Human Resources and Business Management

Human resources and business management together prepare you for a career at the intersection of two of the most important functions in any organisation: the management of people and the management of the business as a whole. Human resources is concerned with how organisations attract, develop, motivate, and retain their people, drawing on psychology, employment law, organisational behaviour, and management theory. Business management provides the broader commercial context, covering strategy, finance, marketing, and operations, ensuring that you understand the whole organisation within which HR decisions are made.

At Aston University this four-year full-time degree gives you the opportunity to develop specialised knowledge of the factors that drive human behaviour at work, including motivation, commitment, emotions, engagement, and leadership, and to apply that knowledge to wider business management challenges such as productivity, performance, and organisational change. Aston's strong reputation for graduate employability and its Birmingham location in the heart of England's second city provide excellent access to business communities and employers. A year abroad is embedded in the programme, giving you international experience that complements the degree's focus on how organisations change and develop globally.

Graduates go on to careers in human resource management, talent acquisition, organisational development, learning and development, employee relations, business management, consulting, and a wide range of roles in the private and public sectors. Professional development toward Chartered membership of the CIPD is a natural ambition for those pursuing HR careers, and the degree provides a strong foundation for that route. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in human resources, business, or organisational psychology.