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We've put together information and resources to guide your application journey as a student from the United States of America.
Overview
Top reasons to study with us
9
9th for Business and Management
The Guardian University Guide (2025)
15
15th for Business, Management and Marketing
The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2025)
72
72nd for Business and Management in the world
QS World University Rankings by Subject (2024)
Introduction
BSc Management and Human Resources (Industry) looks critically at the key management ideas and practices that shape the modern workplace. This is a rigorous programme of study accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the leading professional body for Human Resource (HR) practitioners in the UK and internationally.
Course overview
Studying Management and Human Resources at Lancaster will help you understand many current and critical questions about the changing nature of organisations, work, and people management practices. You will be taught by academics who are tackling the big questions of the day related to employment relations, wellbeing, managing diversity, business ethics, sustainability, artificial intelligence, and the implications of technology in society.
Human resources are crucial to an organisation’s success. This degree focuses on understanding people in workplaces – the way we work, how we shape organisations and how we are, in turn, shaped by them – primarily through social and psychological perspectives. Our teaching approach blends academic material with practical insight and exercises.
In your first year, you study Management and Organisational Behaviour, alongside selecting a subject from the wider Management School.
In your second year, you study Human Resource Management and deepen your understanding by choosing from topics such as Organisational Psychology or Business Ethics.
Your third year is spent in industry. Our Careers and Internships teams will support you in securing a placement. Past students have worked across all aspects of industry, and students returning from a year in industry invariably have an enhanced motivation for their final year. Previous students have enjoyed placements with companies including Morgan Stanley, Hilton and the Sony Corporation.
The final year sees you selecting from options such as Work and Employment Relations and Organising in a Digital Age.
CIPD accreditation
During your first year of study, you can opt into the CIPD-accredited route through the degree. This route is more structured, covering the knowledge required to enable you to become an Associate Member. If you follow this route, you will also benefit from studying three professional development modules that will enhance your HR skills. The non-accredited route offers flexibility, with a range of second and final-year modules to choose from, meaning you can build a degree that makes the most of your strengths and interests.
Key facts
The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the professional body for HR and people development, allowing you to become a student member and enjoy the benefits and resources CIPD provides. On graduation, you can become an Associate Member of CIPD, enhancing your employability in the HR field.
Throughout your studies, you will have support from our careers team to help with internships, placements and graduate employment. We will supply training in CV writing, interview assessment centres, and telephone interviews, helping you with your future career ambitions.
The University will use all reasonable effort to support you in finding a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all placement roles offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.
If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you can transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year. The University offers a range of shorter placement and internship opportunities for which you would be welcome to apply.
Course outcomes
This degree gives you a critical understanding of the complex world of work and organisations. It can put you on the path to a career in human resource management or management more broadly, with graduates having gone on to work as business consultants and for Non-governmental organisations.
Find out what it's like to study Management and Human Resources at Lancaster University Management School.
Three reasons to study with us
Management and Human Resources teaches you about the most important resource of any organisation: its people. This degree can lead to fulfilling and rewarding careers in a variety of different areas of the economy. Human Resource Management is an essential part of the functioning of every organisation. Here are three things we offer:
Critical/Analytical/Inquisitive. Managing people is dynamic and surprising. It challenges managers to think creatively and adapt. Learning how to think critically and analytically about new challenges is a skill we will help you to develop.
Person-centred and ethical. We place people at the heart of management. This isn’t just a human resources question; this focus is fundamental to an ethical and responsible approach to business and organisations.
Academically rigorous. We integrate both your academic and your professional development throughout the course of this degree. The programme is recognised and accredited by the CIPD.
For all undergraduate queries please contact our Undergraduate Coordinator Jessica Thackway.
Course accreditation
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is an internationally recognised professional body for HR and the accreditation means that students that register as CIPD student members and complete the necessary elements of the programme will become Associate Members upon graduation. This is increasingly attractive to prospective employers and can help you further stand out in the job market.
Our graduates enter a wide array of jobs and careers, from mainstream human resource management in both public and private corporations to management consultancy and roles in the media and marketing. Others set up businesses on their own, both at home and abroad. The degree also opens up opportunities for further study.
Lancaster University is dedicated to ensuring you not only gain a highly reputable degree, you also graduate with relevant life and work-based skills. We are unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which offers you the opportunity to complete key activities such as work experience, employability awareness, career development, campus community and social development. Visit our employability section for full details.
The Management School has an award-winning careers team that provides a dedicated careers and placement service offering a range of innovative services for LUMS students. Our high reputation means we attract a wide range of leading global employers to campus, offering you the opportunity to interact with graduate recruiters from day one of your degree.
Open doors with your industry experience
Placements give you the chance to gain work experience and become more employable. Research shows that students who complete work placements are employed more quickly when they graduate than students who don't go on placement. Discover how we support students in finding a placement
Entry requirements
These are the typical grades that you will need to study this course. You may need to have qualifications in relevant subjects. In some cases we may also ask you to attend an interview or submit a portfolio. You must also meet our English language requirements.
30 Level 3 credits at Distinction plus 15 Level 3 credits at Merit
We accept the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales in place of one A level, or equivalent qualification, as long as any subject requirements are met.
DDM
A level at grade B plus BTEC(s) at DD, or A levels at grade BB plus BTEC at D
32 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 HL subjects
We are happy to admit applicants on the basis of five Highers, but where we require a specific subject at A level, we will typically require an Advanced Higher in that subject. If you do not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone, we will consider a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers in separate subjects. Please contact the Admissions team for more information.
Distinction overall
Contact Admissions
If you are thinking of applying to Lancaster and you would like to ask us a question, please complete our enquiry form and one of our team will get back to you.
International foundation programmes
Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.
Contextual admissions
Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.
Course structure
Lancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and some which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme to complement your main specialism.
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, and the University will make every reasonable effort to offer modules as advertised. In some cases changes may be necessary and may result in some combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the fascinating world of management and organisation(s) via a series of lectures and seminars and reading groups.
Over a period of ten weeks, we will attempt to familiarise ourselves with some of the main themes and issues that make up our ‘organised’ world. Our main objective will be to map out the ways in which we understand ourselves in relation to work, management and organisations. In order to so, we will attempt to trace how the meaning we give to these important themes has developed historically. To do so, we will analyse the thought of some of their main critics and contributors.
The course begins by providing a perspective on capitalism (as the social order in which the forms of managing and organising we are interested in takes place), before moving on to look at management more concretely and ends with a focus on people (both managers and workers) in contemporary organisations and society.
This module aims to provide you with a broad introduction to management covering a wide range of topics that are relevant to work, business and organisations. The module begins by locating organizations, work and technology in a broad historical context. It considers the meaning of work and different debates regarding alienation and technology. It then introduces different metaphors through which we can understand and analyse organisations. Finally, it considers the changing nature of employment relations by considering the shift from industrial relations to Human Resource Management (HRM).
The module is constructed to encourage you to think critically and to reflect upon taken-for-granted assumptions about the world of work and management’s role in relation to it. As a means to achieve this, the second part of the course explores the contemporary issue of human resource management and development which fundamentally contributes to the development of employee-engaged and productive organisations. The final part of the module continues the theme of encouraging critical reflection and explores key issues and debates related to gig employment, globalization, sustainability and business ethics that are intimately related to management.
During this Preparation for Placement module, you will learn about the competitive recruitment processes in the UK and the skills and expertise employers expect you to evidence; how to produce excellent CVs and cover letters; how to make an impact on application forms, what to expect at interviews and assessment centres.
You will get to hear from final year students about their placement experience and a chance for you to learn about the placement opportunities on offer from graduate employers. You will be offered the opportunity to experience a mock interview with a real employer and attend a mock assessment centre. You will be shown the range of resources and support we offer in LUMS Careers and how that will continue throughout the placement programme, in order to seek a suitable year in industry placement.
Students compete with others nationally to secure placements and we also offer exclusive opportunities with employers, however, we cannot guarantee that all students will progress on to a year in industry placement.
You will be introduced to how to navigate the job market and different sectors of it, alongside some of the key terminologies. The importance of personal development planning and self-reflection will be discussed, including goal setting and an outline of resources available to support you with this. The module will also start preparing you for engagement with potential employers through developing communication skills and building the confidence to pose sensible and insightful questions. The content of this module integrates with the academic skills you will be developing in your other first-year modules and the approaches to management and organisational behaviour you will be introduced to.
Optional
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This full-year module is a self-contained introduction to Economics, and can be taken by students both with and without prior knowledge of the subject. It is divided into three parts. The first part provides a thorough introduction to Microeconomics (including the theory of demand, costs and pricing under various forms of market structure, and welfare economics). The second part provides a thorough introduction to Macroeconomics (including national income analysis, monetary theory, business cycles, inflation, unemployment, and the great macroeconomic debates).
The third part of the module, taught in parallel with the first two parts, first covers the key mathematical tools required for a good understanding of Economics (including linear and nonlinear equations, and differentiation), and then shows how the key Micro- and Macroeconomics ideas can help us understand the world around us. In this part, you will participate in economic experiments involving games with and without strategic behaviour. We will also discuss the lessons from the Great Depression and the Great Recession, speculative attacks and currency crises, inequality, democracy and growth, government deficits and inflation, and the macroeconomic implications of Brexit and Covid-19.
In this module, we challenge preconceived views about whether or not entrepreneurship can be taught, and the widely-held opinion that entrepreneurs are born, not made. We consider entrepreneurship in a wide variety of contexts and for a range of different purposes. This includes entrepreneurship for social or environmental good, or as a means of self-expression, as well as entrepreneurial start-up and classic profit-driven motivations of business founders. Theory and practice are combined throughout the module, and teaching is brought to life through the expertise of our entrepreneurs in residence. You will therefore meet practicing entrepreneurs and be provoked to consider your own values and how these might, in future, shape your own expressions of innovation and entrepreneurial behaviour, whether as an employee, in your home society, in a family business, or as a business founder or sole trader.
We will introduce you to some of the central aspects of the discipline of International Relations, providing a firm grounding in the major concepts and debates necessary to understand the modern world of international politics. You will have the opportunity to learn about: the dominant features and power relations of the contemporary global system; the nature of sovereignty and security, their expression and limitations; the real-world problems confronting the international community today.
Areas of study typically include:
+ International Relations Theory: the study of how relations between states can and should be viewed and theorised, Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism and Feminism.
+ Regional Studies: the study of some of the key regions of the world, and the politics of their interactions.
+ International Institutions and Law: the international organisations, customs, and rules that govern inter-state relationships.
+ Global Politics and Belief: the study of how religious and ideological belief can shape international politics and the relation of states.
+ International Crises: the study of pressing issues confronting the international community, such as environmental collapse, technological advance, the rise of non-state actors, and terrorism.
+ International Relations and the Domestic: the study of how the domestic agendas can shape and influence international politics.
Because of the increasing interdependence of the national and global, domestic politics and international relations can no longer be properly understood in isolation from one another. To ensure the best possible foundation for a degree in International Relations, in first year, we strongly recommend you also take Politics in the Modern World.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the basic concepts and techniques of Accounting and Finance, which include financial accounting, managerial finance, and financial statement analysis.
An important element of this course is that it provides exposure to the business and financial environment within which the discipline of Accounting and Finance operates, using real-world financial data for actual companies.
The course covers concepts, techniques and interpretive skills that relate to the external financial reporting of companies and their relationship to the stock market, and to the use of accounting information for internal management purposes.
The module will cover the introductory topics of business intelligence, business analytics and business data science. You will learn basic analytics concepts, principles and techniques and will see how the data collection, description, visualisation and analysis can help businesses, governments and other organisations make more informed decisions.
The module will also cover topics on discovering, measuring and visualising relationships in data, and basics of forecasting and data mining. Examples of real cases studies will illustrate the practical potential, and special emphasis will be given on discussing what the main pitfalls in using different analytical techniques are, such as “lying with descriptive statistics”, misleading visualisation, data overfitting, or why “forecasts are always wrong”. The module will rely on spreadsheet software to support the computing and visualisation side and will teach you useful approaches that will prove in valuable for your future studies and employment.
Finally, you will learn how to write reports for the management based on the produced results. It is important to understand basics of analytics even if you do not intend to get an analytics job, because it is critical to business strategy, and so there is a great professional advantage in being able to interact competently with analytics teams. This module aims to refute the belief that organisations and individuals may be able to successfully live without the use of data and analytics.
This module is designed to give you a broad and critical introduction to the subject of marketing through a series of lectures and seminars. A comprehensive range of topics is taught at foundational level which you will then explore further in your second and final years. Subject areas that you will study include Understanding Markets, which examines how markets are created and sustained, Consumer Behaviour, Marketing Communications, Marketing Research and Innovation.
Throughout the year, you will be asked to consider how theory works in practice, by examining your own experience of marketing as well as current stories from the press and marketing media. Assessment consists of coursework including an individual essay and a group-based business report, and a summer exam which is largely essay-based. As part of your studies on this module, we will help you to develop all of the necessary academic skills to succeed in your first year at university and throughout your degree.
Operations management is a core discipline for all kinds of organisation, from private-sector manufacturers through to public-sector service providers. This module introduces the core topics of operations management, including operations design, capacity management, supply chain management, inventory analysis, demand forecasting, quality management and risk analysis. Most of these topics have both qualitative and quantitative elements that need to be understood and practised in combination.
This module introduces students to key themes in the study of philosophy. Consciously drawing on a broad range of philosophical traditions -- Continental, Analytic, and non-Western -- it aims to present a comprehensive overview of various theoretical sub-disciplines within philosophy, but also to equip students with the ability to reason and think clearly about the most fundamental questions of human existence. The course, though designed as an introduction to the advanced degree-level study of philosophy, will also function as a self-standing introduction to philosophy suitable for those seeking to broaden their understanding of philosophy as it has been practiced throughout various traditions.
The module will involve the study of European and non-European sources, and areas of study will typically include:
1. Epistemology: the study of the nature of knowledge, belief, and the mind's ability to apprehend the world.
2. Metaphysics: the study of the nature of matter, causation, freedom, and being.
3. Phenomenology: the study of the nature and structure of consciousness.
4. Philosophy of Religion: the study of the nature and existence of God and of religious faith.
5. Philosophy of Mind: the study of the nature of mind and the mental.
You’ll be introduced to some of the key themes in the study of modern politics, and will have the chance to gain critical insight into the nature and use of political power in the contemporary world. You will learn about: the foundations of the modern nation-state, and the ways in which our institutions can reflect or fail to meet the ideals of liberal democracy; the behaviour of individuals and groups in political contexts; the workings of national constitutions and international organisations; the interaction of global events and domestic agendas.
Areas of study typically include:
+ Political Theory: the study of the scope, nature, and justification of state authority, and the history of political thought.
+ British Politics: the study of the theory, and political reality, of British governance in the twenty-first century.
+ Comparative Politics: the study of the various institutions of the nation-state, in a comparative context.
+ Ideologies: the study of political ideologies such as (neo-)liberalism, (neo-)conservatism, socialism, and fascism, their cohesiveness and social/political function.
+ Political Behaviour: the study of the ways in which agents and groups engage with politics in the age of mass and social-media.
+ Politics and Religion: the study of the relevance of religion to politics in contemporary society.
+ Politics in a Global World: the influence of global movements and events on domestic and international politics.
Because of the increasing interdependence of the national and global, domestic politics and international relations can no longer be properly understood in isolation from one another. To ensure the best possible foundation for a degree in Politics, in first year, we strongly recommend you also take International Relations: Theory and Practice.
What does it mean to ‘think sociologically’? When there are so many academic disciplines and non-academic areas of professional expertise, what is unique and important about starting with the social? This module begins with fundamental questions about the value of sociology in understanding the contemporary world and goes on to explore how the significance of our questions and everyday experiences are transformed when investigating all kinds of contemporary social problems, from inequality to globalisation, sociologically.
This full-year module is organised into different ‘blocks’ that connect themes in sociology – such as the relationship between self and society or between self and power – to both long-standing and newly emerging research. Whether or not you have studied sociology before, this module will introduce you to new areas of sociology, as well as demonstrating how key themes such as consumption, identity, social justice, or culture and media intersect with different sociological questions and sites of enquiry. Lecturers draw upon the ongoing research undertaken at Lancaster, giving you access to current insights that are inspiring change in policy and professional organisations.
The benefit of having multiple topics and themes addressed within one year-long module is that the assessments are carefully designed to slowly build up your research and study skills over your first year of study, whilst still giving you the flexibility to write major essays on the topics that are most interesting to you. The module provides you with a fantastic opportunity to explore new ideas and find new inspiration for understanding how we lead our lives today, and what possibilities there are for change tomorrow.
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Human Resource Development (HRD) is a dynamic and evolving area that is part of Human Resource Management (HRM). This module follows on from the Human Resource Management module and assumes the centrality of the self in managerial discourses. Where HRM focuses on a wide range of processes that deal with the needs and activities of people in an organisation, within those processes HRD in the new economy is concerned with the theory and practice related to training, learning and development for both the benefit of individuals and the organisation. In 1989 McLagan proposed that HRD comprises of three main areas: Training and Development; Organisational Development and Career Development.
This module will take McLagan's three themes and offer a contemporary look at the tensions that occur when human resources (people) are exhorted through particular managerial discourses.
Human Resource Management is that part of management that happens to everyone, all the time. Nobody can escape HRM. We are all human resources and, therefore, it should not be a surprise that HRM has become very much a reflection of us – we find in HRM our own conceptions of ourselves, of work and of life in the 21st Century. The aim of this module is to understand how HRM is done and why we manage people in the ways we do.
The module introduces and analyses HRM as a complex part of management today in all organisations. OWT.223 examines aspects of employability, of performativity, performance management and of work motivations as key ingredients for the management of people in contemporary corporations, large or small, private or public. For you and your employability, it will be essential to understand what is going on in HRM and how this is done. You will have to be able to grasp the fundamental question of work: what is worth doing in the context of contemporary work? What is asked of you, and how do you have answer in return?
Also, it is essential to remember that every manager is always a human resource manager: they have to know how to recruit, how to communicate decisions and how to understand people and their motivation to work, how to think about individuals and teams, and about all the psychological and social aspects of work. No effective and respectable manager or executive can be a poor manager of people.
The course provides students with general knowledge and understanding concerning social research and particular methods and methodologies that lie within the positivist and interpretivist paradigms. It is primarily aimed at students from across the management school that are planning to undertake an industrial placement and/or a dissertation in their final year of study. This module helps to prepare you to undertake your own research with a view to highlighting different research approaches and techniques that are used in the production of knowledge.
The module provides an insight into the various ways research can be undertaken and the implications of different approaches. We will examine the conceptual and practical complexities of undertaking research in practice. Initially you will be introduced to research methods and that are most commonly employed in business and management research. The module will then examine the methodological approaches and paradigms that are linked with these methods and the assumptions that underpin positivistic and interpretivist approaches. The final part of the module explores how this understanding can be used in writing your research proposal and dissertation.
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The main aim of this module is to provide students with a critical understanding of the ethical dilemmas that are associated with business and management. It will examine the various ways in which we make sense and speak about ethics, how questions of right and wrong occur and what responses they elicit. In simpler terms, if we describe ethics as being about sorting out right from wrong, our interest is on what constitutes ethical conduct, and on who the appropriate agent of this conduct might be. A critical understanding means that this module does not aim at providing answers or tools that would solve the various problems of ethics or that would guarantee the ethical behaviour of managers.
This module introduces key debates relating to corporate social responsibility in a global context. Beginning with fundamental questions about purpose and definition, and then proceeding to explore questions about the role of ethics and questions of sustainability from different inter-national perspectives, the module provides a critical and analytical approach to corporate social responsibility and reflects on both the possibilities for global approaches and the relevance of responsibility agendas in different international contexts. You will learn about the context of ethics and corporate social responsibility in the wider context of international management. You will learn how to reflect critically on such issues, and how to use literature to analyse the approaches of international organisations and develop recommendations for improvements to their strategies.
This module introduces key debates relating to management in international organisations. Beginning with fundamental questions about purpose and organisation, and then proceeding to explore questions about impacts on economy and society, the module provides a critical and analytical approach to understanding international organisations in a range of sectors. On completion of the module, you will be able to analyse the factors affecting the operation and impacts of international organisations, in both ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ world contexts.
Part 1 of the module introduces key debates and concerns relating to international organisations, in particular in relation to rationales for and modes of internationalization and associated organisational forms. The challenges faced by international organisations are also considered. The purpose of the first part of the module is to allow you to understand the key debates relating to international organisations in different sectors (e.g. manufacturing versus services).
Part 2 of the module builds on Part 1 by considering different ways of analysing international organisations. A series of perspectives are introduced that take account of the different organisational forms and processes found in international organisations. The purpose is to allow students to understand the different analytical questions that need to be considered when studying and managing international organisations.
This module examines several of the transformations that have arisen in contemporary organisations as a result of the introduction and use of information systems. In order to consider how information systems have been implicated in these transformations, this course will focus on three themes:
Knowledge Management and Information Communication Technologies (ICTs)
Informational devices and their mobilities
The ethical dimensions of managing information and information systems
Each of these themes have been important in the study of the role of information systems within organisations. For each theme, one or more cases and/or readings will be introduced and discussed in detail over the course of ten two-hour interactive lectures. This will enable students to (1) familiarise themselves with key historical and contemporary developments, (2) to explore the challenges that the introduction of different forms of information systems may pose, and (3) to consider the scope for management action in response to these challenges. Students are required to produce an assessed group presentation and to sit an exam in the summer. The aim of both the lectures and these forms of assessment is to enable students to develop techniques, methods of analysis and research expertise relating to the place of information systems in contemporary organisations. By the end of the course, students should have enhanced their understanding of relevant theoretical and practical issues that arise, as well as having developed their critical and analytical skills.
This course is concerned with major theories in social psychology and related social sciences that have guided the organisation and design of work.
In this module students should develop an understanding of the importance of the role of psychology in the development of people management techniques and practices. They will also develop an understanding of the historical development of psychology, with specific reference to the relevance of psychological expertise to the effective management of organisations.
This module is the second of three professional development modules that are required for CIPD-route students on BSc Management and Human Resources. It focuses on analytics and decision-making in the HRM context and complements material you will cover on Managing Knowledge, Data and Information Systems and Research Methods in Management.
In this module we look at the changing role and position of management and managers in organisations and society. Much of modern analysis of management emphasises a change in forms of management control from traditional authority through vertical hierarchical forms to ones which are more horizontal and look to incorporate employees into the organisation and its goals in ever closer ways. This happens for example through attempts to align employees identities, emotions and interests with commitment to the organisation: the much discussed capturing of hearts and minds. Another aspect of this is the manipulation of meaning in order to facilitate this identification of employee and organisation, usually discussed as the corporate culture movement. Together these can be taken as two significant aspects of modern management the management of meaning and the management of identity - which feature little in traditional management texts that emphasise management as the co-ordination of tasks and the control and deployment of resources.
However, it is important to see management and managers within the light of organisation analysis. Managers are not the autonomous agents they are often portrayed, first because they are also employees themselves (albeit in the position of formally representing the interests of capital), and second, they are also subject to organisational structures, cultures and power relations. Perhaps especially in the light of managerial control designed around commitment, integration and identification with the organisation, managers are tied in by the very control strategies that they themselves are promoting. However, as we shall see, there are also important tensions between the changing context of management and these forms of control which can lead to unintended consequences such as impression management and various forms of resistance.
Thus this module focuses on how management is a social process, and what this means for the lived experience of doing management. In exploring this we look at topics which are relevant for the day-to-day experience of managers, although rarely are these addressed in conventional management textbooks: issues such as humour, diversity, impression management and emotional management.
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In year 3 students undertake an industrial placement to equip them with work experience. It also provides the opportunity to apply the concepts and techniques they have been studying. The expectation is that students will acquire not only knowledge of business problems and practices but also experience of interpersonal relationships within a real-world context.
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The dissertation gives students an opportunity to apply the learning from their degree programme to undertake a substantial in-depth research study. The dissertation is intended to provide them with the opportunity to explore at length and in depth aspects of theory, knowledge, experience and skills introduced during the degree programme (or gleaned from elsewhere) and draw critical interpretations from this analysis. Further, the ability to make sense of the area under investigation, unravel the complexities and develop purposeful insights is at the heart of the dissertation.
The aim of Managing Human Resources is to develop an informed, critical understanding of how the management of Human Resources is undertaken, why and with what effect. What it is not is a prescriptive course providing ‘how to do it’ set of rules and practices. The focus here is on a critical understanding of the employment relationship within the organisational context. Some students are interested in becoming HR practitioners in their future careers and many wish to become a manager of some form. In both cases the course provides a solid foundation to evaluating different approaches to managing human resources and gain a critical understanding of where they would be appropriate.
Initially the course introduces the development and roles of HRM and the ways in which different management styles can be adopted in organisations. The course then examines the nature of the relationship between HRM and performance (including aspects of remuneration). The lectures then present contemporary HRM issues, for example, Equality and Diversity, Flexible working, Careers and Wellbeing.
Economic, social, cultural and political globalization have all contributed to the growth of economic activity that cuts across national borders and to the emergence and proliferation of organizations that transcend national boundaries. Increasingly, organizations are engaged in the employment contract in multiple different national employment systems. The human resources of organizations are located in multiple country locations. Internationalization thereby becomes a key challenge for the practitioners and a dimension that cannot be taken as given or standard for scholars of HRM. In a context of the transformation of a growing number of organizations (and especially the largest ones) into “transnational social spaces”, HRM practices flow across borders. Some strategic scholarship argues that such flows are critical to the success of individual firms, and concentrate their efforts on identifying “best practices” that will yield the greatest leverage to each. Strategic scholarship keen to understand what will work best to increase the efficiency and financial performance of multinational organizations also studies the various “glitches” that might obstruct flows or make the flows of HRM practices everywhere not always desirable.
This module examines the challenges of managing human resources against a backdrop of cross-cultural and institutional work contexts and teams, variation in local socio-political-legal contexts and the necessity for cross-border assignments. The analytical/critical approach to IHRM taken concerns itself with questions of whether employment (and HRM) practices are converging or diverging around the world, how power and politics are implicated in the internal dynamics of multinational corporations, and if the corporate social responsibility pledges for appropriate treatment of workers can possibly suffice to ensure a fair employment relationship in the absence of a transnational regulator, among others.
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This module examines several of the gender and diversity issues that contemporary organisations face due to the complex nature of management. In order to consider how gender and diversity have been implicated in the transformations of contemporary organisations, this course will focus on understanding diversity, performativity and normativity, race and intersectionality and posthumanism. Case studies and readings will be introduced and discussed in detail over the course. This will enable students to:
familiarise themselves with key historical and contemporary developments,
explore the challenges to achieve effective inclusion and diverse organisations, and
consider the scope for management action in response to these challenges.
The aims of the lectures, workshops, and assessment are to enable you to develop techniques, methods of analysis and research expertise relating to the place of the diversity and inclusion agenda in contemporary organisations.
Organisational change is widely accepted as a defining feature of contemporary life. Most of the topics covered in management courses, for example, structure; technology; people; power; culture; strategy; leadership and learning, to name a few, assume the need for changes of one kind or another. This course of lectures and the associated seminar programme review some key ideas associated with approaches to change. Seminal approaches to the field that can be said to conceptualise change management are introduced and compared, particularly those at the micro - that is the individual and group level.
Material included in the course will help you understand your own and other peoples' reactions to changes. It will help you develop informed opinions about theories of change and will help you to understand how changes might be managed effectively. Expressed more formally, the course will
introduce you to some key management and social, and behavioural science contributions in the field;
help you to compare different orientations and to appreciate their relative strengths and weaknesses;
help you to relate such ideas to actual events in organisations; and,
help you to understand and evaluate your own approaches to the management of change and to evaluate management practices in this area.
Technology is widely regarded as an unstoppable engine of change that is driving the advance or progress of the modern world. It would seem that no corner of the planet is left untouched by the transformative power of technology: from computers and telecommunications technology to biotechnology, from genetic engineering to the production of designer drugs to control and reshape human behaviour, the technological (re)ordering of the world would appear to have no limits. Against this background utopian or dystopian depending on your viewpoint OWT.326 aims to explore the (inter)relationship between technology and organisation.
The lectures place a strong emphasis on the examination of accounts and representations, visions of technology, technologically mediated change in organisations and society (including issues of identity, power and surveillance), and the ethical dimensions of technology.
No prior knowledge of technology is assumed.
Following up on Professional Development II, this final year module aims to enhance your confidence in developing and presenting a compelling business report with evidence from reliable sources. The module starts with analysing practical and specific workplace scenarios to develop your employability prospects in different fields, such as commercial, government, local authority or charity organisations. You will be encouraged to proactively develop your transferrable skills whilst understanding how they can contribute meaningfully to the work of your future organisations. In addition, you will be encouraged to think strategically and reflectively about your own career planning and development.
The objective of this module is to attempt to develop moral sensibility and practical reasoning in the context of managerial everyday action in organisations. It will be concerned with morality in action, as it happens, rather than a removed reflection on codes and principles of ethics.
The module seeks to show that ethics in action is diffused and difficult. Nevertheless, managers and employees have a responsibility to ‘work it out’ for themselves. It is this ‘how to work it out’ that the module will keep as its focus. A number of case studies will be used as a basis for developing a moral sensibility so that managers will be able to act in a morally appropriate manner as part of their ongoing organisational action.
This course involves a brief (and therefore rather packed) review of some of the main theoretical and empirical debates in the study of work and employment relations. Work is among the most defining experiences of individual lives and the particular form the employment relationship takes is among the core tenets that define the uniqueness of societal arrangements over time and space. Exploring various facets of work and employment is an endeavour that cuts across disciplinary boundaries economists, public policy makers, engineers, geographers, historians, among others, all have their views, interests and preferred methods of inquiry and manners of debate. Furthermore, even within disciplinary boundaries, there is no consensus on how to approach the subject matter, which questions to ask, and how to pursue the answers. In this course, the approach is sociological and the content is somewhat eclectic, being drawn from all of the aforementioned disciplines.
Fees and funding
Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12-month session, starting in the October of your year of study.
There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.
Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.
College fees
Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small college membership fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.
For students starting in 2025, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses.
Computer equipment and internet access
To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.
The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.
Study abroad courses
In addition to travel and accommodation costs, while you are studying abroad, you will need to have a passport and, depending on the country, there may be other costs such as travel documents (e.g. VISA or work permit) and any tests and vaccines that are required at the time of travel. Some countries may require proof of funds.
Placement and industry year courses
In addition to possible commuting costs during your placement, you may need to buy clothing that is suitable for your workplace and you may have accommodation costs. Depending on the employer and your job, you may have other costs such as copies of personal documents required by your employer for example.
The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status.
Home fees are subject to annual review, and may be liable to rise each year in line with UK government policy. International fees (including EU) are reviewed annually and are not fixed for the duration of your studies. Read more about fees in subsequent years.
We will charge tuition fees to Home undergraduate students on full-year study abroad/work placements in line with the maximum amounts permitted by the Department for Education. The current maximum levels are:
Students studying abroad for a year: 15% of the standard tuition fee
Students taking a work placement for a year: 20% of the standard tuition fee
International students on full-year study abroad/work placements will be charged the same percentages as the standard International fee.
Please note that the maximum levels chargeable in future years may be subject to changes in Government policy.
Scholarships and bursaries
You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.
You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status:
"Lancaster’s unique degree schemes allowed total flexibility for me in my first year. Alongside Management and Human Resources, I also studied sociology and marketing. My knowledge has broadened and increased drastically."
Millie, BSc Management and Human Resources graduate
Working with industry professionals on Managing Me
In your first year, part of your programme is a professional development module called Managing Me, which is an introduction to the job market and networking with employers.
In 2023, our students worked with an HR industry leader to discover more about the industry and understand their professional purpose.
Lancaster is ranked 9th in the UK and joint 72nd globally for Business and Management according to the QS World Rankings by Subject 2024, one of 11 subjects at Lancaster to be featured in the top 100 in these prestigious listings.
The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.
The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.
More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.
Our Students’ Charter
We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.
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