The BA (Hons) Human Resource Management allows you to focus your studies on the ‘people’ dimension of business and management. It is well established that in the competitive environment of 21st century business, people represent the most potent opportunities for achieving competitive advantage. As such the HRM role in organizations has become increasingly more important as organizations seek to deploy, develop and engage their people. Concepts and techniques covered in the course are relevant to four areas vital to any business. They are:

• a critical understanding of the roles played by people in organizations in terms of their needs and behaviour
• the way in which an organization’s people can be deployed for optimal customer service
• the management of people as a critical business resource integral to organizational strategies and complementary management activities
• the impact of the external environment on the business and how its people are managed

Human Resource Management is therefore multi-disciplinary in nature and can lead to many possible careers although it is an ideal preparation for a career in people management and development in particular.

The specialist HRM content of the BA (Hons.) Human Resource Management is delivered by a highly qualified and experienced teaching team that offers a potent blend of scholarly expertise and experience of working and managing in a diverse range of organizational settings. At present the team are engaging in an extensive range of scholarly activity, research and consultancy that enriches the quality of our teaching output. Specifically, recent published work has made contributions to the development of knowledge in the following areas: strategy and HRM; career management; stress in the workplace; gender; public sector management; international and comparative employment relations.

Furthermore, we call on the services of a network visiting and guest teachers who contribute further to the varied and multi-disciplinary learning experience. The Royal Docks Business School and UEL enjoys close links with employers in the local economy, nationally and internationally. We are therefore highly sensitised to their needs in terms of the skills and knowledge that they require.

Ultimately, the BA (Hons.) Human Resource Management at UEL has four distinctive attributes:

The first is that it provides the opportunity to study Human Resource Management in some depth while also gaining a broad understanding of a range of business functions, processes and environmental influences.

The second is that the programme contains a lot of flexibility. The course structure allows you to switch between full-time and part-time modes of study.

The third is that at each stage of the degree you will receive support in developing a personal development plan. This will consolidate learning, provide evidence of development to potential employers and also help you plan your future after graduating.

The fourth is that within the Human Resource Management degree scheme we have an optional year of work placement between years 2 and 3 as well as the option of studying a semester at a partner institution in Europe. If you choose the work placement option you can gain several advantages which should help your career development:

• you can put into effect what you learnt in Years 1 and 2
• you can gain valuable work experience in, and a wider understanding of, your chosen career route
• you can develop a network of contacts in your chosen career route, thus enhancing again your employability profile

The BA (Hons) Human Resource Management is offered as single honours, major, joint or minor award. The degree is normally studied over three years in the full-time mode and four to five in the part-time mode. It is possible to switch between modes, subject to timetabling constraints.

The Human Resource Management programme comprises eighteen 20 credit modules. In line with all business related programmes, the BA Human Resource Management shares a number of modules with other business degree awards at UEL. This allows you to specialise in areas of interest and facilitates transfer at any point up to half way through the programme.

Completing level 1 successfully qualifies the student for the award of the Certificate in Higher Education, Completing level 1 and 2 qualifies for the award of Diploma in Higher Education in Human Resource Management.

Human Resource Management (Single honours): Modular Structure

A one year sandwich placement is available between Level 2 and 3 to all students

*Option modules can be chosen from the following Business modules:

Whilst studying with us you will use our Network facilities and we will teach you how to maximise the benefit you can develop from this powerful resource. In addition, student learning is supported via Web CT, our virtual learning environment to develop skills for life.

Additionally you will develop proficiency in information researching using our extensive, subject specific, online databases and CD-ROM facilities.

We will encourage you to use presentation techniques such as Powerpoint or videos.

By using these Information Technology resources you will enhance your learning and increase your Information Technology skills. Therefore when you enter employment you will have a very wide range of skills which will enable you to effectively demonstrate and apply what you have studied on your degree.

Work placement:
Between your second and final year you can gain valuable work experience by working full time in an organisation. You should note that

• we assist you in finding a placement with a suitable organisation
• the placement is normally paid, thus reducing the financial burden of degree study.

There are several other major advantages of this placement.

• it enables you to practice the ideas you have previously learnt.
• when you return for the final year you will be able to critically analyse your study in the final year in the light of your own practical experience.
• You may be able to claim 20 credits towards your programme as Work Based Learning.

It is the policy of the Royal Docks Business School to include information on assessment criteria in Module handbooks

• Assessment is by a combination of many different types of coursework and examination.
• There are no formal examinations at Level 1 but there are some short time constrained tests.
• In the second and third years examinations generally, although not always, account for around 40% of the assessment.
• Your marks in level two and three modules will determine your final degree classification, level one marks are not used for this purpose.

You will undertake a project at level three on a Human Resource Management related topic of your choosing. You will receive specific guidance on its preparation in modules taught in the proceeding semester, and at level two, so you will be well prepared!

You will also find that mini projects or group work exercises feature in some of the modules taught in the degree, throughout each of the three years

Studying for a degree is not just about acquiring knowledge but is also about developing a range of skills and confidence which are valued by employers. The programme is designed to help you develop knowledge, skills and experience. We will help you to reflect upon this and recognise how you have developed and what the evidence for this is. This will help you to present yourself in the best possible light to employers.

• How we can try to improve recruitment and selection to get the right people in the right jobs?
• How can an organisation deal with stress amongst employees?
• What trends and changes are occurring in Human Resource Management in an increasingly interconnected and globalised world?

• Listening to, and working with others

• Finding solutions to problems

• The challenge of reading about and thinking about, many different subjects from Law to Business Economics, from Marketing to Corporate Strategy, from Accounting and Finance to Organisational Behaviour

• The challenge of understanding the links which may exist between many different subjects

• Thinking about how globalisation affects you

• Working with others from different cultures

• If you can answer yes to some or all of these then you will probably enjoy studying for a Human Resource Management degree

The Human Resource Management programme has been designed to be combined with other programmes that run across UEL. As stated above, Business can be combined as either a Major, Joint or Minor award when taken in conjunction with other awards. Typical combinations might include:

• Marketing
• Accounting
• Business Studies
• International Business
• Economics

For details on possible combinations see the Combined Honours web pages at http://www.uel.ac.uk/combined/programmes/index.htm

Studying Human Resource Management with another subject may increase the range of career choices open to you.

Talk to your careers adviser, they should be able to give you further advice or come and see us on an Open Day, the details of which you can find on our web page.

The range of potential careers is probably limitless, there are so many that they cannot be listed here.

As well as going on to run their own business our Human Resource Management graduates have the potential of working in many different organisations. To give you an idea of the organisations which employ our graduates, from a range of Human Resource Management degrees, we show below some of the employers of our most recent graduates:

Please click on the organisations name to be taken to their web-site.
Abbey National plchttp://www.abbeynational.co.uk/
Cancer Research Fund http://science.cancerresearchuk.org/
Clarins (UK) Ltd. http://uk.clarins.com/
College of Law
Credit Suisse First Boston Bankhttp://www.csfb.com/
Department for Education and Skillshttp://www.dfes-uk.co.uk/
Direct Computer Training Ltd
Hamleys of London Ltdhttp://www.hamleys.com/
HM Customs and Excisehttp://hmce.gov.uk/
HSBC Bank plc.http://hsbc.co.uk/
Intec Telecom Systems Plchttp://www.intec-systems.com/
Lloyds TSB Group http://lloydstsb.com/
London Borough of Redbridge http://www.redbridge.gov.uk/
London Borough of Waltham Forest. http://www.lbwf.gov.uk/
London School of Economics and Political Science http://www.lse.ac.uk/
Marks & Spencer plc. http://www.marksandspencer.com/
Merrill Lynch Inc. http://www.ml.com/
J.Sainsbury plc http://sainsburys.co.uk/
The Financial Services Authority http://www.fsa.gov.uk/
The Home Office http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/
The National Health Service http://www.doh.gov.uk/nhs.htm
United Dairies plc

Graduates have also progressed to study Masters Degrees in either specialised subjects or the Master of Business Administration. Additionally graduates can also proceed to take Professional qualifications in their chosen fields.

As you can see, our graduates work in many different sectors of the economy, so there is a very wide choice of careers.

We hope you will use your degree at UEL to identify what you wish to do and preparing for that career.

You should start achieving your goal upon graduation.

Introducing you to degree level study:

• we have designed the assessment and teaching processes throughout the first year so that you are progressively introduced to degree study
• we have developed a specific module in the first year that gives you the techniques needed for degree level study

Academic and administrative support :

• our Undergraduate Student Centre which will be able to answer the queries you may have about the operation of the Human Resource Management degrees
• a personal tutor will be allocated to you for each year of study who can advise on academic matters and personal development planning
• the year tutor for your programme and/or programme leader can help if you have course related issues you wish to raise