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Student Profiles

Eamonn MacManus, Year 1 student, MA Human Resource Management

Why did you decide to pursue a postgraduate course?

I currently work in Human Resources in a large Public Sector organisation. This programme will give me a better insight into Human Resources across other sectors. It will also help me attain the skills and knowledge to progress in my Human Resource career which is only beginning.

What do you think of this course?

This course is manageable however time needs to be dedicated to additional reading, study and assignments. There is a lot of direction shown to students which is helpful coming up to exams and assignment deadlines.

Would you recommend this course?

Of course I would recommend this course for anyone who is committed to a career in Human resources. The staff at the Management School are very approachable and helpful. The course tutors, although stick to deadlines, are aware that many people on the course have full time jobs and families. Since the course began I have met a lot of new friends and networks across different sectors and organisations.

How would you describe your experience of studying in Queen’s University Management School?

So far I’ve had a great experience. I hope the rest of my studies are as beneficial and enjoyable as they’ve been so far.

What do you think of the facilities at Riddel Hall and Queen’s that you use?

Most of the facilities I use are at Queen’s, in particular the McClay Library which is an amazing facility. Access to computers, information and parking are a number of other things which I wasn’t expecting before I joined the university.

Having undertaken this programme how do you feel it will benefit you in the work place?

I have only completed the first semester and already I am able to relate some of the learning back into my work place, particularly the Leading, Managing and Developing people module.  Although I am not quite at a level to implement some of the practices we learn about I am able to see why certain policies and procedures exist in my current organisation.

Have you undertaken a study trip as part of your programme, if so please highlight how you found this beneficial and what you enjoyed about this.

As part of my course we had to attend the 2 day ‘HR Future Insights’ event. To be honest I wasn’t looking forward to this part of the programme as previous experiences of residentials were not the most exciting way to spend a weekend, however after the first evening these thoughts quickly changed. There were a lot of important speakers from internal professors to external speakers from other organisations for example; CIPD, LRA, PWC. Some of the information I learned from these speakers was not only beneficial for the course but also for my own work outside university. There were also representatives from Queen’s learning development service. They spoke to us about referencing and showed us some software that I was previously unaware of (Refworks) and the journal database in Libguides. We were also shown some past pupils’ examples of work. This was really beneficial to me as it made me aware of the level expected. I knew I had to do a lot more if I wanted to meet this standard.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the event was getting to meet members from the 2nd year class. Our programme director paired us up with a member of this class for dinner. It was a relaxed informal evening with a beautiful meal. After speaking with the 2nd year students I felt reassured and motivated to continue the hard work. The spoke about how quickly the course passes and even though we are all working full time it is still manageable.

 

Barry Love, Year 2 student, MA Human Resource Management

Why did you decide to pursue an MA in Human Resource Management?

I have worked in the field of transport training within Translink at a supervisory level for 6 years and felt my role to be an integral and relevant part of people management and development.  I also wanted to develop my career further into HR Management and believed that taking this CIPD accredited course would help me achieve this.  The reputation of the quality of teaching within Queen’s University Management School was another influencing factor.

Please tell me a little bit about the course and what it involves, including details of your postgraduate dissertation

The first 2 years involve 9 taught modules and a CIPD Management Research Report.  The third year involves a final Masters Dissertation.  It is designed to give students a broad range of HR Management skills and knowledge at a mainly strategic level.

What do you think of this course?

Working full-time and attending classes two nights a week can be quite intensive.  The content of each module is quite detailed also but assignments and examinations are usually spread out throughout the academic year which helps! The course is very well-structured and is delivered by a very professional teaching team.  I am enjoying the course and believe it has cemented my ambition to develop my career within HR Management.

Would you recommend this course?"

Yes definitely.  The course is designed around the needs of the modern HR Manager.  It has an excellent mixture of knowledgeable academic and vocational teaching staff, giving students the best of both HR worlds! It is also CIPD accredited which helps in terms of continual development, recognition and networking.

How would you describe your experience of studying in Queen's University Management School?"

My experience of studying within the Management School to date has been excellent. It has been hard work but this is often eased by the enjoyable, thought-provoking and interactive classes and activities that our class are involved with.  I feel that I have learned so much and have been well-supported throughout the process by my tutors and staff at Riddel Hall.

What do you think of the facilities at Riddel Hall and Queen’s that you use?

The academic resources available within the library and online are excellent. 

Having undertaken this programme how do you feel it will benefit you in the work place?

I am one year into the course and already it has benefited me. I have recently gained the HR Management position of Internal Communications Manager for Translink and this is a direct result of the career guidance, knowledge and skills that I have gained studying for my postgraduate degree.

Have you undertaken a study trip as part of your programme?

I attended a 2 day ‘HR Future Insights’ event at Riddel Hall in January.  It took place over a Friday evening and Saturday morning/early afternoon.  Everyone on the course found the event to be extremely worthwhile.  There was a mix of highly engaging lectures and workshops as well as the opportunity to mingle with students at all levels on the course.  Riddel Hall’s stunning interior and excellent facilities only added to the success of the weekend.

We had the opportunity to discuss contemporary and local HR issues with a varied range of professionals within HR and the wider local business community.  We were also given a supporting workshop on critical essay writing, guidance on CIPD membership/local branch events and highly insightful talks from previous students on the course. 

I believe the ‘HR Future Insight’ event is a fundamental part of the course.  It bridges the theoretical and practical world of HR so that students have the opportunity to network with prominent HR professionals as well as gain insight into the future (and often exciting) developments of HRM.  I would even go as far as saying that the event should be made available to all HR practitioners, irrespective of whether they are students of the course or not.