This course is open for applications
Page last updated 15 November 2024
Study our practice-based BA(Hons) Business and Human Resource Management degree and develop a specialist knowledge of how organisations manage people at work. Benefit from embedded opportunities to gain practical experience and engage with industry professionals, enhancing your employability.
People are the most important asset in any organisation. It's increasingly important for businesses to understand and effectively manage their employees to succeed in a competitive, global economy.
Our BA(Hons) Business and Human Resource Management covers the main disciplines and operational areas of business, with a specialist focus on Human Resource Management (HRM).
As you progress, you’ll apply theory to a wide range of contemporary HRM issues, with opportunities to specialise in various HR debates. You’ll develop specialist knowledge in managing human capital, from recruitment to performance management.
Our curriculum will challenge your thinking and develop your specialist knowledge of people at work, covering learning and professional development, advances in HRM, and sustainable management of organisations. You’ll also engage with staff with significant industry experience and industry professionals through fieldwork, pitches, and guest lectures.
From day one, you’ll engage in real-world learning experiences through our embedded Professional Practice Stream. This stream supports your development, enabling you to work closely with your Group Mentor and Personal Tutor and develop a portfolio of practice for potential employers.
Your final year will include real-world practice modules, such as a client project, designed to enhance your CV and prepare you for the professional world. Plus, you’ll have the chance to gain experience through sandwich year placements, study abroad opportunities and live briefs.
This degree will open doors to broad career opportunities in general HR or business management, or specialist areas such as recruitment or consultancy. You’ll experience industry-standard HR information systems and operations, collaborating with local HR experts.
You’ll achieve a qualification that’s key to early career progress in HR. Graduates have secured HR specialist roles at leading companies, from IBM to the NHS, and positions on HR graduate programmes across both public and private sectors.
The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.
You'll study:
You'll study:
If you study on the four year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work or study placement after year two.
Depending on which you choose, you'll either complete the Practise Based Learning Year or Study Year Abroad Learning module as appropriate.
See the Placements and Fees sections for more information.
You'll study:
Plus, one optional module from:*
*Neither of these modules will be available to study of you complete the sandwich year.
Plus, one optional module from:
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.
"Studying a CIPD-accredited course helped me to stand out when applying for graduate jobs. This enabled me to achieve my first role as an HR Administrator and then get promoted to a Recruiter. Since then, I've progressed my career to an HR Operations Analyst for PepsiCo." Opor, 2017 Business and HRM graduate
Learning and teaching on this course emphasises active participation and learning by doing, supporting you to gradually become more independent in your learning as you progress through the course. Each module is inspired and informed by a learning and teaching approach that enables you to prepare for and participate in your classes and practise your skills.
You’ll prepare by engaging with suggested materials, such as pre-recorded lectures, to gain background knowledge. This will support you to participate in timetabled interactive sessions, applying your knowledge to develop your understanding and skills. Finally, you’ll practise applying your knowledge to real-world business challenges.
Learn through a mixture of lectures, tutorials and workshops, involving both individual and group work. You’ll explore a variety of course materials and activities, such as case studies, live briefs, portfolios, pitches, presentations, online exercises and simulations. You’ll also interact with guest practitioners and speakers and undertake professional practice field visits.
See our glossary of teaching and learning terms.
In a typical week, you could expect to be timetabled with academic staff for an average of 12 hours. You’ll also engage with a range of additional academic and professional development activities, and work on practice and assessment tasks through independent self-study for 28 hours per week on average.
The balance between taught sessions and independent study hours may vary between modules and at points across the academic years. This enables both the development of new skills, concepts, and knowledge and to facilitate the space to produce assessment tasks.
Our assessment strategy focuses on developing subject knowledge, practical skills and professional attributes within key business environments, including your chosen area of specialism. The scaffolded structure ensures your assessments progressively challenge you as you advance through each year of the course.
You’ll be assessed through a broad range of methods, such as written assignments, presentations and posters, projects, case studies, reports, examinations and set exercises.
Throughout the course, you’ll also complete a professional practice portfolio of evidence, alongside a reflective workbook to document your own personal development. Your portfolio will demonstrate that you have developed the required professional skills and attributes for a career in business.
In your professional practice modules, you’ll be encouraged to engage in collaborative learning and contribute to group tasks as part of your assessments. These modules will include support through mentor groups to facilitate your collaborative learning.
Learn more about our assessments.
We’re currently seeking re-accreditation of this course from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
We encourage you to do a paid sandwich placement after Year two. It can be in the UK or abroad.
Your placement is valuable because it allows you to gain real-world experience and skills that increase your employability.
We have a strong, growing network of placement organisations. Past students have secured roles at Rolls Royce, HP, IBM, the NHS, Hayes, Microsoft, Maclaren F1 and Lidl in marketing, recruitment and other events areas.
You'll get help to find your placement and support throughout from your department and the careers service.
You'll also have opportunities to study overseas on courses that are taught in English and relevant to your degree. The study year abroad is not a paid placement.
Students are selected for this through a competitive process.
Our £55 million Bristol Business School is home to the latest facilities. The School collaborates with Future Space on Frenchay Campus, supporting robotics, biosciences, and biomedicine startups by offering practical experience.
Designed with student input, the building includes individual and group study areas, conference rooms, and spaces for collaboration between students and businesses. The library and Business School provide silent and group study areas, access to books, trade press, academic journals, and industry databases.
Take a personalised virtual tour of the Business Management facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.
An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.
A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.
There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.
We provide support in the way you need it.
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.
Our BA(Hons) Business and Human Resource Management will give you a broad understanding of business practice, crucial skills and a focus on HRM, offering broad career options. Practical experience is embedded into the curriculum, enabling you to and supporting you to engage with placements, internships, paid works, volunteering, cross-cultural teamwork or overseas study.
This includes the modules for the sandwich year placement, the study year abroad module and a work-based learning module for students in employment. You’ll also have the chance to complete a global teams live brief module, enabling you to gain experience in an international context.
In your final year, you’ll engage with real-world practice modules, including a capstone module which draws together learning into practice. Another choice is our “beyond campus” module, which focuses on student-centred, practice-led activity to enhance your CV. You’ll also benefit from extracurricular activities, including seminars, field trips, workshops and a guest lecture series.
You’ll develop a diversified skillset, including technical skills, digital literacy, critical thinking, ethical values, collaboration, enterprise, presentation, communication, problem solving, project management.
In today’s fast-paced business world, digital skills are crucial. The course integrates digital literacy and emerging technologies, such as AI, to ensure you’re ready to thrive in the modern business landscape.
Plus, the course integrates the latest research from ethics and sustainability, both critical contemporary business and HRM issues. You’ll be challenged to consider your role in shaping a sustainable future through authentic case studies, giving you a competitive edge.
Previous graduates have secured roles at Rolls Royce, HP, IBM, the NHS, Hayes, Microsoft, Maclaren F1 and Lidl in HRM contextual areas. You could also progress to further study in a related business area, such as a postgraduate degree.
Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.
We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.
Visit our Employability pages to find out about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.
*The UK Government recently proposed that tuition fees for Home students will increase by 3.1% to £9,535 from 1st August 2025. This increase is subject to Parliamentary approval and the vote is expected to take place later this year.
Any tuition fee which is impacted by this change will be updated following approval.
Please see GOV.UK for further information.
Your overall entitlement to funding is based on how long the course is that you're registered on. Standard funding is allocated based on the standard number of years that your course lasts, plus one additional year.
You'll apply for funding each year that you study and Student Finance will take into account how long the course is in each year that you apply. So if you register for the four year course and then transfer to the three year course, the number of years you can apply for funding will change. Student Finance will reassess your funding based on how many years you have been in study, not just those years for which you received student finance.
Always seek advice before taking any action that may have implications for your funding.
This refers to items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.
International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Please visit our English language requirements page.
For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.
If you don't meet the entry requirements, you may be eligible for BA(Hons) Business and Human Resource Management (with Foundation Year).
For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the country information pages. If you are an international student and do not meet the academic requirements to study this course, you can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.
If you are applying to study at UWE Bristol and require additional support to meet our English language requirements, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Read more about our Pre-Sessional English Programme.
If you are interested in direct entry to final year, please see our BA(Hons) Business and Management (Top Up) course.
Read more about entry requirements.
Read more about undergraduate applications.
Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.
UK applicants
Admissions@uwe.ac.uk
International/EU applicants
International@uwe.ac.uk
UK applicants
+44 (0)117 32 83333
International/EU applicants
+44 (0)117 32 86644