BA(Hons) Business and Human Resource Management (Top Up)

Entry year
2025/26
Course code
N1NY
Application
UCAS
Level
Undergraduate
School
Bristol Business School
Campus
Frenchay
Duration
One year
Delivery
Full-time
Programme leader
Dr Akin Ojolo

This course is open for applications

Introduction

Top up your existing qualifications to an honour’s degree. This final-year equivalent course is aimed at those with a relevant qualification (e.g., HND).

Why study business and human resource management (HRM)?

People are the most important asset in any organisation. It's increasingly important for businesses to understand and manage their employees effectively, to succeed in a competitive, global economy. So there is always a need for graduates who can help organisations build and develop their workforce.

Why UWE Bristol?

Our BA(Hons) Business and Human Resource Management top-up course combines the study of people management with finance, marketing and strategy, to give you a comprehensive understanding of how businesses function. On successful completion you will be awarded a full BA(Hons) degree.

This one-year course is particularly relevant if you're looking to build your skills in effective people management, either to support a career in HRM or management more widely, or as a basis for setting up your own business.

You'll learn about the role of managers and how people contribute to business success. Focusing on the practices and issues associated with people management, you'll also develop a solid foundation in business theory and explore the challenges facing modern businesses.

Recent case studies, guest speakers and staff with extensive industry experience will provide you with real-world HR know-how.

Our students value the research-led teaching and enterprising business community at UWE Bristol.

Where can it take me?

This broad degree brings opportunities across HR and business management. Our students have secured HR specialist roles in companies such as IBM, Hewlett Packard, Airbus and Caterpillar, and on HR graduate programmes in both the public and private sectors.

Structure

Content

You will study:

  • Enterprise Project or Business Project and Business Project in Theory
  • Academic and Professional Development
  • Strategy and Human Resource Management
  • Managing Organisational Performance
  • Human Resource Development and Knowledge Management
  • International Human Resource Management.

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 will inform you.

Learning and Teaching

Our approach to learning is student-focused, with an emphasis on helping you to find things out for yourself.

You'll be expected to balance academic rigour and a practical approach to your work, so you can appreciate the relevance and application of the concepts you learn.

You'll learn through a blend of activities - some tutor-led and face-to-face, some student-led and independent, some online and some in groups. Some involve students supporting each other's learning.

Lectures, workshops/seminars, tutorials and group work make up 12 hours of contact time each week and you'll spend at least as much time again studying independently. This can involve preparing for workshops and seminars, reviewing lectures, online working, reading, conducting research, preparing assessed work and revising for exams.

You'll develop your communication, presentation skills, IT and numeracy skills, with a strong focus on data interpretation and analysis. Your improved problem solving, critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and innovation skills will help you stand out as a graduate.

You can gain practical experience through short-term internships, paid work as a Student Ambassador or Peer Assisted Learning Leader, or through volunteering.

You can also study optional language classes in French, Spanish and Mandarin.

See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Assessment

You'll be assessed through a mix of coursework and examinations to assess what you know and can do, and help you develop the confidence and skills that employers value.

You'll complete essays and reports, business plans and applied research projects, portfolios and weekly notes, and assessed group and individual presentations and posters. You'll also reflect and comment on your own learning and personal development.

Learn more about assessments.

Features

Study facilities

In our Bristol Business School, you'll have access to cutting-edge learning spaces like the Bloomberg financial trading room. Training in this state-of-the-art financial platform will give you a commanding view of global finance.

Designed with student input, the Business School offers learning spaces for individual and group study plus conference rooms you can book. It's a space for students and businesses to come together, collaborate and form new partnerships.

In our specialist library, business librarians manage vast collections to support your research. Attend workshops to develop your information skills or use our study skills advice.

You'll have access to books, trade press, academic journals and industry databases, including FAME, MINTEL, Marketline Advantage and Passport both on and off campus.

Our students have access to guest speakers from the HR profession.

Take a personalised virtual tour of the Business Management facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.

Life

Accommodation

An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.

Bristol

A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.

Sports, societies and activities

There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.

Health and Wellbeing

We provide support in the way you need it.

Campus and facilities

Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.

Careers

Careers / Further study

Bristol is home to many multinationals, small to medium sized enterprises and charities, who value our course and provide diverse postgraduate opportunities to our students.

A broad understanding of business practice, crucial skills and a focus on HRM will give you a wide choice of careers.

Our students have secured specialist roles with multinationals such as IBM, Hewlett Packard, Airbus and Caterpillar, and HR graduate training programmes in both the public and private sectors.

Upon completion, you’ll have the opportunity to continue your studies at UWE Bristol in a variety of ways, including MSc programmes, and take advantage of a range of alumni discounts and scholarships. 

Get inspired

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.

See also:

Prospects - careers in recruitment and HR

Fees*

Supplementary fee information

*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.

Additional costs are for 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.

Learn more about costs.

Entry

Typical offers

  • GCSE: Grade C/4 in English and Mathematics, or equivalent.
  • English Language Requirement:

    International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with no component under 5.5 (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'll need in our English Language section. For more information, please visit our English language requirements pages.

Entry requirements

You should hold an HND or Foundation Degree (or equivalent), or have successfully completed a course which is equivalent to the first two years of a UK honours degree (240 credit points (120 ECTS credits)) in a related subject.

International applicants

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.

Read more about entry requirements.

How to apply

Read more about undergraduate applications.

Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.

For further information

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