Course details

Summary

If you are interested in people-related topics and learning about organisations, then Human Resource Management may well be the subject for you. People are a vital part of organisations. Human Resource Management (HRM) involves working with people's skills, abilities and interests, to create organisations that keep on developing, improving and performing at their best.

Topics such as leadership, managing change, human resource management, employment relations, learning and development, and communication are part of Human Resource Management.

Recommended preparation

There are no formal requirements for those wishing to study Human Resource Management. An interest in human behaviour and social sciences such as psychology, sociology and education is advantageous.

Good communication skills, both written and interpersonal, are important. An understanding of statistics can also be useful.

Qualification structure and duration

The three year BCom degree requires a minimum total of 360 points:

at least 255 points of Commerce courses (up to 60 points of Mathematics and/or Statistics at 100 or 200-level may be included in the 255 points)

the remaining 105 points can be from commerce courses or courses from other degrees.

A minimum of 225 points must be from courses above 100-level, with at least 90 points at 300-level.

Double Degrees

It is possible to combine a commerce degree with other degrees; a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws is a highly marketable combination. The Bachelor of Commerce also combines well with the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Forestry Science and Bachelor of Engineering with Honours.

Career opportunities

UC graduates are found in every kind of organisation.

As a human resources practitioner, you may work primarily in human resources departments and consulting companies, both in New Zealand and overseas. HR professionals can choose a generalist career, or specialise in areas such as recruitment and retention, performance or talent management, staff pay and rewards, learning and development, performance, coaching, and organisational change.

Careers as management consultants are also possible and graduates, particularly those with postgraduate degrees, may find this path very rewarding.

Entry criteria

Admission to UC with University Entrance, or equivalent, is required to enrol for a Bachelor's degree. Applicants must have completed New Zealand University Entrance through NCEA; or Cambridge International Examinations (CIE); or International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) or any other equivalent overseas qualification.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 550 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum C+ grade; CAE or CPE minimum score of 169 with at least 162 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 57 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50.