Alliance Manchester Business School - The University of Manchester
MSc in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations
Manchester, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
12 months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
04 Jul 2027*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2027
TUITION FEES
GBP 32,300 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Applications received after our final selection deadline will be considered at our discretion if places are still available.
** UK students per annum: £18,600 | International, including EU, students per annum: £32,300
Key Summary
About: The MSc in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations at Alliance Manchester Business School gives advanced knowledge and skills to prepare you for a career as a human resources practitioner. You’ll work on a live employment tribunal case for practical experience. The school, founded in 1965, is one of the UK’s largest business schools known for research excellence.
Career Outcomes: See the school for graduate outcomes. Based on course focus, career opportunities include HR generalist, HR manager, industrial relations specialist, employee relations adviser and HR consultant, plus roles in talent acquisition, HR policy, trade union liaison and workplace relations.
This programme will shape the next generation of HR professionals and line managers.
- Become a highly skilled and knowledgeable specialist who can strategically and practically contribute to people management leadership, organisational decision-making and performance within the UK and internationally.
- Graduates will be prepared to influence how employees are valued and treated within organisations, upholding the principles of fairness, dignity at work and social responsibility; core values championed by the University of Manchester.
- Students can take the international pathway to deepen their insights into how different economic, institutional and production systems can shape Employment Relations and HRM practices across the globe.
- This Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) accredited course, at a triple-accredited and top UK business school, will provide you with the essential knowledge, skills and expertise for your future career journey.
Special Features
Manchester Industrial Relations Society Debate: An annual competition hosted by AMBS, this event brings together students on the HRM and Employment Relations programme to compete with other universities. Hone your critical thinking and argumentation skills, while learning about recent issues in the HRM and employment relations field.
Annual MSc HRM Conference: Featuring a case study competition judged by industry leaders in HR, this event sees students provide solutions to real-life industry problems. The conference provides an excellent opportunity to network and develop students’ consultancy skills. The event also invites alumni and practitioners as guest speakers.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Conference: An opportunity to learn about the latest HR trends, meet HR solution providers and hear from industry experts. The Annual CIPD Conference and Exhibition, held in Manchester, features numerous free sessions for students to attend.
Professional and Interpersonal Skills
Alongside your studies you can access a wide-range of additional activities and events to help you develop your professional and interpersonal skills, both essential for HR roles.
Beyond the classroom series: Beyond the classroom offers a rich programme of activities that complement your academic studies and help you make the most of your time at Alliance Manchester Business School. From networking with peers, alumni and industry professionals to enhancing your academic and professional skills, the programme is designed to support your personal development, career ambitions and overall student experience throughout the year.
Careers Support and Skills Development: Students also benefit from exposure to real-world workplace challenges through professional conferences, negotiation exercises, industry guest speakers and career-focused events delivered in partnership with organisations such as the CIPD, ACAS and the Manchester Industrial Relations Society. Alongside dedicated support from the Postgraduate Careers Service, the programme provides valuable opportunities to develop professional skills, expand networks and apply classroom learning to contemporary workplace contexts.
Original Thinking for the Next Generation
Thinking about master’s study? Join our webinar series to hear from academics, employers and alumni about the value of business education at Alliance Manchester Business School, the skills students develop, and how these can support future career goals.
Course units details
During the course you will be taking 180 credits. The eight taught modules during semester one and two total 120 credits and consist of both mandatory and optional taught units which can be viewed in the list below.
In the summer semester, you will carry out your Research Dissertation, worth 60 credits. Through undertaking this research, students will have the opportunity to apply their learning to real-world business and organisational contexts, strengthening their critical research and problem-solving skills through investigation of a topic of their interest.
For an up-to-date list of modules, please visit the 'Course Details' section of the course page.
Coursework and assessment
Assessment across the course units varies and includes a combination of examinations, essays, course work, assignments, reports and group presentations.
CIPD Course recognition
The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD), offering the ability to fast track your career through professional membership. As part of our accreditation, all students attend a series of compulsory HR skills development workshops. These workshops focus on your personal skills capacity building as a future HR specialist.
The workshops are non-credit bearing, in order to maximise their developmental nature. When you graduate, you can become a CIPD Associate Member and use the designation Assoc CIPD. You may also be eligible to become a CIPD Chartered Member or CIPD Chartered Fellow, depending on your experience.
You join CIPD as a student member and once you have passed all course units (including the HR skills development workshops and the dissertation), you can update your CIPD membership to Associate Member. Please note that to obtain Associate Member status you will need to have joined the CIPD as a student member and remain in membership throughout your programme. These costs are an individual responsibility.
People are at the heart of any workplace. Managing and developing them is essential to help organisations achieve their goals, and support employees to thrive and lead meaningful working lives.
- Develop up-to-date knowledge of the theoretical foundations and real-world practice of human resource management and employment relations, both in the UK and internationally
- Understand the impact of AI and digitalisation on the world of work.
- Build an in-depth understanding of contemporary developments in HRM.
- Academic skills development workshops to help transition into master's level coursework requirements.
- Emphasise your professional skill development with opportunities to participate in the annual MSc HRM and case study competition, inter-university student debate, a live negotiation exercise and career development workshops.
- The independent dissertation project provides an opportunity to engage and conduct research with real-world employers'
- Learn from experienced academics and researchers who are part of the University of Manchester’s Works and Equalities Institute (WEI) a leading international employment research centre.
This programme offers a comprehensive analytical and practical understanding of the management and development of people (HRM) and managing the relationship between management/employers and workers (employee/employment relations). This is studied within the international socio-economic, digital, institutional and political context in which organisations are embedded globally. The programme has a rich legacy of teaching and research on HRM, employment relations and regulation of more than three decades.
Students will gain fundamental knowledge to operate effectively across all domains of HRM.
At AMBS we offer a critical understanding of the complex interplay between organisations and their external environment. You’ll learn about the diverse ways in which contextual factors and national/supranational developments, such as technological innovation, digitalisation, and labour migration create opportunities and constraints for HRM and employment relations, shaping people management strategies within organisations.
Funding Opportunities for Master's Degrees
Please see our up to date funding information below. On this page, you can find funding options for UK and international students. There are also several external awards that you can apply for directly.
To find out more about the graduate outcomes for this course, please see the Careers Information document.
This course is a 12 month full-time course, based in Manchester. All our MSc courses are taught in Manchester only; they are not available to study online.