3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program
The University of Derby BA (Hons) in Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Management allows you to blend the creativity and drive of starting ventures with the strategic and people-centred side of HR. It’s ideal if you’re excited about launching or contributing to businesses while also shaping how organisations attract, engage and develop talent for the long term.
Curriculum Structure:
Year 1
In your first year you’ll build strong foundations across both entrepreneurship and HR: you’ll engage with modules that introduce business enterprise (for example, Exploring Enterprise & Entrepreneurship) and foundational HR concepts (such as Introduction to Human Resource Management), developing your understanding of how organisations are built and how people power them. You’ll also learn essential academic and professional skills alongside modules exploring business environments and teamwork.
Year 2
In year 2 you begin to deepen your knowledge: you’ll study modules around entrepreneurship such as New Venture Creation where you explore starting and scaling a business, and HR-related modules like Managing People & Talent or Employment Relations where you examine how organisations recruit, retain and motivate. At this stage you’ll also have the chance to apply your learning through work-based learning or live projects, helping you link theory and practice.
Year 3
In your final year you bring everything together: you may complete a major project (for example an entrepreneurial project or HR consultancy) and study modules such as Strategic Human Resource Management and Entrepreneurial Leadership, enabling you to shape business strategy and people strategy together. Your work culminates in demonstrating your ability to lead, innovate and apply your learning to real-world business and people challenges.
Focus areas: “Business start-ups and venture creation; talent management and employee engagement; strategic HR policy and practice in entrepreneurial and SME contexts; business growth, innovation and organisational culture.”
Learning outcomes: “You will graduate able to initiate or support new business ventures, design and implement HR strategies, analyse how people and organisations perform, and link enterprise activity with human resource planning and development.”
Professional alignment (accreditation):
The course draws on real business links and gives you practical experience (including optional placement year) to boost your readiness for roles in HR, entrepreneurship or business management.
Reputation (employability rankings):
According to the university, 94 % of UK graduates are in employment or further study, and this programme was ranked 2nd for employability in the Uni Compare Annual Student Review Rankings 2026.
At Derby you won’t just sit in lectures; you’ll apply what you’re learning about business-building and people-management in real-world contexts. You’ll build your entrepreneurial mindset (spotting opportunities, starting ventures, freelancing) alongside HRM theory (recruitment, strategic HR, internationalisation, sustainable practice) so you’re ready for business or team-leadership roles. The campus facilities are well-equipped: for example you’ll use computing labs (with commercial + open-source software) in dedicated computer lab rooms. The programme emphasises live projects with the business community, meaning you’ll experience authentic challenges.
Here are some specific hands-on opportunities you’ll get:
Why this programme works for you
If you’re someone who is excited by both starting businesses or being enterprising and managing people and organisations, this is a strong fit. You’ll graduate with the ability to: combine entrepreneurship (creativity, business idea generation, freelancing or SME roles) with HR management (people strategy, employee engagement, sustainable business). According to the course page:
“Our Entrepreneurship modules … will better enable you to start your own business, act in a freelance capacity or be enterprising within an SME or large company environment. You’ll study key elements of Human Resource Management which will allow you to contextualise HR policy and practice within … strategic direction and sustainable business.”
You’ll also benefit from being part of a campus with modern facilities and extended teaching hours (lectures 9 am–9 pm possible) so you have flexibility.
Next steps
If you’re thinking of applying, here’s a quick suggestion of what to check and prepare:
Graduates of this program are well-equipped to launch innovative ventures or drive strategic HR initiatives within organizations. The dual focus on entrepreneurship and human resource management prepares students for roles such as:
These roles are in high demand as organizations seek professionals who can blend entrepreneurial thinking with effective human resource management.
University Support & Industry Integration
The University of Derby provides robust support to ensure student success and employability:
The university's strong industry connections facilitate real-world learning experiences and enhance employability.
Further Academic Progression:
Upon completing the BA (Hons) Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Management, graduates have several pathways for further academic advancement:
These options provide opportunities to specialize further and stay at the forefront of developments in business and human resource management.



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