Why study human resource management? | with the University of Liverpool Online
In this episode, we're joined by Dr Ali Rostron, senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool, to explore the MSc International Human Resource Management (IHRM) programme. Designed with professionals in mind, this course is perfect for advancing your career without stepping away from it
Participants
- Emily Slade - podcast producer and host, Prospects
- Dr Ali Rostron - senior lecturer and director of education, University of Liverpool Management School
Transcript
Dr Ali Rostron: We equip you to become a leader who can inspire and implement change as someone with the professional courage to see and do the right thing in a complex world, or sometimes a morally ambiguous world.
Emily Slade: Hello and welcome back to Future You, the podcast brought to you by Prospects, the graduate careers experts. I'm your host Emily Slade and in this episode we take a look at the International human resource management programme from the University of Liverpool Online.
Dr Ali Rostron: Hi, so my name is Dr Ali Rostron. I'm a senior lecturer in Management at the University of Liverpool, and I'm here to talk about our online Masters in International Human Resource Management.
Emily Slade: Amazing. Thank you so much for joining me today. Are you able to begin by telling us a bit about the MSc International Human Resource Management course?
Dr Ali Rostron: Yeah so it's a part-time programme, which means that you can combine it with work. It's a fully online programme, which means you can study at times and in places that suit you. And what it's designed to do is to give you the opportunity to learn and develop skills and knowledge for managing people in an international, globalised business environment.
Emily Slade: That's brilliant. So who is this programme designed for?
Dr Ali Rostron: It's designed with professionals in mind. So you'd be typically working, or you'd have had experience of working in an organisation, and you'll be looking to develop your skills and knowledge in managing people. Now, you might already be working with people and want to progress your career to the next level, or you might be looking to move into a more people-focused role, and that might include working within human resources or moving into an HR role. But it's not restricted to any kind of formal HR role. I think the other thing that's important is that you want to develop your skills and knowledge through rigorous academic study at a top university. So you prepare to challenge yourself. You're prepared to be challenged. You want to find out what the latest research says about how to best manage people and human resources, and you want to find out how you can apply that in your own organisation and in your organisational role.
Emily Slade: You briefly mentioned they could already be working in human resource management, but could they also be in a completely unrelated working environment and just want to improve their people skills?
Dr Ali Rostron: Yes, absolutely. There's no requirement to have previously either studied or worked within a people management role. What we think the the programme is designed for, is for students who want to, who want to develop that side of their professional skills and knowledge and experience.
Emily Slade: Yeah. Fantastic. Thank you. So what's special about this programme?
Dr Ali Rostron: That's a great question. I think, I think there are four ways in which I think this programme is special. So first of all, you'd be studying at the University of Liverpool, and we are one of the top universities in the world. We're an instantly recognisable brand. And the management school within the university, we hold the prestigious triple-A accreditation. This is very hard to get, and basically what it means is that the school and its programmes have been assessed by the top three accrediting bodies in the world for business and management schools, and each time we've been found to be world class. So we're really proud of that, and we think it's a really important badge of the quality of the programmes that we offer. We're also a member of the UK Russell Group, and that means we're a research intensive university, and what that means for this programme is that we have top researchers and scholars in human resource management and related disciplines here at the management school, and it's this cutting edge research that really informs the programme and what you'll be learning with us. So that's the first thing, I think the second thing, as we've already mentioned, the programme, is entirely online, and so essentially that means you can study at the University of Liverpool and at the management school from your place of work, from your home. You can do that anywhere in the world. You can study where and when it suits you. And there's no requirement for you to travel to Liverpool, for you to be a part of Liverpool. The third thing, I think, the third thing, I think I'd want to emphasise, is the programme's international focus. So we take a broad approach to international HRM, sometimes within the discipline. This can simply refer to how multinational companies manage their staff across international offices and subsidiaries. We look at how all human resource management, no matter what size of organisation, no matter what the sector, but it now has to operate in an international global context. So we look at what this means in terms of, for example, recruiting, talent, managing diversity and culture, managing change and conflict and so on. What's also special about this programme is that, because of our global reputation, because it's online. We have students, students from management, students from people management. We have professionals from all over the world. And a really important part, a really valuable part of this programme is this opportunity to meet and connect and work with your peers across the world and for you to learn from. One another. So what does people management, what does HR look like in different industries, in different countries, with different cultural and regulatory contexts, in different sized organisations? What's the experience of your peers who are working at perhaps different organisational levels to you? And so the programme is really also, I'd like to think of it as a window into the people management, the human resource management profession across the world. And then I think the fourth thing, the final thing that I think makes this programme really special is that we don't just equip you to become a more effective human resource professional or a manager of people. Now, of course, we do that, and the programme includes specific skills and knowledge on topics like strategic management of people, recruitment, learning and training, performance, conflict, change and so on. But we also equip you to become a champion of people and human resources and their value to the organisation. So that you can make the case for HR to other parts of the business, we equip you to become a leader who can inspire and implement change as someone with the professional courage to see and do the right thing in a complex world, or sometimes a morally ambiguous world. So the programme also helps you to develop your own leadership style, your personal brand, to think about business ethics and business sustainability and how these relate to people management. It'll help you to understand and analyse finance and other forms of data in order to support HR decision-making. And I guess overall, what this programme will help you to do is better speak the language of business and to have credibility in the business from a people management perspective.
Emily Slade: That's all fantastic. Thank you. So how will the programme help managers and professionals to develop or progress their careers?
Dr Ali Rostron: Okay, so to start with, I mean, you will have a Masters degree from the University of Liverpool, and that, in itself, will signal the quality of the degree and the level at which you've studied. So it will certainly enhance your CV, and it will help you to stand out in that way. But I think more importantly, throughout the programme, you won't just be learning new knowledge and skills about human resources and people management. You'll also be applying it. You'll have opportunities to practice it, opportunities to review and evaluate your own practice, what your organisation does, you'll have opportunities to share ideas and practices with other students as fellow professionals. So the programme will give you a valuable qualification. It will give you valuable new skills and knowledge, but it will also enable you to start thinking and behaving differently in your professional role, and it'll be supporting you to operate at a higher level.
Emily Slade: So just to loop back to the idea of studying online, is it perhaps a bit strange or lonely or perhaps even boring to only study online, and how do you ensure that students really feel a part of the University of Liverpool? How do they stay engaged?
Dr Ali Rostron: I think that's a really important question, and it is really important to us that all our online students do feel a part of the University of Liverpool. They feel part of our learning community, even though they're not actually physically with us in Liverpool. So there are some features of the programme that are particularly important for this. And the first, I think, is that there is a we have a dedicated online learning space. And so all the modules you study, they'll use this space. They'll all look and feel the same in terms of organisation, key features and so on. And so your learning environment will start to feel familiar. It'll start to feel familiar as if you're coming onto campus and getting to know a building or a physical classroom, if you like. It is your campus that you share with your other online students. And then we've deliberately designed the modules and the learning materials for virtual learning. This is important. We've not just uploaded a campus programme. So for example, we use short, animated lecture casts for key content. We include lots of opportunities for you to reflect on and test your learning, we use discussion boards so that you can communicate asynchronously with your fellow students no matter what part of the world you are, what time zone you're in, we include a range of weekly discussion and learning activities so that you're able to think and reflect and analyse and develop. Evaluate topics in lots of different ways, and this also means that you have plenty of opportunity to get to know your fellow students as your classmates, and then, thirdly, thinking about the University of Liverpool, you'll also find that you'll get to read and hear from researchers at the management school, those researchers that I mentioned before, and you'll learn, and you'll come across, and you'll use the leading research that they're doing and that they're publishing. So the whole programme will have a real Liverpool flavour to it.
Emily Slade: Fantastic. Do they all come together for graduation? Do you have an on-campus graduation?
Dr Ali Rostron: They do. They do. Yes. I mean, this is often, this is often the first time that our students have come to Liverpool, and that makes it a really exciting time. So, you know, they'll often make a trip a bit, they'll, you know, take the opportunity to go and see some of the sites of Liverpool. But we also, we, we do organise a special celebratory event for our online graduates, either before or after the graduation ceremony itself, depending on the time it is. And again, that's a great opportunity just to be able to meet some of these students in person and and to be able to congratulate them in person as well. So we love it and our students love it as well.
Emily Slade: Yeah brilliant. So, to go back to the course itself, you mentioned how you can Will you study it whilst also still working? How easy is it to combine study with work?
Dr Ali Rostron: Think the I think the short answer, I think the realistic answer, is that, no, it's not easy. Can it be done? Yes, absolutely. But I think it's important to be realistic about what it is that you're taking on. So you probably have a demanding, full-time job, and now you're starting a demanding programme of study, because it is a Masters degree. So we do expect a certain level of work, a certain level of reading, a certain commitment to the weekly topics and tasks and interacting and learning with your fellow students. So there's a necessary responsibility there that I think you have to be aware of, your responsibility to yourself, to the programme, to your fellow students, and of course, you've got your job, you may have a family, you're going to have other life commitments of various kinds. So yes, it can be done, but it does require you being organised. And I think one of the key things is it requires building in study habits. When and where can you best study? It's really important to figure this out quite early on. So it might be that you're a morning person, and you can grab an hour or so before work or before everyone else gets up. On the other hand, maybe it works for you to study at night after the kids are in bed. Maybe you've got a long commute. Maybe it's a good thing for you to do with a lunch break, so it doesn't really matter where or when, as long as it works for you and as long as you can build it in as part of your daily and weekly routine, that's really important getting into that habit of study and making it part of what it is that you Do. Yeah, and I think the other thing is to be really honest with the people around you. So do your family understand what you're doing and what it will require? Do they understand that you might not be always quite as available as you might normally want to be? Is this conversation you can have with work? Is this something that work could could support you with so I think having these honest conversations can also be really important for managing everyone's expectations and and then helping you to manage all your life responsibilities and your priorities.
Emily Slade: Fantastic. How are students assessed?
Dr Ali Rostron: Okay, so students are assessed in a variety of ways on the programme, and that's deliberate, because we want to help students develop and demonstrate a wide range of skills, also because we know that different people have different strengths. So we want everyone to feel that they've had the opportunity to, you know, to shine in their preferred way of working. What I want to mention in particular about assessment, is that something that's a real feature of the University of Liverpool and the management school is the principle of authentic assessment. And what that means is that assessments are designed to reflect the skills and practices that you'll need and that you would be applying in an organisation. So, for example, assessments on this programme might include designing a training programme, analysing how performance is managed in your organisation, presenting a costed proposal to C suite. The other thing I think is important. Mention is that for most modules, there are two assessment points. So again, what we're doing here is creating a balance between the amount of work and the amount of time needed to prepare for assessments, but then also giving students the opportunity to learn from that first assessment, to learn from the feedback, and then hopefully to go and improve and to exceed even better in that second assessment.
Emily Slade: Brilliant. That sounds like an incredibly thoughtful and useful way to utilise the assessment system to as a trans as becoming a transferable skill, almost. That's fantastic. Thank you. So what do graduates say about the programme?
Dr Ali Rostron: One of the most common things that students say about their time on the programme is how it's helped them to gain confidence. I think confidence actually is probably the biggest theme, and that confidence might have come because they've proved themselves they can do a demanding academic degree programme, or perhaps they've proved to other people, to friends and family in their workplace. It might be because they feel they've learned new skills and knowledge. Sometimes it's because the programme actually enables them to see that perhaps they've already been working at a higher level than they than they're able to appreciate. Or maybe it's because they've been able to practice and apply their learning in the workplace that actually they can actually see how they're able to to improve their own practice. So some students have told us that they've actually got a promotion or a move into an HR role as a result of the programme. Oh, wow. I would say a lot more have told us that they feel more ready. They feel more prepared to make their next career move. The common thing that students tell us is they really value the opportunity to create an international network of peers. You know, so building a network is key in itself, and what that's also done having an international network is it's really helped them to develop their appreciation and their understanding of HR in different international contexts, and it makes them feel, I think, part of a wider international community.
Emily Slade: Yeah, absolutely. Was there anything else you wanted to add in terms of how it's helped them to develop their careers?
Dr Ali Rostron: I think that they're the main ones, to be honest. I don't think you can undervalue confidence in terms of opening up, not just the possibilities of being able to perhaps apply for a career move. And it might be a move upwards, it might be a move sideways, but I think that that, combined with with with the network of peers. What our students are saying, they feel more connected, they don't feel alone. They feel that they've developed new skills and knowledge to be able to make that move or to see possibilities for themselves. But they've also got a network they can draw on. They've got people that they can they can share ideas with. They can ask advice for they can get insight into different possible career opportunities in their own organisation, in their own country, perhaps also globally. So I think, I think it is that combination of confidence and that network of peers, of people who've got your back, people who understand you and what you it is that you're doing amazing.
Emily Slade: Thank you. Finally, what are the entry requirements?
Dr Ali Rostron: The entry requirements are prime other than what I guess there are two routes in. The traditional route in is to have a first degree and for that degree to be at least a two, two. It doesn't matter what that first degree is in, as I said at the beginning. You know, this programme is for people who want to work within people management and HR and human resource management. You don't need to have had previous experience. You don't need to have studied in that kind of area. So that's the first route. But if you don't have that academic qualification, we will also consider applicants who have extensive work experience. And with this route, the work experience does need to be more relevant. But again, we will also consider combinations to of the academic and the work experience route, and we'll always consider any application on its merits. Sort of says, If in doubt, please put the application in or, you know, and see what happens. And we can, as I said, we can look at the application and consider whether this student actually looks like there will be a good fit and would be able to benefit from the programme. I think the other thing just to mention is that there is a link an English language requirement based on the International English Language Testing System. And this is simply because we need to make sure that you'll be able to cope with the level of study and the amount of reading and writing that's required. As I said, it is a Masters course. It is a Masters course. Course in English. So this is really not so much us being mean as us making sure that you will be able to cope and get the best out of the programme.
Emily Slade: Yeah, absolutely. Was there anything else about the programme that you wanted to mention?
Dr Ali Rostron: I don't think there is, except to say it's a programme that I've been involved with for some years. I'm very proud of it. Our students have enjoyed it, have seen great success. And yes, I would, I would honestly recommend it to anyone who wants to progress their career in terms of people management, and particularly thinking about people management in that international context.
Emily Slade: Fantastic. That's brilliant. Well, thank you so much for your time today.
Dr Ali Rostron: Well, thank you very much for having me. It's been great to chat to you.
Emily Slade: Thanks again to Dr Ali for their time. For more information on the course, check out the show notes below. If you enjoyed the episode feel free to leave us a review on Apple or Spotify. Thank you as always for listening and good luck on your journey to future you.
Notes on transcript
This transcript was produced using a combination of automated software and human transcribers and may contain errors. The audio version is definitive and should be checked before quoting.
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