International Human Resource Management MSc

Study level: Postgraduate
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Effective human resource management (HRM) is an integral part of any successful organisation and, within the context of a competitive global market, the demand for skilled staff is now increasing within every business sector.

Year of entry

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Part-time

Duration

1 year full-time
2 years part-time (Sept start only)

Course code

FBLT145

Start date

September 2025
January 2026

At Coventry University, we continuously review the courses we offer to ensure we reflect industry-relevant emerging best practice and technology. As a result, this course is undergoing continuous improvement assessment and will be launched with a renewed curriculum starting in September 2025. Module content and titles will be updated. Course title, learning outcomes and assessments may also change. We expect our new curriculum to be fully updated by January 2025. Please return to this page to see the final course details.


Course overview

People play a critical role in the effective and efficient performance of commercial businesses, public sector organisations and not-for-profit bodies. This course has been designed for people who want to learn how to manage and organise paid and voluntary staff to maximise their potential, which ultimately allows businesses and organises to flourish and succeed.

  • Our MSc International Human Resource Management course is designed for individuals wishing to either develop their understanding and expertise in human resources, or for those who want to branch out into this area of management.
  • The course content has a strong strategic focus, looking at the management of people in a more systematic manner, over longer time scales.
  • The course adopts an international approach to teaching, skill development, and knowledge acquisition, which should prepare you to operate in a globally connected business world.
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Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

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5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

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Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

  • Coventry University has taught Human Resource Management (HRM) at postgraduate level for over 40 years and is currently a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Accredited Centre1.
  • The course aims to prepare you for international employment in human resources management or development (HRD), upon successful completion.
  • We will aim to develop your strategic awareness of global business operations, for example, by considering how the individual goals and strategies of businesses drive their marketing, production, employee or customer orientation, as well as learning and development strategy.
  • It places an emphasis on research-informed human resource management practices, which is used in the problem-based approach to teaching, to develop practical solutions and to real world business problems.
  • Coventry Business School are currently active members of the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) and our teaching is designed to adhere to the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME), with the aim of promoting personal and professional ethical behaviour by presenting a range of ethical dilemmas designed to expose you to professional codes of conduct. Please see the Memberships section for further details.

Accreditation and professional recognition

This course is accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)

This course is accredited at Level 7 of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) qualifications framework for the 2024/25 intake1. The CIPD is one of the largest HRM professional bodies. Successful graduates of this course will be awarded CIPD Associate Membership (subject to CIPD’s application criteria and approval). This is a globally recognised accreditation and provides you with the opportunity to develop industry standard knowledge, understanding and skills to drive organisational performance. CIPD membership also has an international dimension, as Associate members can benefit from several mutual recognition agreements between the CIPD and other Global HRM professional bodies.

For more information, please visit the CIPD website.


Certified Association of Business Schools

Coventry Business School is currently an active member of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, which has a membership of over 120 business schools and higher education providers and supports its members in maintaining world-class standards of teaching and research.

There is currently no intention for this membership to lapse however if either of these memberships were not to be renewed, we would notify applicants and students as soon as possible.


Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

The course currently includes the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)accredited1  module, Consultancy for the 2024/25 intake. Upon successful completion of the module, you will gain the CMI Level 7 Professional Consultancy at no additional cost. Further details can be found on the Professional Development module  homepage.



What you'll study

The course focuses on strategic people management and development within an international organisational context, placing special emphasis on global employment issues, including national cultures, legislation and strategies. For example, we consider the role of HR professionals in managing skilled and unskilled migration and how this impact on organisational effectiveness.

The Project module can allow you to undertake an internship2 with a host company, with the experience informing the production of the final module submission, allowing you the opportunity to gain practical experience during your course.

Modules

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

As well as traditional teaching and learning methods, such as lectures, workshops and seminars, specific subjects adopt a mix of experimental approaches to try to facilitate richer deeper learning. These sessions may be delivered through a combination of face-to-face teaching and online classes and tutorials.

You will have the opportunity to participate in a range of employability skills workshops (subject to availability), specifically designed to develop skills required for working in the areas of international human resource management. These feature a range of learning tools, such as simulation exercises, team building and motivational activities, case studies, and working with specialist guest speakers on a range of problems to try to develop the competences identified by the CIPD as being important to professionals in the sector.

We are particularly proud of our innovative use of assessments centres and utilising speakers from industry. Our assessments centres involve you going through a day-long event, replicating the process a business would go through for recruiting large groups of candidates. In relation to speakers from industry, we now have an annual week-long event (subject to availability) where practitioners, many of whom are former students (alumni), come in to share their insights about HR issues and how they have overcome them, together with offering many opportunities for developing their professional network.

This course can be studied on a full-time or part-time basis. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. Please request information about studying this course part-time.


Teaching contact hours

Actual teaching contact hours will vary depending on the level of study and the requirements of a particular semester. In a typical week, your contact hours will be divided amongst:

  • Lectures with associated practice, laboratory, workshop exercises and tutorials
  • Problem-based learning in groups with tutor or industrial mentor support
  • Group learning
  • Formative modelling exercises
  • Independent research of library resources, the internet and engineering companies

The number of contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 12 contact hours per week in the taught semesters.

Additionally, you will be expected to undertake roughly 12 hours of self-directed study, depending on the demands of individual modules.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.


Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods include:

  • Written assignments
  • Practical coursework
  • Presentations
  • Individual assignments
  • Group work elements, many of which will have a strong applied problem-based approach to real world HR problems.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


International experience opportunities

There is an international emphasis across the programme, through the inclusion of internationally focused learning outcomes and specific modules with a comparative, international perspective. This aims to help emphasise intercultural engagement and group working between students and staff from all over the world, which in turn can foster intercultural competency. Opportunities2 will also be sought to develop Collaborative Online International Learning projects with other collaborating institutions across diverse countries.

Past students have been offered international opportunities such as Collaborative Online International Learning Projects (Coil), virtual Fieldtrips to attend conferences in different countries, which also offers a variety of overseas Fieldtrips for postgraduate students (subject to application and fees).


Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.

Applicants normally hold an honours degree 2:2 or above, where a variety of academic subjects or disciplines can be considered for entry.

Applications from candidates with relevant experience can be considered on an individual basis.

Each application will be considered on its merits and the final decision will be made by the course director.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you. 

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Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

If you do not have the typical entry requirements, you may want to consider studying this course with an international pre-master's. Upon successful completion our International Pre-Master's - Business will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to progress onto this postgraduate degree.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Typical entry requirements

  • Applicants should hold a business-related honours degree at 2:2 or equivalent qualification.
  • Applications from candidates with relevant experience can be considered on an individual basis.
  • Each application will be considered on its merits and the final decision will be made by the course director.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 overall (with at least 5.5 in each component area)

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course. 

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

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Fees and funding

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man 2025/26 fees TBC
2024/25 fees -£11,200  
Request fee information
EU 2025/26 fees TBC
2024/25 fees -£11,200 per year with EU Support Bursary**
2025/26 fees TBC
2024/25 fees -£20,050 per year without EU Support Bursary**
Not available
International 2025/26 fees TBC
2024/25 fees -£20,050  
Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page and see the university's Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.


Facilities

This course will take place primarily in the College of Business and Law building and with that you have access to a number of innovative learning spaces4:

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The Library

You will benefit from our support designed to help you succeed and our industry-relevant teaching and resources. These include our modern library and computing facilities, dedicated careers advice and Your Students’ Union.

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Jaguar Centre

The Jaguar Centre has been specifically designed to provide facilities and services to support our postgraduate students including social spaces, computer suites and separate areas for small group study.

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The Hub

The Hub is the centre of student campus life. It's also home to the Health and Wellbeing Centre, the Spirituality and Faith Centre, the Tank Studio, Student Success Coaches and the Enterprise Hub.


Careers and opportunities

Upon successful completion, you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of International Human Resource Management and related subjects outlined in the current CIPD HR Profession Map relevant to a course start in 2024/25. (Please see the Accreditation and Professional Recognition section for further details.)
  • Appreciate any ethical, legal and financial factors and their effects at local, national and international levels upon the strategy, behaviour and management of organisations.
  • Exercise sound judgements in the selection of different methods and approaches available to deal with financial, cultural and legal business problems nationally and internationally.
  • Use financial skills to communicate and work effectively to persuade and influence others to make decisions.

This course prepares you to be able to operate either as a generalist or a specialist manager, with opportunities to develop more specific areas of expertise in the diverse area of HR. The course will provide you with a deep insight of people management as a set of practices, which can include the processes of talent acquisition, optimization, and retention, while providing continued support for the business and guidance for the employees of an organisation.

Upon successful completion, you should gain a clear understanding of a broad range of HR, managerial and business principles, practices and competencies in different regions of the world. You should develop specialist technical competence, strong analytical and problem-solving skills in managing organisational change and in HR analytics.

We aim to give you access to Employment Personal Tutors, aligned to your area of study, to work with you throughout your course. Our Employment Personal Tutors have previously worked in industry and some have experience of being a recruiter; because of their experiences, they understand the labour market, the skills employers look for and the processes used by employers to select candidates.

Where our graduates work

Many of our past graduates from similar courses have found employment positions within generalist HR, general management, specialist pay and reward, people development and employee relations roles in organisations such as, British Nuclear fuels, BNP Paribas, McKesson Lloyds Pharmacy, Coventry City Council, Hays Plc at Honeywell, Sage Publishing, JLR and the BBC.


How to apply