Master of Business Administration(Human Resource Management)

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

Edith Cowan University

Program Overview

ECU’s Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management) combines broad business leadership training with specialist HR knowledge, preparing students to manage people, solve complex organisational challenges and contribute strategically to business success. The two-year full-time on-campus program suits aspiring managers and HR professionals who want to strengthen their leadership, strategic decision-making and people-management capabilities.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1: Students build a strong foundation in business leadership and management through units such as Managing People and Organisations, Marketing Leadership, and Fundamentals of Value Creation in Business. They also develop an understanding of responsible decision-making and organisational strategy through units including Responsible Management and Strategic Management and International Competitiveness.

Year 2: Students deepen their leadership and strategic capabilities through Data Driven Managerial Decisions, Managing Change, and Transformative Leadership, while completing the Human Resource Management specialisation. The specialisation includes MAN5730 HRM Fundamentals plus two options from MAN6722 Acquiring and Managing Talent, MAN6704 Managing and Rewarding Employee Performance, and MAN6708 Managing Employment Relations, giving students focused expertise in contemporary people management.

Focus Areas: Human resource management, people management, organisational leadership, talent acquisition, employee performance, employment relations, strategic management, responsible management, data-driven decision-making and organisational change.

Learning Outcomes: Graduates develop critical-thinking and technical skills to solve authentic business problems, communicate and work effectively in teams, apply advanced business knowledge and research principles, independently manage substantial projects, and make ethical and socially responsible decisions.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): ECU’s Business disciplines hold AACSB International accreditation, a globally recognised quality benchmark held by fewer than 6% of business schools offering business degrees worldwide.

Reputation (Employability & Rankings): ECU reports a 5-star postgraduate experience for overall experience, skills development, teaching quality and student support in the Good Universities Guide, while its Business and Economics disciplines ranked in the top 300 globally in the Times Higher Education Subject Rankings 2025. ECU was also ranked #1 in Australia for business school teaching in the AFR BOSS Best Business Schools 2024 list.

Career Opportunities: Graduates can progress into business-driven HR roles and broader management positions, with potential pathways including Human Resources Manager, Human Resources Director, Employment Relations Manager, Recruitment Consultant, Talent Manager and Director of People and Culture.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) combines broad business learning with practical HR-focused knowledge. Students develop skills in people management through specialised units covering talent, employee performance and employment relations, while ECU’s practical orientation helps connect business concepts with workplace applications.

Practical HR learning includes:

HRM Fundamentals: Build practical knowledge of people management and contemporary HR challenges.
Talent Management: Acquiring and Managing Talent develops skills relevant to attracting and managing employees.
Employee Performance: Managing and Rewarding Employee Performance focuses on applying approaches to employee performance and rewards.
Employment Relations: Managing Employment Relations develops understanding of workplace and employment-relations practices.
Business Environment: Students can study HR within the wider MBA framework, preparing them to connect people-management decisions with organisational and business objectives.
Campus Facilities: The program is available at ECU’s Joondalup, City and South West campuses, giving on-campus students access to ECU’s university learning environment and facilities.
Industry Application: ECU describes its MBA as having a practical orientation, with graduates developing strategies and skills that can be applied in real-world organisational settings.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The MBA with Human Resource Management specialisation prepares graduates for leadership and people-management careers, with opportunities across human resources, recruitment, talent management, employment relations and organisational development. ECU’s HR-focused study develops practical skills in communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and strategic people management.

Typical Job Roles: Human Resource Manager, Recruitment Consultant, Talent Manager, Employment Relations Manager.

Career Support: ECU Careers and Employability provides free career advice, job-search support, employability resources and access to CareerHub, where students and graduates can find employment, internships and work-experience opportunities. Support also remains available to alumni for up to 14 months after graduation.

Industry Partnerships: ECU works with businesses, government organisations, not-for-profits, SMEs and large corporates. Its Work Integrated Learning model connects students with industry through internships, placements, projects and consultancies, including opportunities across HR and Business & Law.

Professional Accreditation: ECU’s business disciplines hold AACSB International accreditation, a globally recognised quality benchmark held by fewer than 6% of business schools worldwide, adding long-term value to a business qualification.

Employment & Salary: ECU’s official course information identifies strong career opportunities and a range of HR leadership roles, but does not publish a specific graduate salary figure for this MBA specialisation.

Graduation Outcomes: Graduates can progress into HR leadership, recruitment, talent, workplace relations and people-and-culture positions, with the qualification supporting career progression across diverse organisations and industries.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MBA, students interested in advanced research can consider ECU’s Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated), including research pathways in areas such as Human Resource Management.