This course is approved by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). The programme provides an excellent foundation for a career in the management of human resources and associated management positions in both the public and private sectors.

The main focus is on the United Kingdom, but this is set within a broader comparative perspective, enabling students to assess contrasting systems of industrial relations and to evaluate a range of crucial issues on a European and a global scale.

Keele University is a main provider of Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations courses and research in the UK. The subject group is active in research and publication, focusing on international and national employment and equalities aspects of public policy, spanning both private and public sectors, and typically featuring high levels of engagement with employers, trade unions, and government bodies.