MSc Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations

• International Human Resource Management and Comparative Industrial Relations MSc (1 year)

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

• Business and Management
• Human Resources

We require a First or Upper Second class honours degree (2:1, with 60% average) from a UK university or the overseas equivalent, in any discipline.

When assessing your academic record, we take into account your grade average, position in class and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.  We particularly welcome applications from institutions of high ranking and repute.

For the latest information on demonstrating your English proficiency for those whose first language is not English, please see our language requirements .

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements see entry requirements for your country .

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2026, the tuition fees are as follows:

• MSc (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £18,600
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £32,300

The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.

Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .

Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

If you wish to become a student member of the CIPD then visit the  CIPD website  for further information.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships will be available for 2026 entry, information will be updated on our scholarships page.

We operate a staged admissions process for this course, see more information on how to apply and our deadlines.

Tuition fee deposits

If you are successful in receiving an offer, you will be required to pay a tuition fee deposit of £2,500 by the deadline stated in your offer letter to confirm your place. We ask for the deposit as competition for places is high and there is limited availability. The deposit amount is then deducted from your tuition fees when you register on the course.

We can only process applications with the following documents:

• valid English language qualification
• first and second year transcript (scanned copies are accepted at the time of application)
• statement of purpose (this is included as part of your application form, you do not need to email your statement of purpose directly to the Admissions Team)

To defer your offer to the following year, you must contact your admission officer to get a copy of the deferral form.  You can only defer your offer for one year.

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.  In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved.  We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course. If you are applying for a place for the same year of entry through UCAS Extra, you should provide additional evidence of your suitability for the course. If you are applying through clearing you are required to meet the clearing requirements. In both UCAS Extra and clearing the places will be subject to availability.

During the course you will be taking 180 credits. The eight taught modules during semester one and two total 120 credits and consists of both compulsory and optional taught units which can be viewed in the list below.

In the summer semester, you will carry out your Research Dissertation, worth 60 credits. This will provide you with the practical opportunity to work with real world businesses and organisations, developing critical business research and problem-solving skills on a topic of your interest.

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) offering the ability to fast track your career through professional membership.

CIPD credentials are increasingly sought out by employers around the world, with CIPD hubs existing in the UK, Ireland, Middle East and Asia, and a network of 160,000 CIPD worldwide registered members. Whilst studying with us, we will pay your CIPD membership fees providing you with access to practitioner focussed resources and events.

Further information about CIPD qualifications >>