MSc Human Resources and Organisations A challenging one-year degree programme providing a cutting-edge general foundation in HR and people management, along with the opportunity to specialise in Organisational Behaviour, International Employment Relations or Human Resource Management (CIPD).
Welcome to the Department of Management The Department offers an undergraduate degree (BSc Management), a portfolio of 9 Master s degrees, and an outstanding PhD programme. An academic community within LSE The Department of Management is a fullyintegrated academic unit within a worldleading social science university, ranked #2 in the world in this field (QS World University Rankings 2014/15). As such, it is a core part of LSE s academic community, and develops and delivers the School s degree programmes in the field of management, as well as being the centre of academic study of management and organisations. Faculty and students in the Department benefit from close collaboration and cross-disciplinary links with the other departments across the School. Its teaching is fully integrated into the School s overall teaching programme, which is delivered by more than 20 academic departments, including core business disciplines with the Department of Finance, the Department of Accounting, and a full range of other social science disciplines from social policy and government to philosophy and anthropology. The Department s faculty aim to produce outstanding scholarly research about organisations & management as well as use research methods and knowledge to address problems in business, government and society. LSE is a world-leading social science university, ranked #2 in the world Teaching The Department provides a place for academically gifted students to boost their social science knowledge and managerial problem-solving talents so that they are well prepared to contribute to organisational success and social betterment in any place, within any sector, and on any scale. The Department offers an undergraduate degree (BSc Management), a portfolio of 9 Master s degrees, and an outstanding PhD programme. Its Master s portfolio includes a two-year Master s in Management (the only UK programme to be integrated with the CEMS Master s in International Management), as well as business-oriented Master s degrees with economics as the unifying discipline, and a range of oneyear specialist Master s degrees. It also contributes to the LSE Summer School, LSE Executive Summer School, University of London International Programme, and the TRIUM Executive MBA. Research The Department s faculty aims to produce outstanding scholarly research about organisations and management as well as use research methods and knowledge to address problems in business, government and society. The main subject areas of research within the Department are employment relations and human resource management, information systems and innovation, managerial economics and strategy, marketing, organisational behaviour, and public management. Faculty in the Department publish their research in leading academic journals for these various subject areas. Many faculty are engaged in work directed at using social science research methods to inform issues faced by organisations and policymakers in all sectors and around the world. 02 MSc Human Resources and Organisations MSc Human Resources and Organisations 03
Academic community The Department of Management is an internationally diverse academic community located in the heart of London, with strong links to academia, industry and government across the globe. Total students on full-time programmes in 2014-15 academic year: 1407 [ 50.3% (707) full-time MSc, 26.0% (366) BSc, 7.5% (106) incoming exchange students, 12.9% (181) Executive MSc/ MBA, 3.3% (47) PhD [ Number of nationalities: Top industries: Management Consulting (21%), 137 Financial Services (11%), Information Technology and Services (6%), Human Resources (6%), Banking (4%), Higher Education/Academia (4%) Top job functions: Consulting (13%), Finance (9%), Research (8%), Programme and Project Management (4%), Human Resources (4%), Business Development (4%) Number of nationalities: 71 Age range: 49% Female Average age: 51% Male Our alumni Our faculty Total academic and research staff: Number of nationalities: 69 26 18-55 24 [ 20 professors [ 41% Female 59% Male Student societies: Graduate Management Society, Management & Strategy Society, Human Resources Society, Information Systems Society, LSE CEMS Club Our students Location and facilities Publications in 2014-15: 8 BOOKS, 90+ journal articles The Department of Management is located in the New Academic Building on the LSE campus, in the heart of central London, on the doorstep of global industry, government and culture. The building was opened in 2008 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, and provides a cutting-edge setting for research and teaching. Research areas: employment relations and human resource management, information systems and innovation, managerial economics and strategy, marketing, organisational behaviour. 04 MSc Human Resources and Organisations MSc Human Resources and Organisations 05
Interview with the Teaching Team Dr Connson Locke, Organisational Behaviour stream Dr Jonathan Booth, Human Resource Management (CIPD) stream Prof Carola Frege, International Employment Relations and Human Resource Management stream 1What are the core learnings your students will take away from the programme? Dr Connson Locke: The Master s in Human Resources and Organisations is kind of a hybrid programme. It s a really interesting design. On one hand you have a common foundation in Human Resource Management and People Management and on the other hand, you have three streams, three specialisms that students can choose. One stream is pure Human Resource Management where you get CIPD certification. The second stream is Employment Relations where you re looking at International Employment Relations comparatively across different countries. And the third stream is Organisational Behaviour, which is related to Organisational Psychology. As part of the course, students acquire both a generalist point of view as well as a specialist point of view. In addition to that, we also have a very practical angle to this programme where we offer a course that s called Developing Professional Research and Employability Skills. Part of it is writing a dissertation, which is an original piece of research where you develop your expertise in a particular topic that you re interested in and this will hopefully help you in your career. But also, we provide very practical skills such as presentation skills, interviewing skills, communication skills, working in teams skills that employers tell us that they want students to have and we ve built that into this course. For the Organisational Behaviour stream, the core learnings are very much related to Psychology, Organisational Psychology and a bit of Sociology applied to organisations. Being part of the Department of Management means we have a very managerial angle, a really practical angle. So when we re talking about the way people behave in organisations, or what motivates them, we always talk about what the implications for management are or what the implications for organisations are. The Organisational Behaviour stream is really about understanding people how they behave, their attitudes, their motivations in organisations. Dr Jonathan Booth: Because we are a social science institution, theory is very important to us. And so, as part of the Human Resource Management stream, we introduce a lot of theory for our students. Theory is very valuable for their learning, especially because what we do is bridging practice with theory. So, they leave here really understanding theory and how that applies to their HR job. We believe that this is what employers are looking for. Also, students will graduate with critical thinking skills. I speak to employers all the time and what they say is We just need people who can really think outside the proverbial box. And our students are able to do that. Prof Carola Frege: In the International Employment Relations stream, we are looking for students who are interested intellectually to have a stimulating year where they learn a lot about the entire nature of paid work. What students learn is the analytical skills and the critical thinking to enable them to pursue a successful career afterwards. And so, the focus really is on giving students the ability and the knowledge to critically reflect on urgent workplace problems. 2How does the programme contribute to LSE s core philosophy, understanding the causes of things? Dr Connson Locke: The way the Organisational Behaviour stream contributes to the LSE philosophy understanding the causes of things is essentially by focusing on people and understanding the causes of behaviour. We look at things like Organisational Justice and the way people perceive fairness in the organisation, how that affects the way they ultimately behave. Or we look at motivation. How do you motivate employees to care about the organisation, or to do the right thing? By looking at psychology and also sociology, by taking these core disciplines and applying them to organisations, we re helping our students understand the reasons why people behave in certain ways and giving them, therefore, the ability to predict behaviour as well as manage behaviour. Dr Jonathan Booth: We distinguish ourselves from the traditional business school, being a social science institution, by really trying to understand the causes of things. In fact, that is our motto. In the Human Resource Management stream we are quite rigorous in every class. We look at theories, analyse them, and try to understand them in detail, with emphasis on depth of knowledge. We also expect our students to understand that depth and be able to apply those theories and understand those mechanisms and how they really play out in the real world. Prof Carola Frege: Originally, the International Employment Relations stream was funded by the creators of LSE, the Webbs. And so, we have a very close link to the origins of LSE that is really about critically understanding work, which is what most people do most of their lives. And the idea to conceptually analyse the causes for workplace problems, the causes for workplace solutions is really at the core of what we are teaching. Indeed, we are very proud that we are standing at the core of this LSE tradition to critically reflect about things. 3How does this programme differ fundamentally from other similar Human Resources degrees? Dr Connson Locke: The Master s in Human Resources and Organisations differs from your standard Human Resource Management post-graduate programme because of the two-tiered system I described earlier. On the one hand, there are these generalist courses: two courses that all three streams will take together to get a solid foundation in Human Resources and People Management, as well as a foundation in Dissertation Research and Professional Development. Then each of the three streams has their own specialist courses as well as courses that they may share with one other stream, plus electives that only one or two streams are eligible to take. So it s the multiple-tiered system that makes this, I think, a very unique programme by allowing students to have a general foundation whilst also specialising in what they re interested in and developing this speciality that they can then sell to the marketplace and sell to potential employers. Dr Jonathan Booth: Our students get a very different experience because we are a social science institution. One thing we do as part of the programme is that we offer our Links programme which allows our students to have a connection with an HR department in a leading firm, whether it d be for-profit or non-profit, providing them with real world experience that they can use on their CV, and that s quite attractive to employers. What s great about the programme is also the fact that we have three streams. In the first term all students will be taking the Human Resource Management Strategy and Policy class together. This provides an opportunity to study with cohorts from other streams. We want our students to be academically strong, but we also want them to have strong social networks because social networks actually provide lifetime opportunities. Prof Carola Frege: What makes us special really is that we re not a business school; we are a social science institution. And in the International Employment Relations stream, that means that we don t really provide simple solutions because we don t believe in simple solutions. The world is very complex, in particular, in our field of the labour market and employment relations and human resource management. So, we are really looking at a learning process which allows our students to understand the complexities of things. We are not a multiple choice kind of institution, but we really want students to learn to have an approach to the complexities of things. That makes us very specific and special and different to an HR degree in a business school. 4What would you say to a prospective student thinking of applying to join the programme next year? Dr Connson Locke: We are looking for students with a strong academic record and a passion for understanding human behaviour in organisations. You do not need a first degree in the same field but you do need to have a deep interest in people and organisations. This degree is broad enough to qualify you for a variety of roles related to people management, human resources, or employment relations, while also allowing you to develop specific expertise. 06 MSc Human Resources and Organisations MSc Human Resources and Organisations 07
Programme overview If you re an ambitious critical thinker, who enjoys a challenge and has a specific interest in the human aspects of management and business, our MSc Human Resources and Organisations programme will be ideally suited to you. This multifaceted one-year programme will give you an unparalleled foundation in human resources with respect to business and management. What s more, you will have the opportunity to focus on one of three specialist streams: Human Resource Management (CIPD), International Employment Relations, or Organisational Behaviour. You will choose from a variety of optional social science courses, so you can pursue your own specialist interests. LSE s MSc Human Resources and Organisations students graduate with a unique, interdisciplinary, and international perspective on business and management; a distinct intellectual rigour and flexibility; and a balance of theoretical and practical knowledge. So with our MSc Human Resources and Organisations you will be in demand by employers prepared for a range of management and research positions requiring expertise in human resources, organisational behaviour and employment policy. Key features Postgraduate Master of Science full-time 12 months 3 distinct streams: Human Resource Management (CIPD), International Employment Relations, and Organisational Behaviour 116 per class (over all 3 streams) fees 20,736 (academic year 2016-17). 21,744 for HRM (CIPD) track to cover the cost of CIPD accreditation (academic year 2016/17) BENEFITS unparalleled perspective breadth (general foundation) and depth (specialist streams) specialist focus choice of optional elective courses in a range of social science subjects rigorous and intellectually challenging exciting and varied career prospects 90% of students in work/ further study after 6 months mean salary 37,000 08 MSc Human Resources and Organisations MSc Human Resources and Organisations 09
Programme structure No traditional business school offers a similar syllabus, with an academically in-depth approach to both general foundations of human resources and organisations, and specialist training in a specific subject stream. The carefully designed compulsory courses are complemented with a dissertation or business project, and a choice of elective courses in a wide variety of subjects from a selection of LSE s world-leading academic departments. The Links Scheme As part of the MSc Human Resources and Organisations programme, students will have the opportunity to apply for the LSE Links Scheme. Students who apply for the scheme will go through a competitive selection process. Students who are selected for this scheme will be organised into pairs to work on an independent consulting project with a real-world client. Together with their assigned company, students identify an HR-related issue that needs investigating. The students research the agreed topic using a case-study approach that entails gathering data and producing a Business Report for the organisation alongside a Dissertation for LSE. COMPULSORY COURSES (2.5 UNITS) ELECTIVE COURSES (1.5 UNITS) International Employment Relations and HRM stream: MG480 Management of Human Resources: Strategies and Policy MG4D2 International Employment Relations MG478 Globalisation and Human Resource Management MG493 Developing Professional Research and Employability Skills (1.0 unit) MSc Human Resources and Organisations Human Resource Management stream: MG480 Management of Human Resources: Strategies and Policy MG4C2 Organisational Behaviour COMPULSORY COURSES (3.0 UNITS) MG478 Globalisation and Human Resource Management MG4A9 Foundations of Business and Management for HR MG493 Developing Professional Research and Employability Skills (1.0 unit) ELECTIVE COURSES (1.0 UNIT) COMPULSORY COURSES (3.0 UNITS) ELECTIVE COURSES (1.0 UNIT) Organisational Behaviour stream: MG480 Management of Human Resources: Strategies and Policy MG4C2 Organisational Behaviour MG4B7 Organisational Change MG475 Organisational Theory MG493 Developing Professional Research and Employability Skills (1.0 unit) 10 MSc Human Resources and Organisations MSc Human Resources and Organisations 11
Profiles The class All three streams within the MSc Human Resources and Organisations attract a stimulating mix of students different ages, with different educational/work experience backgrounds, from all over the world. The programme is ideal for pre-career applicants (no work experience is required). However, applicants with some work experience are also welcome. Students Meet three of our students Holger Dahremoeller, Molly Hatch and Carmen Lugt each of whom has followed one of the three programmes precursor to the MSc Human Resources and Organisations. Carmen Lugt (Netherlands) Management and Human Resources class of 2014-15 Holger Dahremoeller (Germany) MSc Organisational Behaviour class of 2014-15 What drew me to LSE is the impression that it is a university which enables people to grow and develop regardless of who they are, where they come from, and where they are headed afterwards. I was not disappointed. LSE is a place of genuine intellectual excitement. Being here is as challenging as it is rewarding. Its unique environment is an amalgamation of its world-renowned and very supportive academic staff, its great facilities, an incredibly diverse student body, and a culture of academic rigor, debate and high standards. The reputation of the Department of Management reaches around the globe and nested within it is the MSc in Organisational Behaviour. It is relatively unique in the academic landscape and different compared to more generalist HRM and straight-up industrial psychology courses. Lasting just one-year it is also an exceptionally intense programme. What you will get out of it will largely depend on what you put in. That being said, it feels like a privilege to study here. I am very appreciative of the fact that we are being taught by the people who have significantly developed and evolved the concepts being taught. What further enriches this experience are my fellow class mates who hail from all corners of the planet, which gives depth and perspective that extends beyond the course reading materials. Overall it makes for an exhilarating experience. If you are sincerely interest in studying OB, then this is the place to go. Molly Hatch (US) MSc International Employment Relations and Human Resource Management class of 2014-15 I chose to attend the London School of Economics because of the quality of the postgraduate education. LSE has an international presence known for its academic rigour, world-renowned professors, and diverse student body. I was immediately attracted to the MSc International Employment Relations and Human Resource Management programme because of the interdisciplinary approach, and the wide array of course selections, such as Cross-Cultural Management, Negotiation Analysis, and Employment Law. I have been beyond pleased with the complex perspective of the IER & HRM program in context of the dynamic environment of global business actors multinational corporations, corporate governance structures, trade unions, and political and social institutions. The extracurricular activities at LSE have also played an integral part of my experience thus far. From influential economists to famous entrepreneurs, I have enjoyed amazing speaker presentations through LSE public lectures and the Entrepreneurship Matters programme. Moreover, I ve had the opportunity to participate in the Staff-Student Liaison Committee as a student representative, and more recently in the LSE Faith and Leadership Certificate course. I would without a doubt recommend LSE, and more particularly the Department of Management, to any potential student who wants to further their education and career. As I believe people are at the heart of every organisation, I decided to specialise in Human Resources after my bachelor in International Business Administration. The psychological, social and micro-business aspects of HR particularly appeal to me. My experience with the MHR programme has been very positive so far. First of all, the programme is highly integrated, allowing you to form the bigger picture of Human Resources practice within organisations. As such, different perspectives on topics are established throughout different courses, and the interactive seminars as well as the CIPD module allow for the application of theories to practical situations. Furthermore, I value the strategic management focus that is maintained whilst expanding and enhancing our knowledge of HR. Moreover, I have enjoyed the way critical thinking is encouraged in terms of questioning theories in relation to reality and considering contingency factors. Presentations, guest-lectures, debates and discussions have all made this programme very intellectually stimulating. In addition, it has been great to work closely together with the other highly motivated students on the programme and we have become a close and supportive group over the past few months. In general the environment I have experienced is very supportive, ranging from the lecturers and academic advisors to the career services centre. Even though LSE is often seen as a competitive environment, I have learned a lot from people with different experiences and backgrounds. Overall, the MHR programme has created a lot of opportunities for me and will enable me to go in many different directions in the future. 12 MSc Human Resources and Organisations MSc Human Resources and Organisations 13
Outlook How to apply Your career With our MSc Human Resources and Organisations you will be able to choose a career in any number of areas covering human resource management, organisational behaviour and international employment relations, across private and public sector organisations. 90% of our students are in work/further study after 6 months, with a mean salary of 37,000*. Applications are open between mid-october and June. Decisions are made on a rolling first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage you to apply early to avoid disappointment. To apply, please visit our website: www.lse.ac.uk/mhro Application code: N6U7 (IER), N6U8 (HRM), N6U9 (OB) Apply by April to be considered for a Graduate Student Support (GSS) scholarship. JP Morgan IBM BP DKNY BT KPMG Crown Prosecution Service InformaAmerican Express Trade Unions *2013-14 LSE survey of graduates from the three programmes precursor to the MSc Human Resources and Organisations. Figures are indicative. NGOs Shell Aviva Hertz Groupon Bosch Royal Bank of Scotland Barclays Schlumberger British Airways Nokia Samsung electronics tsch Telecom ILO Unilever Entry requirements upper 2nd class bachelor s degree (or international equivalent) in any discipline IELTS for non-native English speakers without proof of a degree taken in English a personal statement, resume, official academic transcripts, official test scores and two academic references Please note a GRE/GMAT score is not required, but a strong result from either of these tests may benefit applicants. No work experience is required; however applicants with work experience are welcomed. 14 MSc Human Resources and Organisations MSc Human Resources and Organisations 15
The following message contains some very important information. Please read it before you use this brochure. This brochure was published in September 2015. It contains information on the Master s programme that the Department of Management intends to run for students who are planning to join in the 2016-17 academic year. The Department has made every effort to ensure that the information provided is both helpful and accurate, and that it is kept as up-to-date as possible however, this information is subject to change. Some circumstances (such as staff changes or resource limitations over which the Department has no control) or the level of demand for a particular course may result in the Department having to withdraw or change aspects of the programme detailed in this brochure. This could include, but not necessarily be limited to, programme/module content, staffing, the location where the programme/module is taught, and the facilities provided to deliver the programme. Prospective candidates should note that, in the event of such circumstances occurring, the Department cannot accept liability for any claims for costs or damages made by a student resulting from any change to, or withdrawal of, a programme/module that he/she had intended to study. For this reason it is particularly important that you should check the website for updates (www.lse.ac.uk/management) or contact the Department using the contact details provided within this publication. Designed by: RADAR London, Edited by: Laura Delfitto, Lucy Porter 2015 Contact us If you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: Email: dom.hro@lse.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)20 7955 7791