Human Resources, also known as HR, refers to the department of a company which deals with employee welfare, ensuring that the business is looking after the interests of its staff whilst simultaneously maximising their potential and, of course, profitability.
A degree in human resource management (HRM) is a great way to broaden and develop your knowledge of business as a whole. Students of HR learn important analytical and evaluation skills, as well as the most up-to-date methods of successful people management.
Working in HR requires empathy, integrity and some great communication skills. You’ll learn about ethical practices, diversity and organisational strategy, but it will be down to you to bring your personality to a subject which ultimately focuses on the human side of commerce.
Subjects related to human resource management, include business and management, business psychology, and business administration.
Human resource management at the undergraduate level is usually a three or four-year course. Four-year courses typically include a full year’s practical work placement. If you are hoping to study HRM as a postgraduate degree, it will likely last between one and three years, depending on the level of your studies.
HRM degrees are usually structured to include lectures, seminars, tutorials and group work. Many will also require you to take part in work placements while you study, enabling you to gain real-world experience and bring your newly acquired knowledge to your degree.
Human resource management can be studied at diploma, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and PhD level. Many businesspeople even choose to study HRM part-time while working to improve their business knowledge and career prospects.
Some areas that you may cover in a human resource management degree include people management, organisational strategy and business support structures, ethical practice, diversity and inclusion, recruitment, and business enterprise.
To study human resource management abroad, you must meet some basic entry requirements. Whilst these vary between institutions, at the undergraduate level, you will likely need:
1. Minimum 2 (but often 3) A-Levels, or an equivalent qualification
2. IELTS overall score of 5.5 (or equivalent) at the undergraduate level, commonly rising to 6.5 at the postgraduate level
3. Although there are not usually any compulsory subjects for you to have studied beforehand, maths, business and/or economics would provide a good foundation for any HRM degree.
Make sure you meet your prospective university’s requirements before you apply, and remember to check that your existing qualifications will be accepted.
If you want to study human resource management overseas, you’ll be pleased to learn that there are plenty of HR courses abroad which welcome and value international students. If you are looking to study HR in the US, The US News & World Report* lists the top 5 universities to study human resource management in the USA as:
1. Cornell University
2. University of California, Los Angeles
3. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
4. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
5. Washington University, St Louis
How about studying HR in Ireland? All of Ireland’s top universities (as ranked by QS World University Rankings 2024**) offer courses in human resource management, including:
1. Trinity College, Dublin
2. University College Dublin
3. University of Galway
4. University College Cork
5. University of Limerick
The obvious career path for a human resource management graduate is to work as an HR officer. Human resources can certainly be a satisfying and profitable sector to work in. In the USA, the average HR specialist in 2021 earned between USD 47,000 and USD 80,000 per annum.
HRM, as with any business-related degree, is seen as a valuable qualification worldwide, and HR professionals often find it easy to secure work abroad, as well as in their home country. However, the skills and knowledge you gain with an HRM degree can be used well beyond human resources. Here are just a few careers people with a degree in HR go on to work as:
1. Human resources officer
2. Recruitment consultant or careers advisor
3. Occupational psychologist
4. Office manager
5. Training and development officer
6. Management consultant
7. Mediator
8. Talent agent
Many people, especially those who want to study a postgraduate course in HRM, already have a business-related career that they enjoy. They can use their degree in HR to supplement their knowledge and work at more senior levels within their company.