University of Wolverhampton Business School

PGDip Strategic People Management & Human Resources

PGDip Part-time Day and Evening 2 years

This is a distinctive, exciting and innovative programme, aligned to the required elements of the latest CIPD Profession Map and accredited by the CIPD.

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This is a distinctive, exciting and innovative programme, aligned to the required elements of the latest CIPD Profession Map and accredited by the CIPD.

Award
PGDip
Start date(s)
September 2024, January 2025, September 2025
UCAS Code
Course specifications
View course spec
Course length
Part-time Day and Evening (2 years)
Campus location
University: City Campus
School
University of Wolverhampton Business School
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“I found the course really varied and interesting. Enjoyed the debate and considering different perspectives, especially the role of line managers vs. HR. COVID changed the format of the lectures but I don’t think that impacted me negatively. Since completing my course, I’ve now secured a secondment role in HR at my current company (moving from Risk Management so a bit different) so am excited for the future! I do think showing I had completed this course helped me with my application for that role.”
Penny Cripps, 2022 Graduate

Why choose this course?

6th in the UK for Business and Management courses (The Guardian University Guide 2025)

  • Only 4 MODULES to study (with only 1 individual assessment per module)
  • Excellent face to face sessions in addition to comprehensive online activities
  • No examinations to worry about
  • Welcomes mature students with relevant work experience instead of qualifications
  • Friendly and supportive tutors
  • Start dates in September and January
  • Contemporary city centre building with a reputation for good teaching and resources
  • Part time study, one afternoon per week for 2 years
  • Very competitive fees
  • Mapped against the latest CIPD profession map
  • Links with local CIPD branches for developing networks and accessing support such as mentoring

This is a distinctive, exciting and innovative programme, aligned to the required elements of the latest CIPD Profession Map and accredited by the CIPD.  Upon successful completion it provides you with the correct level of qualification to be eligible to apply for Chartered Membership of the CIPD.

The course is designed for those professionals looking to enhance and develop their postgraduate level strategic level knowledge and behaviours to provide the necessary skills, competencies and knowledge to support career development in the People Management Profession (including Human Resources, Learning and Development and Organisational Development).

We have a longstanding relationship with local branches of the CIPD and this ensures that you have access to a wide range of practitioners to develop their networking and other professional skills.  CIPD branch members also provide voluntary services such as mentoring which students who are CIPD members can access to help support their personal and professional development.

The course offers four key areas of study: understanding and analysing practical business and people-related issues; strategic people management theory and practice; strategic leadership and change management; investigation of evolving people-related issues.  The programme has a contemporary focus and offers both academic and practical elements to support your ongoing success in the People Profession by developing knowledge and understanding of the disciplines of human resources, learning and development and organisational development alongside development of critical reflective thinking and developing independent continuous personal development skills.

Note: Students must be a member of the CIPD before completion of their qualification to be eligible for any level of professional membership.

 

 

What's unique about this course?

  • The course meets the academic requirement for eligibility to apply for Chartered Membership of the CIPD.

  • This award will develop your knowledge of a wide range of organisational issues related to the people profession and support you in achieving the next step up in your career in HR, L&D or OD&D.

  • The course content reflects our close working relationship with local organisations to understand their needs in relation to managing, supporting and developing their people to drive organisational success.

  • We provide outstanding support for all students, particularly where students' experience of HE is limited or not recent, ensuring students reach their full potential.

  • 6th in the UK for Business and Management courses (The Guardian University Guide 2025)

 

What happens on the course?

As a part time student, you will study one module each semester of the two-year course.

The first-year modules are Business Context for the People Management Profession and Strategic Leadership and Change.

Business Context for the People Management Profession covers a broad range of practical business skills including identifying people-related business issues; developing the skills to investigate and provide solutions to such issues through evidence-based enquiry; understanding the need to provide a business case to support aspects of the wider people strategy and the impact of this on other areas of the business.

The second, Strategic Leadership and Change considers the importance of strategic change and competent, inclusive and appropriate leadership approaches to support the change process. It identifies internal and external factors, the use of effective teams and consideration of stakeholder management. It discusses culture, people practices, management leadership and how these link to the psychology of change and organisational readiness for change processes.

The second-year modules are Strategic People Management and Evolving Issues in the People Profession.

Strategic People Management focuses on best practice Strategic People Management in context including key responsibilities, value added contribution and impact of the key People Profession practices. It considers contemporary issues within strategic HRM and strategic HRD and the influence of internal and external contexts on this. The importance of a wide range of people practices are critically analysed.

Evolving Issues in the People Profession explores a range of currently evolving issues within the wider people management arena. This is designed to ensure that people professionals are up to date with their knowledge and practice.  As it is based on current research and issues, the content may therefore be subject to change to reflect this.  Recent research identified key trends such as digital transformation; talent planning; internal change; changing demographics.

Overall, the course adopts an interdisciplinary approach and will help develop understanding of complex and contested notions in the business environment and the wider people management professions.  There will be the opportunity to develop informed perspectives and collective responsibilities as a people professional within local, national and international communities

Course Modules

Module: 7HR028
Credits: 30
Period: 1
Type: Core
Locations: University: City Campus

This module considers a broad range of practical business skills for those working in the people profession. This will include the ability to identify people-related business issues which need investigating, to understand and define the root causes of these issues. The ethical gathering of appropriate evidence and its assimilation will lead to identifying how this can be used to develop a business case to support the organisation’s people strategy, including consideration of the involvement and impact on other areas of the business.

Module: 7HR027
Credits: 30
Period: 1
Type: Core
Locations: University: City Campus

This module focuses on both leadership, and management of change. It will be specifically examining the internal and external factors that impact on organisations and will cover creating effective teams across business areas, locations and cultures. This will involve the use of models of influencing and stakeholder management in a range of situations, how to apply different approaches of culture development, and integrate and align people practices, looking at different approaches to management leadership including skills, behaviours and competencies. Within this the general principles of the psychology of change will be covered. Finally the assessment of current and future organisation capability and readiness for change across a range of stakeholder groups will be taught .

Module: 7HR026
Credits: 30
Period: 2
Type: Core
Locations: University: City Campus

This module focuses on Evolving Issues in the People Profession. This will include issues raised by current CIPD research to ensure that people professionals are up to date with their knowledge and practice. Recent research from the CIPD includes issues such as digital transformation; the importance of talent planning; internal change; changing demographics.

Module: 7HR029
Credits: 30
Period: 2
Type: Core
Locations: University: City Campus

This module focuses on best practice Strategic People Management in context and will include a critical overview of the key responsibilities, value added contribution and impact of the key People Profession practices including recruitment and selection, performance management, employment law and relations, talent management, organisational development and learning and development. This module will include an overview of the concept of, and the contemporary issues within strategic HRM and strategic HRD together with the influence and issues brought about by the internal and external context.

Potential Career Paths

You!

Human Resources

Employee Relations

International HR

Equality & Diversity

Development & Change

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

The course aims to develop students at advanced level for a professional career in a range of roles within the People Management Profession such as Human Resource Management, Learning & Development, Organisational Development by developing knowledge and understanding of the disciplines of strategic People Management, encouraging critical reflective thinking and developing independent personal development skills.  The course covers a range of relevant topics and is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Successful completion it provides you with the correct level of qualification to be eligible to apply for Chartered Membership of the CIPD.

 

  • Identify and critically evaluate people-related business issues, appropriate approaches to identify root causes of these issues and synthesise key issues in relation to analysing date relating to these issues
  • Explain and critically analyse the elements contributing to the development of a robust business case, including consideration of return on investment, focusing on people related issues
  • Analyse and appraise the role of strategic people management practices, their application to the ongoing development of people and demonstrate how they add value considering a range of internal and external factors
  • Critically examine the strategic importance of integrating diversity and inclusion into all people management practices across the organisation
  • Examine and assess current and future organisation capability and readiness for change including different approaches to the leadership and management of change and effective teambuilding.
  • Analyse and appraise a range of evolving people management research themes relevant to an organisation, considering the impact and use of changing technologies, talent management and development and wider organisation sustainability.

Location Mode Fee Year
Home Part-time Day and Evening £3077 per year 2022-23
Home Part-time Day and Evening £3230 per year 2023-24
Home Part-time Day and Evening £3392 per year 2024-25

These fees relate to new entrants only for the academic year indicated for entry onto the course, any subsequent years study may be subject to an annual increase, usually in line with inflation.

  • An Undergraduate Honours Degree (2:2 or above) from a UK university or overseas equivalent, or a CIPD professional qualification which has awarded Associate Membership of CIPD and/or sufficient relevant experience considered to be equivalent to the above.
  • A reference from a tutor who has supervised your undergraduate studies, or your employer;
  • If English is not your first language, an IELTS score of 6.5 or above or evidence of English proficiency equivalent to the above.
  • You may apply for accreditation of prior learning (APL) subject to the guidelines set out in the UWBS APL Handbook. APL includes accreditation of prior certificated learning and /or accreditation of prior experiential learning.
  • Applications are also welcome from individuals who do not possess the above qualifications but who have significant management experience and are able to demonstrate previous non-certificated learning equivalent to the above. In such cases, admission to the programme will be based on an evaluation of the applicant’s ability to continue to benefit from and achieve the award.
  • You will normally have appropriate and relevant work experience. 

    •  

    Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)

    Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

    Postgraduate Loyalty Discount:

    You can get 20% discount on a taught postgraduate course if you’re a University of Wolverhampton Graduate.

    The University offers a generous 20% Loyalty Discount to students progressing from an undergraduate programme to a taught postgraduate on-site programme, where both courses are University of Wolverhampton Awards.

    There is no time limit on how long ago you completed your degree as long as this is your first Masters level qualification.

    The discount applies to the first year of enrolment only. Students who receive a loyalty discount are not entitled to any further tuition discount or bursary. For full terms and conditions click here.


    Self-funded:

    If you are paying for the fees yourself then the fees can be paid in 3 instalments: November, January and April. More information can be found by clicking here.


    Sponsored - Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

    Your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

    We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


    Financial Hardship:

    Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


    Charitable Funding:

    You might also want to explore the possibility of funding from charitable trusts; please see the following websites Association of Charitable Foundations, Directory of Social Change or Family Action. Most charities and trust funds offer limited bursaries targeted to specific groups of students so you will need to research whether any of them are relevant to your situation.

    You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

    Telephone

    01902 32 22 22

    Email

    enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

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    Lord Swraj Paul Building

    Lord Swraj Paul Building

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