BA Hons Business Management and Human Resources

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Nottingham Trent University

Program Overview

This degree teaches you how businesses run across all core functions — finance, marketing, operations — but with a strong emphasis on people: recruitment, performance, leadership, wellbeing, employee relations. If you want to work in HR, or in any managerial role where dealing with people, culture, strategy matters, this gives you both the business understanding and the human resource specialism.
You’ll also get hands-on experience through placements, live projects, and possibilities to study abroad or work in an enterprise setting.

Curriculum Structure

Year One
You start with foundational modules that build up your understanding of how business works, plus introduction to managing people and organisations. For example you’ll study Foundations of Managing and Organising, Accounting and Finance for Managers, Economics and Data Analysis for Managers, Principles of Marketing, Essentials of Business Development, and Personal and Academic Development. These give you core skills: decision making, quantitative methods, marketing basics, financial literacy, and help you develop professionally.

Year Two
Here, you move more into HR-centred content and also have options to shape your learning. Some core modules in the first half of year two include Exploring Human Resource Management, Researching People and Organisations, Human Resource Development. Then in the second half, you have choices: you might do a study abroad, an enterprise project, an internship, or continue with taught modules. You also pick optional modules (e.g. Digital Entrepreneurship, Management Accounting for Decision Making, International Business and Communication) so you can specialise a bit.

Placement / Sandwich Year (if chosen)
If you choose the 4-year version with placement, there’s a full paid placement year. This is a strong feature: real work experience in HR or business before you graduate.

Final Year
In your final year you engage with strategic and contemporary HR and business themes. Key modules include Developing Professional Impact, Contemporary Issues in Human Resources, Comparative International Management, Strategic Human Resource Management. There are also options like a Research Project or Sustainability in Enterprise Project, plus electives like Managing Information and Knowledge Strategically, Corporate Governance and Risk Management, or International Development Economics. This year is about linking what you’ve learned with strategy, global and ethical issues, leadership, and preparing you for employment.

Focus Areas

“Leadership & management; HR strategy & contemporary issues; employee relations and wellbeing; recruitment, reward, performance; analytics and business decision-making; global/international business context; sustainability and ethical business practice.”

Learning Outcomes

“By graduation, you’ll be able to design, implement and manage HR practices aligned with business strategy; analyze data & research to inform people-management decisions; understand legal, ethical, cultural and diversity aspects of work; lead or support change; operate in international/global settings; communicate and work professionally; enter roles such as HR advisor, talent manager, learning & development, or broader business/management positions.”

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

Approved by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) (so you’ll gain professional relevance and credentials for HR careers).
Also has Chartered Management Institute (CMI) dual‐award status.
Nottingham Business School is accredited by EQUIS and AACSB, two globally respected accreditations for business schools.

Reputation (Employability / Rankings)

Ranked Top 20 in the UK for Business and Management in The Guardian University Guide 2026.
100% of Business Management and Human Resources students are satisfied with quality of assessment & feedback; 98% are satisfied with teaching (NSS 2025).
NTU is 1st in the UK for employability (UniCompare 2025) for this course.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At NTU, this degree isn’t just about lectures. You’ll work on live projects, apply HR tools, engage in placements, and use modern facilities to build real, transferable skills. Here are what you can expect:

Placement Year / Sandwich Option
You can choose a paid work placement year (48 weeks) in your third year (if you follow the four-year pathway). This gives you substantial work experience in a real business/HR setting.
Internships & Shorter Practical Experiences
There’s the opportunity for shorter internships (e.g. 16-18 weeks) and employer-facing projects which can start earlier in the course.
Live Consultancy Projects & Employer-Facing Tasks
Modules include live consultancy work, role-plays (e.g. recruitment panels, mock tribunals), observing HR operations, etc. You’ll get to use HR tools and business problem solving in realistic settings.
Guest Lecturers, Industry Engagement & Networking
You’ll have sessions with practitioners in the field, attend events like the “Future of Work”, engage with staff who’ve worked in HR, see how organisations operate in real life.
Modules with Data / Research / Strategy
Modules like Researching People and Organisations, Human Resource Development, Strategic Human Resource Management give you experience in analysing data, evaluating strategies, understanding modern HR challenges and applying theory in real organisational settings.
Facilities & Digital Tools
• Business Lab: has Bloomberg-terminals, giving you exposure to data and financial tools.
• Newton Building: modern classrooms, lecture theatres, group work spaces.
• Libraries: Boots Library with many physical & electronic journals/books; group study rooms and quiet study spaces.
• IT resource rooms & PC clusters with networked software, high-speed printing, etc.
Assessment & Learning Methods
Diverse assessments: group presentations, reflective learning, business reporting, mock employment tribunals, trade-union negotiation simulations, project work, both individual and in teams. This variety ensures you get to practise many workplace skills.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the BA (Hons) Business Management and Human Resources at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) emerge as adaptable, forward-thinking professionals who understand how to align people strategies with business performance. The program blends HR expertise with core business management skills, preparing students to lead, motivate, and develop talent in dynamic organisations.

Typical career paths include:

Human Resources Officer or Business Partner
Recruitment and Talent Acquisition Specialist
Training and Development Coordinator
Employee Engagement or People Operations Manager

At Nottingham Trent University, students gain a strong career foundation through:

Comprehensive employability support from NTU’s Employability Team, offering placement support, career mentoring, and tailored workshops.
Outstanding graduate outcomes: Around 94% of NTU graduates are employed or in further study within 15 months of completing their degree.
Industry partnerships: Collaborations with leading employers such as Boots, IBM, Jaguar Land Rover, and the NHS give students opportunities for placements, internships, and live business projects.
Professional recognition: The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), providing a pathway to professional membership and long-term career advancement.
Graduate success: NTU graduates secure roles across diverse industries, from multinational corporations to start-ups and public sector organisations, often progressing quickly into leadership and HR management positions.

Further Academic Progression:

After completing this degree, graduates may continue their academic journey with a CIPD-accredited MSc in Human Resource Management, MBA, or MSc in International Business. These postgraduate pathways further develop strategic leadership and global business insight, supporting progression into senior HR, consultancy, or executive management roles.