NCI Course Details

Combined with a practitioner-recognised qualification in the area of HRM, namely CIPD, this course is geared towards people wishing to continue or progress in their professional development in HR or wider roles in the organisation.

‘Block teaching’ is used to provide the opportunity for more in-depth development of knowledge within modules. An applied approach to teaching is used within the programme with lectures interspersed with exercises, use of case study analysis, group activities in class, debate on contemporary issues as well as independent learning

This course is aimed primarily at individuals seeking an academic qualification at postgraduate level while also wishing to advance their career to assume positions at senior management level with a specific focus on human resource management.

Core Modules

• Leading and Managing
• Human Resource Management in a Strategic Business Context
• People Resourcing
• Employment Law
• Employee Relations
• Managing and Developing Talent
• Research Methods
• Dissertation

Elective Modules

• Organisational Design and Development (10 credits)
• Mediation and Conflict Management (10 credits)
• Strategic Reward Management (10 credits)
• International HRM (5 credits) • HR Analytics (5 credits)
• The Science of Decision Making (5 credits)

Learners are required to choose one 10-credit and one 5-credit elective from the suite of electives offered above.

The course content as shown above is for indicative purposes. The college reserves the right to re-order the schedule of modules offered.

Note: all modules count towards the final award classification. Elective modules are subject to availability and a minimum number of students required to run a module.

For more information on the modules taught on this course view our module descriptors.

The Master of Arts in Human Resource Management is awarded by QQI at level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications. Graduates with relevant work experience will be eligible to apply for Chartered Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) after successful completion of the first 3 semesters. A membership fee will be payable directly to CIPD.

This award will allow transfer to level 9 research degrees and in some cases progression to taught doctoral courses at level 10 on the NFQ. Students who successfully complete the first 3 semesters of the course may choose to exit the course at that time with the award of Postgraduate Diploma in Arts in HRM.

Applicants are required to hold a minimum of a 2.2 honours degree in either a cognate or non-cognate area at level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications. 

For applicants whose first language is not English, please note the English language entry requirements.

The college operates a Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) scheme meaning non-graduates with extensive professional experience and other prior qualifications may also be considered for the course.

National College of Ireland has implemented a Bring Your Own Device policy for all courses. Specifically, students are expected to successfully participate in lectures, laboratories and projects using a portable computer (laptop/notebook) with a substantial hardware configuration.

The minimal suitable configuration is:

Processor:

• Intel 7th (or higher) generation processors (Core i-3, ii-5, -7,i-9-7x)
• or AMD Ryzen 3rd generation processors, running at 2.0GHz and above (Intel Atom/Celeron or AMD Athlon/Sempron Processors may cost less, but may not meet your requirements)

Random Access Memory (RAM):
8 GB minimum

Solid State Drive (SSD) Capacity:
256 GB minimum

Wireless Card:
802.11 a/b/g/n compliant with Bluetooth Capability (incompatibilities have been noted with the Qualcomm Atheros Wireless Adapters and software device drivers)

Graphics Card:
Direct X9 or later

Supported Operating Systems:
Windows 10 Home/Pro

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure their computer is functioning correctly and that they have full administrator rights. NCI cannot provide support for these personal devices.

Student Laptop Loan Scheme

A Laptop Loan Scheme is available for eligible students to assist them in completing their chosen course.

Year 1

Semesters 1, 2 and 3

Tuesday and Thursday 18.00 - 21.00 plus some Saturday workshops (on campus).

Year 2

Semester 1

3 full Saturdays or 6 Thursday evening sessions.

Semester 2

Workshops based around research topics.

Each student is allocated an individual supervisor during the second year of study. It should be noted that the final semester of the course requires a high level of independent learning in order to complete the dissertation.

Additional Information

The Master of Arts in HRM comprises 5 semesters of study:

Year 1

• Semester 1 (Sept to the end of Dec)
• Semester 2 (Jan to early May)
• Semester 3 (May to July)

Year 2

• Semester 4 (Sept to Jan)
• Semester 5 Dissertation due in August

Please note that exams can be scheduled during the morning, afternoon or evening Monday to Saturday.

Blended: Livestream with some Campus and/or Campus Stream classes scheduled in advance.

See the MA in Human Resource Management course brochure for an explanation of the learning methods.

2 years: 5 semesters; 3 semesters in year 1 and 2 semesters in year 2.

Year 1: € 7,600
Year 2: € 1,950
Total fee: €9,550
(Fees revised annually)

You can spread the cost of this course with a direct debit plan.

Scholarships and Discounts

We offer a range of scholarship opportunities and discount offers available to both NCI and non-NCI graduates that will help you access this course.