Human Resource Management
Human resource management is the field concerned with how organisations attract, develop, manage, and retain the people who make them work. It sits at the intersection of business strategy and organisational behaviour, requiring practitioners to understand not just the legal and procedural frameworks governing employment but also the psychological, cultural, and relational dimensions of working life. Good HR management connects individual wellbeing and development to organisational performance, making it a discipline that is both practically important and genuinely complex.
At the University of Bedfordshire, this programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the professional body for HR in the UK, which means your qualification is recognised by the profession and provides a route towards CIPD membership. A guaranteed 12-week placement is built into the programme, giving you structured professional experience in an HR function during your studies, supported by a dedicated work-placement coordinator who assists with preparation and ongoing support throughout the placement period. You will study employment law, recruitment and selection, learning and development, reward management, organisational behaviour, and strategic HR, developing a rounded understanding of how the people function contributes to organisational success.
Graduates are well placed for roles in HR departments across every sector, including business partnering, talent acquisition, learning and development, employee relations, and HR operations. The CIPD accreditation provides a direct pathway towards professional membership, which is increasingly expected by employers as the profession has formalised. Many graduates go on to complete CIPD qualifications at postgraduate level, while others move directly into generalist or specialist HR roles in private, public, and voluntary sector organisations.
The placement experience is typically a significant advantage in securing employment on graduation.