BA (Hons)
Business and Human Resource Management
Effective professional training in this popular management discipline
Course Overview
Why take this course?
Are you interested in people, how they work and think? Do you have a knack for identifying what people are good at?
Matching people’s abilities with the needs of a business is an extremely valuable asset skill. The management of people is a critical success factor in business and it’s in high demand by many companies.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Do a one-year placement working in a paid full-time role
- Specialise in a specific area with the option to transfer on to one of the other business-related courses after your first year
- Opt to study a foreign language and add to your business repertoire, options include French, German, Italian, Spanish or Mandarin
What opportunities might it lead to?
We are an Approved Centre for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Both our BA (Hons) Business and Human Resource Management and our BA (Hons) Human Resource Management with Psychology programmes are approved qualifications meeting the knowledge required for the CIPD HR Professional Map at Intermediate Level. On completion, you will be eligible to seek Associate membership of the CIPD providing you have the relevant work experience.
After graduation and the further relevant training, you could find yourself employed as an HR trainee manager, recruitment consultant or HR coordinator.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- business development and consultancy
- recruitment
- personnel
- human resources
- training
I have had some superb tutors and because they’ve been so committed to the subject, they’ve given additional support beyond what I’d ever expect and I’m really grateful for that.
Amanda Nye, business student 2013
Key Facts
- UCAS Course Code:
- NN16
- Duration
- 3 years full time, 4 years sandwich with work placement
- Entry
280 points from 3 A levels or equivalent.
Other qualifications- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £8,750 p/a*
International full-time students: £10,500 p/a*
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- bus.admissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 8200 - Department
- Portsmouth Business School
Subject:
Business and Management
Find out what our students say about studying at Portsmouth, including:
- Insight into different aspects of the business world
- Lecturers who are experienced in their field and are passionate about sharing their knowledge
- Excellent work placement opportunities and careers support
Visit us at our open day
Wed 10 Jul
Structure & Teaching
Year one
This common first year among some of our business courses provides you with a broad understanding of how business operates.
You will specifically focus on the following areas:
- Business Accounting
- Business Environment
- Quantitative Methods and Data Analysis
- Marketing Principles and Practice
- Managing People in Organisations
- Operations and Systems
Year two
Develop your understanding of business and develop your understanding of human resource management. Also begin to tailor your degree through our range of options to help you understand the role of an HR practitioner.
Core units in this year include:
- Human Resource Development
- Contemporary Employment Relations
- Managing Business Relationships
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Organisational Analysis and Leadership
- Developing Team and Individual Creativity
- a foreign language
Year three*
Specialise further in a range of specific business disciplines and the aspects of HR that particularly interest you. You will also have a choice for your final year project from either a dissertation, work-based learning project or a business research project.
Core units in this year include:
- Strategic and Comparative Human Resource Management
- People Resourcing
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Cross Cultural Awareness for Business
- Discrimination and Conflict in Employment Law
- Business Ethics
- Business Enterprise
- a foreign language
*This course is also available as a 4-year sandwich (work placement)
Teaching and Assessment
Our teaching approach involves a varied structure of lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and practical sessions. We aim to provide a stimulating environment that encourages use of IT teaching methods as well as participation in group discussions and projects, alongside individual study.
How are you assessed?
We ensure a balance in assessment approaches to suit differing learning styles. Here’s how we assess your work:
- individual and group coursework
- examinations
- online activities
- presentations
- your choice of independent research
Visit us open day
Facilities & Features
Placements Office
Offering great placement opportunities
Academic Skills Unit (ASK)
ASK will help you become a successful university student
Computing
Great working spaces with high-spec PCs, Macs and printing facilities
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment
Placements Office
Take advantage of our Placements Office. Providing you with a huge portfolio of employers offering great business-related placement opportunities, the experienced team is always on hand to offer advice on everything from producing high quality applications through to preparation for a company assessment day.
Academic Skills Unit (ASK)
ASK will help you become a successful university student. Our workshops are designed to improve a number of essential academic skills from essay writing and understanding plagiarism to revision and exam techniques. This is a great way to enhance your academic performance and make a smooth transition into university study.
Computing
We have invested heavily in open access computer suites across campus. Great working spaces with high-spec PCs (multimedia and CAD), Macs and printing facilities. There is also more specialised software and equipment available such as large format printing, audio-visual equipment and language laboratories. Should you need any assistance, there are specialist technicians on hand to support you in using the facilities.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
This degree has a career-specific HRM focus. However, as people form the essential part of any business, small or large, this course also allows you to consider a wide variety of opportunities, from setting up your own business through to working as part of a major business team.
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- benefits analyst
- human resource officer
- human resource systems manager
- personnel adviser
- recruitment consultant
- training and development coordinator
Work experience
Boost your degree with the opportunity to undertake a one-year placement working in a paid full-time role which offers progression and a suitable level of responsibility. You will benefit from the contemporary business experience that employers demand, making you highly employable upon graduation.
With employers now looking for key business competencies and experience alongside a good degree, work experience is more vital than ever. A placement year is the best and most involving type of work experience you can do during your time at university. As such, a placement will help ensure you are as employable as possible upon graduation.
Career planning
6.04 minutes
Finding a job is a competitive business, but the statistics show that 89 per cent of our 2011graduates went into employment, further study or training within six months of finishing their degrees.
To make sure you take the right steps on your career path, we’re here to give you help, support and advice throughout your study. Even after you’ve graduated, we continue to give you support for up to five years.
Employers tell us that they want graduates to be able to demonstrate certain skills when they come out of university. Our courses take account of this. We make sure we prepare you for employment through work-related learning, projects, placements and working in simulated environments that are designed to prepare you for the working world.
Open Day
Our next open day is Wed 10 July
VISIT US! Have a look around and get a feel for what it’s like to live and study here. We’ll be on hand to talk to you about your course interests and show you all of our amazing facilities. You’ll also get to meet tutors and other students…
Application, Fees and Funding — find out more