Business and Human Resource Management
Business and human resource management is a degree that develops both a broad understanding of how organisations operate and a specialist focus on the people dimension that determines whether they succeed or fail. Human resource management, at its most strategic, is about creating the conditions in which talent is attracted, developed and retained, and in which organisations can navigate the complex legal, ethical and cultural landscape of employment relations. At the University of Sunderland this four-year programme, which includes a foundation year and a sandwich year, is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the professional body for HR practitioners.
You will study the core areas of business management, including strategy, finance, marketing and operations, alongside the specialist HR content covering recruitment and selection, learning and development, performance management, employee relations, employment law, reward management and organisational behaviour. The CIPD accreditation means the programme is designed to align with professional standards that employers recognise, giving you a credential that is directly relevant to HR career entry. The sandwich year, work placements and year abroad all provide opportunities for professional and international experience before you graduate, developing the practical capability and personal confidence that HR and business careers require.
Graduates pursue careers as HR officers, HR advisers, talent acquisition specialists, learning and development coordinators, people analytics analysts and employee relations professionals across every sector of the economy. The CIPD qualification pathway supports those who want to achieve chartered membership of the Institute, which is the standard mark of professional standing in HR. The broader business grounding also opens paths into general management, operations and consultancy for those whose interests develop in that direction.
Some graduates go on to postgraduate study in HR, organisational psychology or business.