCSE English Literature we will accept a Grade B/5 or C/4 in GCSE English Language.

Other course specific tests:

Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications for this course.

Alternative qualification

Access to HE Diploma

Typically, we consider the Access to Higher Education Diploma to be suitable for UK/EU applicants who will be assessed on a case by case basis. Applicants must complete a Business-related diploma of 60 credits with 45 credits at Level 3. A minimum of 30 Level 3 credits must be awarded at Distinction level and 15 at Merit. Applicants are expected to meet the GCSE Maths and English Language minimum requirements for their chosen degree programme.

Please note that applicants presenting this qualification may be called for interview (where they must also present a recent piece of academic writing for review) - this requirement is assessed upon receipt of the application.

BTEC

We will accept the RQF BTEC National Extended Diploma in Business with Distinction Distinction Distinction (an academic A Level is not required). For the QCF BTEC National Extended Diploma in Business, or other BTEC qualifications alongside academic A-levels, please see our BTEC entry requirements.

Cambridge Pre-U

D3, M1, M2 or D2, M2, M2. Please note that this requirement excludes the Cambridge Pre-U Certificate in Global Perspectives and Independent Research. We also consider applicants who offer a combination of Pre-U and A-Level qualifications. Please contact lubsugadmissions@leeds.ac.uk for further advice.

International Baccalaureate

35 points overall including 5 in Standard level Maths courses or 4 in Higher level Maths courses, and 5 in English (Standard or Higher Level), with 16 points from Higher Level subjects.
For those candidates who meet our Maths or English requirements through another qualification, these minimum points for Maths or English in the IB Diploma do not apply. If you are presenting Literature and Performance as one of your International Baccalaureate subjects, you will need to present a separate English qualification.

Irish Leaving Certificate (higher Level)

Applicants must obtain 4 H2 grades and 2 H3 grades in the Irish Leaving Certificate (Higher Level). Maths and English Language will be accepted at Ordinary level in lieu of GCSEs. A grade of O3 is required for GCSE B/5 (Maths) or GCSE B/6 (English).

Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers

Scottish Highers and Scottish Advanced Highers are acceptable for entry onto our degree programmes in the following combinations: six Highers at AAAABB or one Advanced Higher at A with five Highers at AABBB, or two Advanced Highers at AB with five Highers AABBB. We will also accept three Advanced Highers at AAB. Intermediate 2 / National 5 Maths and English are acceptable in lieu of GCSE requirements on a grade for grade basis.

T-Levels

We welcome applications from candidates offering T levels. Applicants would be expected to achieve an overall Distinction from one of these subjects; Digital Business Services, Digital Support and Services, Accounting, Finance, or Management and Administration (the subject Human Resources may be considered in the future).

Applicants are expected to meet the GCSE Maths and English Language minimum requirements for their chosen degree programme.

Welsh Baccalaureate

Applicants offering the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (SCC) must obtain a grade A alongside AB at A level (excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking).

Alternative entry

We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.

Access to Leeds is an alternative admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.

Find out more about Access to Leeds and alternative admissions.

Typical Access to Leeds offer
A level: BBB

GCSE: 5 GCSEs at grade C/4 or higher including Mathematics grade B/5 and English Language or English Literature grade C/4

Access to Leeds: Pass

International

To study at the University of Leeds, you’ll need to have a recognised English language qualification.

Read more about recognised English Language Requirements for Leeds University Business School on our Entry Requirements page.

For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

IELTS requirements for this course are listed below.

International Foundation Year

International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component.


Improve your English
If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our undergraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

Fees

UK: £9,250 (per year)

International: £24,000 (per year)

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2022/23
For UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2022/23 the fee will be £9,250. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation and as permitted by law. Fees for UK undergraduate students are decided by the government and may vary if policy changes.

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2023/24
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students for 2023/24 have been agreed by the UK Government and will remain at the current fee level of £9,250. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation and as permitted by law. Fees for UK undergraduate students are decided by the government and may vary if policy changes.

Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2023/24
Tuition fees for international students for 2023/24 should be available on individual course pages from September 2022.

Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year
If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you’ll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. For more information, see Study abroad and work placement tuition fees and loans.

Read more about paying fees and charges.

Additional cost information

An additional fee is payable to fulfil CIPD accreditation. Whilst studying the course you will have the option to join as a Student Member and once you have graduated you will be eligible for Associate Membership. CIPD membership is optional and you are not required to join in order to complete the course. Please visit the CIPD website for the most up-to-date fee information.

All students who choose to take the final year optional module Contemporary Management Consulting will have the opportunity to register with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). By paying this fee you will be registered with the CMI and if you successfully complete the module you will receive the CMI Level 5 Certificate in Professional Consulting.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.

Leeds University Business School awards a generous range of scholarships.

Applying

Apply to this course through UCAS. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website.

The deadline for international students to apply to Leeds University Business School courses is 30 June.

This course is not accepting applications for deferred entry.

We typically receive a high number of applications for this course. To ensure we treat all applications fairly and equitably, we review applications after the UCAS deadline before making a final decision. All applications received before the UCAS deadline are guaranteed equal consideration. Please see our How to Apply page, under “Application decisions” for details.

International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you’re unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023

This course is taught by

Leeds University Business School

Contact us

Leeds University Business School Course Enquiries Office

Email: lubsugadmissions@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:

Career opportunities

Viewing this page in China? Watch on Youku.

This degree is an excellent qualification for individuals seeking a career in human resource management and other management roles that demand an understanding of the human element of business. You’ll be eligible for Associate Membership of the CIPD, and should you choose to join the CIPD as a student member during your studies you’ll be able to use the designation Assoc. CIPD after you successfully graduate.

Over the past few years graduates have used this flexible degree to go into jobs such as a Human Resources Manager, Business Development Manager, HR Consultant, Advertising Executive, Business and Solution Analyst, Purchasing Manager, Brand Management Trainee, Sales Executive, and various leading graduate schemes.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

You will be supported throughout your studies by the Business School’s dedicated Employability and Opportunity team who will help you develop and demonstrate the professional skills and experience that top employers are looking. You'll benefit from one-to-one support, workshops and events from graduate employers.

In addition, Leeds University Business School students also have full access to the University Careers Centre and Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Studies.

The Careers Centre work with a large network of experienced professionals from companies such as Santander, M&S and KPMG, who volunteer as mentors on our Nurturing Talent Mentor Scheme. Applying for the scheme is a competitive process and it offers Business School students a wide range of benefits as they are mentored on a one-to-one basis for one academic year.

Study abroad and work placements

Study abroad

On this course you have the opportunity to apply to spend an additional academic year studying abroad. The University has partnerships with more than 300 universities worldwide and popular destinations for our students include the USA, Canada, Australia, countries in Asia and countries in Europe.

You can also apply to take part in a short-course summer school at one of our overseas partner institutions. A summer school can be taken as part of a three-year degree, or in addition to a study year abroad or year in industry.

Read more about studying abroad.

Work placement

Practical work experience can help you decide on your career and improve your employability.

On this course you have the option to apply to spend a year in industry with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors, in the UK or overseas. If you take this option, your degree will be extended to a four-year programme with the third year spent on placement.

Support to find shorter internships is also available.

Read more about work placements.

Student profile: Charlie Kirby

The support I have received from lecturers and tutors, both during my Foundation Year and also on the HRM course, is absolutely outstanding. They guide you to make sure you are on the right path.
Find out more about Charlie Kirby's time at Leeds