MSc Human Resource Management

Reimagine Everything®. Lead People. Shape Cultures.

The MSc Human Resource Management is designed for HR professionals ready to lead human capital strategy, drive inclusive organisational development, and ensure legal and regulatory compliance across global contexts. Delivered by Robert Kennedy College in exclusive partnership with the University of Salford, this programme prepares you with the analytical acuity, ethical insight, and strategic fluency to lead people-management challenges in today's dynamic, diverse, and digitally-driven workplace.

You'll learn to align resourcing, talent, performance, and reward strategies with organisational goals using data-driven and stakeholder-oriented frameworks. The curriculum deepens your capabilities through comparative legal analysis, EDI strategy aligned with CIPD standards, and systems-thinking approaches to organisational development — positioning you as an evidence-led, ethically grounded HR leader for sectors undergoing cultural, legislative, and technological transformation.

Swiss Quality. Since 1998. British Excellence. People Leadership.

This programme combines the excellence of Swiss-quality online education with the prestige of a British degree from the University of Salford. For over two decades, Robert Kennedy College has been at the forefront of online education, while Salford Business School's HR research and CIPD alignment ensure you graduate with a globally recognised and respected qualification.

Why This Programme?

  • Strategic HR Leadership: Build the analytical and ethical fluency to lead people strategy across sectors and geographies
  • CIPD-Aligned EDI Module: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion built into the curriculum, aligned with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development standards
  • Employment Law in Practice: Apply UK and global employment law to disciplinary, grievance, and redundancy contexts
  • Organisational Development Expertise: Systems thinking, change management, and inclusive HR leadership
  • Flexible Online Learning: Study 100% online via OnlineCampus — six intakes per year, complete in 12 months to 3 years

Your MSc Human Resource Management degree is:

  • Recognised worldwide by employers and industry leaders
  • Awarded directly by the University of Salford
  • Identical to degrees earned on campus
  • Fully recognised by the UK government

Career Outcomes

Graduates are prepared for roles such as:

  • HR Director
  • Head of People & Culture
  • HR Business Partner
  • Talent Acquisition & Strategy Lead
  • Organisational Development Consultant
  • Employee Relations Manager
  • EDI Lead / Diversity & Inclusion Director
  • Reward & Performance Manager

Award-Winning British Education

The University of Salford is a winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education 2025, recognising the University's pioneering research in sustainable building design and tackling fuel poverty, led by its Energy House Labs.

Part of the United Kingdom's national Honours system (formerly known as the Queen's Anniversary Prizes), the Prize is granted every two years to recognise outstanding work by UK universities and colleges that demonstrates excellence, innovation, and benefit for the wider world.

Duration

12 months to 3 years

Delivery Method

100% online via OnlineCampus (an interactive online learning environment) with intensive class discussion and collaboration.

Terms

We offer rolling admissions throughout the year. Register at any time and begin your learning journey immediately.

Tuition Fees

CHF 525 per month for 24 months (total CHF 12,600). This covers everything: tuition, online study materials, and University fees.

Dean's Bursaries and early-payment reductions available. Full details and currency options are listed on our Tuition Plans & Rates page.

Programme not eligible for UK Government student finance.

Explore Tuition Plans & Rates in Your Currency

Accreditation and Recognition

This degree is awarded by the University of Salford, which received a Royal Charter in 1967 from Her Majesty the Queen. The University is fully recognised by the British government; The University of Salford degree transcript will mention Robert Kennedy College as your teaching institution.

Image

Admission Requirements

We welcome applications from students who may not meet the formal entry criteria but who have relevant experience or the ability to pursue the course successfully.

The formal entry requirements are:

  • A minimum of a second class honours degree or equivalent
  • Or a recognised professional qualification in a related discipline
  • English language at IELTS 6.5 (minimum of 5.5 in each component)

Applications are considered from candidates who do not meet the formal entry requirements but can provide evidence of equivalence.

Examples of equivalence are:

  • A wide range of professional qualifications and/or work experience
  • Working or studying in English or an English-speaking environment

Programme Outline

Introductory

Not-for-credit

  • Induction

This is the first module of the programme which gives an orientation to the course and the online learning style. It does not carry credits, and students are encouraged to go through the material in this module at their own pace and get accustomed to the online medium.

The MSc Human Resource Management consists of 180 credits delivered through five modules:

Stage 1: Taught Modules (120 credits)

  • Module 1: HR Strategy and Practice (30 credits)
  • Module 2: Employment Relations and Law (30 credits)
  • Module 3: HR Leadership for Organisational Development (30 credits)
  • Module 4: EDI for HR Practitioners (30 credits) — CIPD-aligned

Stage 2: International Dissertation (60 credits)

Module 5: International Dissertation (60 credits)

Module Descriptions

Module 1: HR Strategy and Practice (30 credits)

  • Strategic people management aligned with organisational purpose
  • Labour market analysis and workforce planning
  • Talent, reward, and performance management frameworks
  • Performance metrics and high-performance reward design
  • Foundations for HR business partnering and strategic workforce planning

Module 2: Employment Relations and Law (30 credits)

  • Legal dimensions of employment in UK and global contexts
  • Employment status, discrimination law, and contracts
  • Trade unions and collective bargaining
  • Workplace dispute resolution and grievance handling
  • Stakeholder relations and legally sound HR advice

Module 3: HR Leadership for Organisational Development (30 credits)

  • Strategic OD using systems thinking and behavioural science
  • Diagnosing cultural dynamics and structural redesign
  • Leadership interventions for organisational transformation
  • Personal leadership preferences and inclusive HR leadership
  • Change methodologies and organisational growth levers

Module 4: EDI for HR Practitioners (30 credits) — CIPD-aligned

  • Designing EDI strategies grounded in legal, social, and HRM theory
  • Intersecting inequalities and data-driven inclusion approaches
  • The business case for diversity in recruitment, reward, and development
  • Strategic diversity initiatives aligned with business goals
  • EDI policy design and inclusion-focused HR practice

Module 5: International Dissertation (60 credits)

  • Independent, business-focused research or consultancy project
  • Application of HR theory to a contemporary people-management challenge
  • Synthesis of strategic, legal, developmental, and EDI knowledge
  • Research methods, critical thinking, and evidence-based decision-making
  • Final dissertation demonstrating academic rigour and practical relevance