Master of Science in Strategic People Management (Online)

Course Summary

The aim of this online MSc in Strategic People Management (Level 9) programme is to support the development of knowledge, skills, and competencies relevant and useful to HR professionals and non HR professionals already in or aspiring to HR or other roles that involve working with, managing or leading people in organisations.  Key areas covered include the world of work, resourcing and talent management, personal and professional effectiveness, strategic HRM, strategic reward management, strategic employee relations, advanced diversity and inclusion and advanced employment law.  The programme is focused on applying theory in practice and will include the completion of essays, work-based projects, reflective journals, learning logs and the demonstration of practical skills.

It is an online, part time, evening course that is delivered over two years (4 semesters). Students will attend live, online lectures, two evenings per week, for 3 hours each evening. Students will study two modules per semester, except in Semester 3 when they will do 3 modules.  Semester 4 will consist of one module and a work based project. Lectures will be recorded and can be reviewed again later. You will be learning alongside other people who are working in the profession which will give you cutting edge knowledge of HR and allow you to build a strong network in HR for the future.

On successful completion you will receive an MSc in Strategic People Management from the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) as well as full accreditation from CIPD accreditation CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development).

Key Course Information

How many study hours should students set aside each week for this programme (including attendance at live classes)?  You will attend live online classes two evenings per week, three hours per evening.  You can expect to do approximately 6 hours of independent study in addition to this each week.  However, some weeks you might do more than this and other weeks, you might do less.

How will students be assessed? Assessments will vary depending on the module. It will be 100% continuous assessment. There will be no traditional final exams.  Assessments will include essays, case studies, work-based projects, reflective journals, practical skills demonstration, and Moodle quizzes.

Will they have to attend examinations, and how will these be conducted? There is no traditional end of semester exams on this programme.

Will there be additional reading during the course? Students are required to read articles and research at Masters level.  Any additional reading will be set out by the lecturer and given to students via the Moodle page.

Recommended books students can research in advance? For students who are new to HRM or who want to refresh their knowledge, Michael Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice (2020) is highly recommended and available to view in our library at ATU Sligo.

Overview of the key skills that students can expect to acquire on completion of the course? This course will widen and deepen your knowledge across all aspects of HRM and current best practice. It will develop your reading and writing skills, analytical skills, evaluation skills, investigative, problem solving and decision- making skills. In addition, there will be a module that focuses on students personal and professional skills which pertain to working in the HRM field, these include self-awareness, influencing, networking, collaboration, coaching and mentoring.

For further information, please contact:

Mary Gilmartin, Lecturer, FCIPD

Faculty of Business and Social Science

ATU (Sligo)

mary.gilmartin@atu.ie

Application Closing Date : 15th August 2025

Entry Requirements

This course is open to applicants with a Level 8 degree, in any discipline, of 2.2 or higher. 

Applicants with other qualifications and with relevant work experience may also be considered through ATU Sligo’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process. RPL is a process that may allow you to gain admission to a programme or to receive exemptions/credit from some parts of a programme based on demonstrated learning that you may have achieved through another programme of study or through your work and career. Further information is available through www.atu.ie/recognition-of-prior-learning, which is our dedicated RPL portal or by contacting our admissions team at admissions.sligo@atu.ie.

If you do not have a Level 8 degree but have considerable experience of managing people in any function or of working in the HR function, then you will be considered. You will just need to demonstrate or have evidence to show that you are capable of handling the academic nature of the programme eg conducting research, structuring and writing assignments etc.

This programme is aimed at anyone who is interested in pursuing or advancing a career in HR or pursuing or advancing a career in management that involves managing people. Applicants are welcome from all employment sectors, public, private, SMEs, and entrepreneurs.

What types of job roles would be suitable for upskilling through this programme?  This qualification will enable you to work in a role that involves managing people or in the HR function.  Example job titles could be HR Business Partner, HR Analyst, HR Generalist, HR Manager, HR Director, HR Consultant, Talent Acquisition, EDI Manager, Office Manager, Department Manager, Team Leader, Head of Finance, Head of Manufacturing, 

Career Opportunities

Students completing this programme may pursue a career in Human Resource Management or General Management.

The people profession (HRM) has a huge variety of roles within it – from numerical and data-driven roles in reward and analytics to development roles in talent and learning and development. These roles tend to fall into two categories: HR generalists, who perform a variety of activities in any aspect of people practice, and HR specialists, who provide detailed advice and guidance in their areas of expertise. 

The CIPD website (www.cipd.ie) explores twelve career areas in HR; Employee Experience, Employee Relations, HR Business Partner, HR Generalist, Inclusion and Diversity, Learning and Development, Organisation Development and Design, People Analytics, People Consultant, Resourcing, Reward, Talent Management.  Go to https://www.cipd.ie/careers/career-options#gref for more information.

With regard to General Management, this qualification will strengthen your skills in the area of managing people allowing you to pursue roles that involve managing people in any business function (Finance, Marketing, Manufacturing etc.) or any business sector (tourism, retail, finance, manufacturing, IT etc).

Testimonials

"I didn’t expect the learning impact to be so immediate. The course has helped me see how my role can benefit the organisation in a more strategic way." -Ciara Compton

Would you like to read more about Ciara's experience during her studies? Click Here.

Programme Fees

Academic Year 2024/25 Fees

Total Programme Fees: €7,200

To help make the payment of fees more manageable for students who are self-funding their studies, tuition fees can be paid through payment instalment plans at ATU Sligo. For further information on instalment plans, please visit our Fees and Funding webpage. 

If you apply and are approved for an online course at ATU Sligo, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of €250 to secure your place. Your deposit will then be credited against the course fees once you are registered as a student. Students at ATU Sligo are also eligible to claim tax relief at the standard rate for tuition fees.

For further information and guidance about Fees and Funding for online and part-time courses at ATU Sligo, click here.

If you are seeking to take your exams online and you meet the eligibility criteria (overseas students and those with extenuating circumstances), an additional examination fee will apply. For further information, please visit our Examinations webpage. 

Course Format

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4