Grace Williams – MA in Human Resource Management

Wanting to study HR at a strategic level, the MA in Human Resource Management was the perfect course for me. The South West is my home, so Plymouth was the obvious choice location wise!

Not having to relocate enabled me to continue working part-time whilst studying. Unlike a lot of Masters students I don’t have an undergraduate degree, however, I was encouraged to apply based on my professional experience. Plymouth really embraced and welcomed a non-standard application. This added to the diversity of the Masters cohort, which was another reason I chose Plymouth.

Throughout the course, we covered modules such as: Leading Managing and Developing People, Contemporary HRM in Context, Employee Resourcing and, my most enjoyed module, the Final Research Project. For my project, I looked at the low uptake of Shared Parental Leave in the UK to recommend how this could be improved and encouraged.

From a skills perspective, my biggest development area was my academic writing. There was a lot of support offered through workshops, formative opportunities, and the Writing Café. The mixed methods of assessment have been really beneficial for both personal and professional development.

Even if your background isn’t necessarily an academic one you can still be really successful on a postgrad course. Returning to education after a 10-year break was certainly hard work, but it was made possible by the support the University offered. I graduated with a Distinction, and was honoured that the Graduate School of Management gave me an award for the Best Student Contribution to HRM at graduation. I want to go on to become an HR Director and then complete a PhD, something I’d not even considered before starting at Plymouth!

Find out more about postgraduate study at the University of Plymouth here