Business and Human Resource Management
Business and human resource management is the study of how organisations work and how people within them are led, developed, and supported. Human resource management is not simply an administrative function: it sits at the heart of how organisations create and maintain the capability to perform, addressing questions of recruitment and selection, learning and development, performance management, employee relations, and organisational culture. Combining it with broader business management gives you both the specialist knowledge of people management and the wider business perspective needed to understand how HR contributes to organisational success.
At Birkbeck College, this part-time BSc is designed for students who want to study while working, bringing the material of business and HRM to life through the kind of practical experience that full-time students are still developing. You will gain an understanding of the key functions of business, including finance, marketing, strategy, and operations, alongside a focused study of how people management practices contribute to business performance. Employability is a central aim of the programme, with the course designed to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that employers in HR and management seek.
The programme suits those who are already in the workplace and want to develop their professional capabilities and formal qualifications simultaneously.
Graduates of business and human resource management programmes find careers in HR management, talent acquisition, learning and development, organisational development, employee relations, and general management. The professional HR sector offers clear progression through roles at coordinator, advisor, business partner, and director level, and many graduates pursue Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development qualifications alongside or after their degree. The broader business knowledge the programme provides is also valued by employers in management consultancy, operations, and leadership roles where people management is a critical dimension of the work.