How do people function and flourish in a business? What ethical codes should businesses follow? Will the role of employees change as business, technology and society changes? These are the sorts of questions HR professionals seek to answer and that you’ll address on this course.

All businesses need employees who understand people management, and this degree is designed to train you in HR for the professional environment.

It’s accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development to ensure your skills will be relevant and recognised by employers, and we incorporate as much hands-on experience and professional training as possible; you’ll network with professionals, learn from guest speakers, and have the chance to take a work placement module.

The University of East London fosters an inclusive and open environment, welcoming students from all backgrounds, including many mature students and students from all over the world.

The course covers a wide range of topics, rooting fundamental HR principles in a contemporary business context. You’ll learn about the core functions of a business alongside specific HR themes such as recruitment, professional development, ethics, employee relations, and employment law.

The degree is structured to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of human resource management, while allowing you to choose from a range of options. You’ll be able to explore specialisms in different areas such International HRM and study in a highly practical way through work placement module – HRM Work-Based Reflective Practice.

In the first year, you’ll study a number of general business management topics (fundamentals of economics and business accounting, foundation in marketing, business statistics and data analysis) and receive an introduction to the basics of people management. This ensures you understand the role of HR within the larger function of a business, connecting staff management to the successful running of an organisation.

In the second year, you will further develop your understanding of HR in a practical setting. You’ll learn about coordinating the HR function within a business as well as rewarding and incentivising staff, employment law, resourcing and talent management, and employment law for HR professionals. There are also a number of optional modules to choose from in the second year; you can either opt for learning and development or International HRM or HRM work-based reflective practice.

In the final year, you will look at strategic human resource management and leadership in organisations, business ethic, and develop additional skills in business research, which will be fantastic for your employability prospects and career development. You will also study employee engagement and employee relations, human resource information system, and you will undertake an applied project in HR. These HRM-tailored modules will furnish you with excellent knowledge that is required in the global world of work.

We use a huge range of teaching methods to ensure you develop new skills and techniques as well as the specialist HR knowledge you'll need in your career. We care about your employability, so our staff provide exceptional support throughout your degree.

Here are some of the ways you’ll learn throughout the course:

• Lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops.
• Role-plays: e.g. playing the role of employer/trade union in a mock negotiation. This may be filmed to enable you to reflect and receive feedback.
• Practical tasks: e.g. designing, delivering and evaluating some training, or writing a job description and person specification.
• Independent study, supported by our specialist business library and a selection of digital materials, handbooks, notes and other resources.
• Working in a team to share ideas and insights.
• Guest speakers representing a cross-section of business and HR expertise.

There’s also a fantastic opportunity to travel abroad, where you’ll work on a social enterprise project with fellow students from other countries. In previous years, our students have travelled to Bahrain, China, the United States and Thailand, to name a few.

You'll develop key skills in every module you take and we’ll also support you with the latest thinking from our business research centres.

The course is ideal preparation for a career in HR – you will learn the specific, practical skills that employers need, while also learning about broader business topics that can be applied in a variety of roles and industries. The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, demonstrating to employers that your knowledge of HR will be comprehensive and up-to-date.

You will also have the option of studying an entrepreneurship module that will be valuable for students who want to start their own businesses – our very own Knowledge Dock is an on-campus resource that can help you incubate your business ideas and secure funding.

Our location in east London gives us access to some of the most iconic, innovative and dynamic businesses in the world; from the established financial centre of Canary Wharf, to booming Stratford and the surrounding area known as the ‘Silicon Roundabout’. We host events, conferences and workshops at UEL in partnership with many of the businesses that are right on our doorstep and give students the opportunity to gather experience and contacts during their degree.

This business-led approach extends all the way through the course, with the opportunity to take a work placement module, learn from business leaders in the region, visit local organisations and network with professionals.

We place emphasis on a vocational approach to teaching, allowing you to develop a wide range of employability skills through experience and training. We also have a superb employability team that works with students to find placements, projects, graduate schemes and full-time employment, combining careers advice with practical training in interview technique and CV writing.