Business & Human Resource Management

Business and human resource management is a degree that addresses both the strategic dimensions of running an organisation and the people dimension that makes strategy possible. Business management covers the core disciplines of finance, marketing, operations, entrepreneurship and strategy, giving you a broad and integrated understanding of how organisations function and how they create value over time. Human resource management focuses specifically on the people who make organisations work, asking how to attract, develop and retain talent, how to manage performance and wellbeing, how to design fair and effective employment policies, and how to navigate the legal and ethical frameworks that govern the employment relationship.

At the University of the West of Scotland this programme is offered part-time, making it accessible to those who are working, have family commitments or are managing other priorities alongside their studies. UWS has strong connections to business and public sector organisations in Scotland, and the part-time structure means that many students are already in employment and can draw directly on their professional experience in their academic work, enriching both the content of their studies and its immediate practical relevance.

You will study people management, employment law, organisational behaviour, talent management, learning and development, reward management and diversity and inclusion alongside the broader business content of strategy, finance and marketing. The combination develops both the commercial understanding to work effectively at senior organisational levels and the specialist knowledge to lead HR functions or work in HR advisory roles.

Graduates of business and human resource management programmes enter careers in HR management, talent acquisition, organisational development, learning and development, employee relations and people analytics, as well as in broader commercial and operational management roles. Many graduates pursue professional membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development alongside their careers, and the combination of business and HR knowledge opens doors in consultancy, public sector management and international business. Postgraduate study in HR, organisational psychology or business management is a further option.