How long?
It takes 18 months to complete the diploma on a part-time basis, with a further six months required to complete the MA. The course is delivered by distance learning with periods of residential study on campus.
Entry requirements
The diploma is open to graduates, although other qualifications and experience may be considered. Applicants with professional qualifications or equivalent experience may enrol and transfer to the MA upon completion, providing they have achieved the required standard. Otherwise, direct enrolment on to the MA would normally require a second class honours degree.
Modules
There are three core modules that form the basis of the diploma and MA courses at Keele:
-The employment relationship
-Workers and their organisations
-Collective bargaining and the state
For the MA in European Industrial Relations & HRM, students study an additional four modules covering: employee resourcing; European law and social policy; comparative industrial relations; and globalisation. To complete the MA, students will also need to produce a dissertation, preferably based on research connected with their current or previous industrial relations or HRM experience.
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Career opportunities
Students come from a wide range of backgrounds such as trade unions, Acas, and public and private sector occupations. Students completing the courses will be well positioned to progress their careers in industrial relations, most obviously with a trade union body.
