Human Resources Management with Law

Human resources management combined with law creates a particularly coherent degree for those interested in how organisations manage their most important resource, their people, within the legal frameworks that govern employment relationships. HR professionals work at the intersection of organisational strategy, individual wellbeing and the law, and understanding employment law in depth is an increasingly important part of effective HR practice.

At the University of Bedfordshire you will study this three-year full-time degree, developing core competencies in human resources management alongside a grounding in the legal principles that shape employment relationships and organisational life. The HR content covers recruitment and selection, learning and development, performance management, reward, employee relations and the strategic management of human capital. The law component introduces employment law in depth, covering areas such as contracts of employment, discrimination law, redundancy, dismissal, trade union rights and the legal framework for dispute resolution.

Together they give you a practical understanding of how organisations need to manage people within the boundaries that law defines, and how legal change affects HR policy and practice.

The combination develops analytical thinking, the ability to interpret and apply legal principles to real situations, and the interpersonal and communication skills that people management demands. You will also develop research skills and the capacity to stay current in a field where both law and organisational practice evolve continuously.

Graduates are well placed for careers in human resources departments across the private, public and voluntary sectors, in employment law firms, in trade union roles, in HR consultancy and in employment relations advisory services. Many go on to work towards chartered membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and postgraduate study in HR, employment law or business management is available for those wishing to specialise further or move into senior roles.