Business Management and Human Resource Management
Business management and human resource management together give you a broad understanding of how organisations function alongside specialist knowledge of the people management discipline that is increasingly recognised as central to organisational success. Human resource management is no longer simply an administrative function concerned with recruitment and payroll; it is a strategic activity that shapes culture, performance, wellbeing, and organisational capability. Understanding it properly requires both the general business context in which HR decisions are made and the specific knowledge of employment law, organisational behaviour, talent management, and workforce planning that HR professionals deploy.
At Derby you will develop specialist HR skills and knowledge alongside the business acumen that enables you to contribute strategically to organisations across sectors. The programme covers the core areas of HRM including resourcing, learning and development, performance management, reward, employment relations, and the ethical dimensions of managing people, alongside general business subjects including strategy, operations, finance, and marketing. The three-year full-time programme includes a foundation year for students who need it, a sandwich placement year, and a year abroad, providing comprehensive preparation including direct professional experience in an HR or management environment and an international perspective on management practice.
Graduates are well placed for careers as HR generalists, HR business partners, resourcing specialists, learning and development professionals, and people managers across public and private sector organisations. The programme provides excellent preparation for Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development qualifications, which are the professional standard for HR practitioners in the UK. Many graduates go directly into HR graduate schemes or roles in people management, while others pursue postgraduate study in HRM, organisational behaviour, or business.