Study human resource management in Groningen and gain knowledge and skills in topics like leadership and consulting, HR analytics, strategic HRM, team management and employee well-being.
How to develop effective HR strategies and policies that are beneficial for both employees and organizations? Can you use data and HR analytics to predict employee performance and reduce burnout? What strategies do HRM managers employ to prioritize well-being, mental health, and work-life balance?
In the MSc Human Resource Management, you will study these HRM questions in the context of current societal and technological developments and be in charge of your own professional development. The programme in Groningen is a small-scale, diverse, and social programme with strong ties to real-world business practices. A standout feature is the dedicated HR analytics course where you will harness the power of data science, digital HR systems, and data visualization tools (PowerBI) to evaluate organizational HR performance.
You learn about the strategic and operational perspective of HR. How do HRM strategies aim at employee well-being contribute to attracting and retaining top talent, and why is this crucial for an organisation's sustainability? On a strategic level, you will study how to match the supply and demand of personnel and anticipate how this is affected by global and digital changes. On an operational level, you will learn about the recruitment, selection, performance, and well-being of employees. To help you kickstart your career right after graduation, we introduced a new course for you to gain practical skills and work on personal development. Next to the core courses, the MSc HRM includes a wide variety of elective courses on various topics such as stress and health, sustainability, technological development, internationalization of business, business ethics, and digitalization.
This programme prepares you for a professional HR career in any organization at any level (including HR recruiter, HR analytics, HR business partner, or Chief HR officer). Employability and Professionalization activities are integrated throughout the year. You will work with a coach to develop your professional skills, you will have the opportunity to join career development and networking events and take part in the mentoring programme. HR professionals will be the mentors and provide you with feedback on assignments and career advice.
The choice to study the MSc HRM was not too difficult as I love to work with people. Especially the stress and health of employees and labour law were topics that interested me. I liked the programme in Groningen because of the courses taught and because it has an international classroom.
I get to work in project groups and this way I learn a lot about working with different cultures, which might be helpful when you start a career in an international company. The programme also has a practical side where some group projects include having interviews with someone from the HR work field. During my study, I got involved in the master's committee where I organize events with alumni or companies. These kinds of events really help students to prepare for their future career. If you are interested in getting to know more about the strategic part of HRM, labour law, stress aspect of employees and combining all of this with working in international groups, I recommend the MSc HRM in Groningen.
Are you a student with an HBO Bachelor's degree? In the beginning, I had to get used to the new way of learning. My tip for you is from the beginning to make a clear planning and take enough time to study for the exams. This will help you make the transition from your Bachelor's to the Master's easier.
After the BSc Business Administration (Bedrijfskunde) at the faculty, I decided to stay in Groningen and chose a master's programme that focused on the human aspect of business and not only on processes and procedures.
What I like about the MSc HRM is that is not just theory-driven but the practice is highly incorporated into the programme. For example, we work on company-based assignments and attend guest lectures from professionals in the field. I take various interesting HR-related courses, such as leadership and personnel instruments. What is interesting about this master’s programme is that you can also take elective courses from other fields, I am taking at the moment marketing and communication. Already during your study, you get help with career preparation. I attended workshops about HR job opportunities and worked on business cases. As part of the programme, all students get to have a mentor. I found somebody via the alumni network of the faculty. A few weeks ago, I visited him in Utrecht and we had an interesting conversation about personal values and how important it is that they should match with the company’s mission and vision.
Do you want to learn more about the programme? My advice is to attend the FEB Master’s Day to get more information and speak to current HRM students to get a feeling for what it is like to study here. This master’s degree is definitely worth it to discover. Besides the interesting courses, you can pursue a lot of (HR) related extracurricular activities, such as the master community and the programme committee to upgrade your CV.
