MSc International Human Resource Management and Comparative Industrial Relations
Year of entry: 2025
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Overview
- Degree awarded
- Master of Science (MSc)
- Duration
- 1 year
- Entry requirements
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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.
- How to apply
Course options
Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
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MSc | Y | N | N | N |
Course overview
Open days
Meet us at an event both online and in person.
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2025, the tuition fees are as follows:
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MSc (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £17,750
International, including EU, students (per annum): £30,750
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.
Refund Policy
Due to the competition for places and limited availability, our courses require a deposit of £1000 to cover non-recoverable costs and secure your place. The deposit will be deducted from your tuition fees when you register on the course.
The deposit is non-refundable, except in the following situations:
- you fail to meet the conditions of your offer (see below for further information); and/or
- you are refused a visa or entry clearance to enter the UK (proof must be submitted)
If an offer has been made specifying an English Language condition which you do not meet, the Admissions Team will require the official certificate of an English Language test taken after the date of offer as evidence that you have attempted to meet your offer conditions for a refund to be approved. The English Language test certificate provided with your application documents will not be accepted as proof that you have attempted to meet your offer conditions as such a certificate will predate the offer.
If an offer has been made specifying an academic condition, the Admissions Team will require the official university documentation showing that you have not met this academic condition from the institution at which you have studied, as evidence for a refund to be approved.
The Admissions Team reserves the right to refuse to refund of any deposit that does not meet with the requirements outlined above.
Additional expenses
If you wish to become a student member of the CIPD then visit the CIPD website for further information.
Policy on additional costs
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/sponsorships
Read about available scholarships and funding.
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- Alliance Manchester Business School
- Contact name
- Master's Admissions Office
- pgadmissions.ambs@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/study/masters/msc-international-human-resource-management-and-comparative-industrial-relations/
- School/Faculty
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Alliance Manchester Business School was established in 1965 as one of the UK's first two business schools. Today, we are the UK's largest campus-based business and management school, and 'Original Thinking Applied' is at the heart of everything we do. Find out more .
Related courses
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
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.
English language
For the latest information on demonstrating your English proficiency for those whose first language is not English, please see our language requirements .
English language test validity
Other international entry requirements
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
Your statement of purpose should cover the areas outlined below:
- Tell us why you are interested in the MSc International Human Resource Management and Comparative Industrial Relations course at Alliance MBS and how the course will impact on your future
- Describe what makes you an outstanding applicant and describe your potential to contribute to all aspects of the course.
How your application is considered
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)
Deferrals
Re-applications
Course details
Course description
People are at the heart of workplaces. Managing and developing them is essential to help organisations achieve their goals and supporting employees to thrive and lead meaningful working lives.
- Learn about the differences in human resource management practices and industrial relations systems in a diverse range of national contexts and within multinational organisations
- Understand how social and economic factors influence variations in practice and systems to provide actionable theoretical and practical knowledge
- Study the influence of globalisation on changing human resource management practice and national employment systems
- Develop skills in the international comparative analysis of human resource management and industrial relations for evidence-based transferable insights.
CIPD Course recognition
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.
Special features
Manchester Industrial Relations Society Debate: AMBS hosts the annual Manchester Industrial Relations Society Debate. This is a competition between students of the HRM and IHRM programmes and participants from other Universities. This is a great opportunity for students to hone their critical thinking and argumentation skills and learn about recent issues related to employment relations, HRM and the everchanging workplace
Annual MSC HRM Conference: This event features a case study competition where students provide solutions to real life industry problems and is judged by HR leaders from the industry. The conference provides an excellent opportunity to network and develop students’ consultancy skills. The event also invites alumni and practitioners as guest speakers.
CIPD Conference: The Annual CIPD Conference and Exhibition is held in Manchester and students are encouraged to attend the event which features various free sessions. It is an opportunity learn about the latest HR trends, meet HR solution providers and hear from industry experts
Teaching and learning
Assessment across the course units varies, and includes a combination of examinations, essays, course work, assignment, report and group presentations. A dissertation is also undertaken in the final semester over the summer that will bring together your learning and knowledge from across the course.
Course unit details
During the course you will be taking 180 credits in all.The eight taught modules during semester one and twototal 120 credits and consists of both compulsory and optional taught units which can be viewed in the list below.
Over the summer period, 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.
Examples of recent dissertation project topics include:
- Work-life balance: perspectives of female teachers from the UK and India
- Demographic change in Germany and Japan and the implications for the labour market
- A comparative study of gender discrimination at work in the UK and China
- The impact of support practices on expatriate adjustment in a Russian multinational corporation
- Coping mechanisms of Nigerian women balancing motherhood and managerial roles
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
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Workplace Research and Analysis Skills | BMAN60261 | 15 | Mandatory |
Multinationals and Comparative Employment Systems | BMAN70051 | 15 | Mandatory |
HRM: Strategy and Practice | BMAN70231 | 15 | Mandatory |
Comparative Industrial Relations | BMAN71911 | 15 | Mandatory |
International and Comparative Employment Regulation and Law | BMAN75332 | 15 | Mandatory |
HRM: Context and Organisation | BMAN71242 | 15 | Optional |
Employment Practice and Equality | BMAN72382 | 15 | Optional |
Industrial Relations | BMAN72391 | 15 | Optional |
Human Resource Management in Asia | BMAN73302 | 15 | Optional |
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
This course is ideal for those intending to pursue careers within multinational companies based in the UK or elsewhere and broaden the international understanding of HR professionals who wish to work in a global context .
Recent recruiters
Accenture, AstraZeneca, BAE Systems, Bentley, Deloitte, Department for Education, EY, European Central Bank, Hewlett-Packard, Nestlé, Proctor and Gamble, RBS Insurance, Saudi Aramco, Shell International and Ultramar Group.
Read more about graduate career destinations >>