Courses

We are very proud that our new HRM qualifications were evaluated by the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) in 2019 and all our programmes were re-accredited for the next five years. Unisa HRM graduates therefore remain eligible to register professionally in the different categories of the SABPP.

Unisa is also the first university in South Africa to offer a comprehensive set of HRM qualifications that are fully registered and aligned to the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF).

Undergraduate qualifications

The career specific undergraduate qualifications provide entry into the field of HR management for students complying with the

The programmes are designed to provide students with a rich and relevant body of knowledge and HR competencies, grounded in the latest research and equipping them to practice an integrated and business-oriented approach to HR management in their future careers as professional HR practitioners, line managers or self-employed specialist consultants.

Diploma in Human Resource Management
The purpose of this qualification is to provide students with an opportunity to acquire applied competencies in the field of Human Resource Management required for registration with the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP), specifically in the category HR/ER Associate and be empowered to co-ordinate and contribute to the management of the core Human Resource Management functions in line with best practices and quality standards. Students are provided with a career path into the HR profession and progression into the Bachelors of Commerce (Human Resource Management) degree. This qualification lays a foundation for higher career advancement and further studies in the field of Human Resource Management
The Diploma programme will enable graduates to:

• adhere to legislative requirements and organisational policies and procedures in performing HR functions
• co-ordinate and contribute to the management of the core processes related to human resources management and practices
• co-ordinate some of the human resources management processes and practices at operational level
• promote best human resource management practices in an organisation
• contribute to the monitoring of Health and Safety at the workplace and the implementation of wellness interventions
• identify strengths and areas for improvement in own learning through self-reflection and reflection on organisational human resource management and practices.

Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resource Management
The purpose of this qualification is to empower students with the ability to provide appropriate professional HR service to an organisation, including staffing, job design and analysis, training and development of employees, performance management and improvement, compensation and reward and maintaining sound employment relations. Application of theoretical principles and HR technology and practice is contextualised in international and African best practice environments, including aspects of globalisation, embracing new technology, developing human capital, professional ethics and competitive advantage through people.

Students will also be enabled to demonstrate relevant knowledge and applied competence to conduct human resource management (HRM) practices according to the competencies specified for professional registration at the HR Practitioner level of the SABPP.
The BCom degree programme will enable graduates to:

• apply HR knowledge and general business principles to real life situations
• interpret economic realities of local community
• manage resources (financial, human and raw materials in organisations)
• manage information appropriately
• make an informed assessment in terms of what happens to human beings and human knowledge in new technological context in the business environment
• manage people effectively
• practice the ethics and standards pertinent to the HRM profession as per the Code of Ethics of the HR professional bodies
• analyse financial information critically 
• demonstrate entrepreneurial skills in appropriate contexts
• evaluate HR best practices critically in the knowledge areas of talent acquisition, talent development and talent retention.

Honours degrees and Postgraduate diplomas

The department offers three Postgraduate Diplomas, one in the general Human Resource Management stream, and two in the specialised areas of Labour Relations Management and Human Resource Development. These Postgraduate Diplomas are aimed at addressing industry needs relating to human resource management in a changing world of work. Students may also elect to register for a BCom Honours degree in Business Management and to select human resource management modules based on their undergraduate specialisation.

These qualifications provide a natural learning path for the progression from the Diploma and Bachelor's degree in HRM and pave the way for Masters’ and Doctorate studies in the field of human resource management.

Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management

The purpose of this qualification is to provide students who are in possession of an appropriate Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma and relevant experience in the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) with the opportunity to develop professional and specialised competencies in the field of HRM. The Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management will enable them to independently identify, analyse and manage human resource trends, practices and problems within the context of managing human resources in any organisation. They will also meet the qualification requirements for professional registration with the SABPP for at least the category Chartered HR Practitioner.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management offers specialised academic and professional studies for candidates holding a relevant Bachelors' Degree, Advanced Diploma or equivalent qualification.

Graduates of this programme should be able to:

• Utilise the building blocks of strategic management and the interrelatedness of these building blocks to develop a strategic plan with implementation guidelines in order to effectively manage the human resources function in an organisation.
• Demonstrate a fundamental and systematic knowledge of advanced human resource management with a view to determine, design and implement appropriate HR systems and practices to ensure proper management of employees in an organisation.
• Manage labour relations at strategic level in such a way that it contributes towards the achievement of the objectives of the organisation.
• Manage and maintain a strategic HRD portfolio and strategy for an organisation.
• Explain individual, group and organisational phenomena and assist organisations in providing a work environment that promotes quality of work life.

Postgraduate Diploma in Labour Relations Management

The purpose of this qualification is to provide students who are in possession of an appropriate Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma and relevant experience in the field of Labour Relations Management (LRM) with the opportunity to develop professional and specialised competencies in the field of LRM. The Postgraduate Diploma in Labour Relations Management will enable them to independently identify, analyse and manage labour relations trends, practices and problems within the context of employment relations in any organisation. They will also meet the qualification requirements for professional registration with the SABPP for at least the category Employment Relations Practitioner.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Labour Relations Management offers specialised academic and professional studies for candidates holding a relevant Bachelors' Degree, Advanced Diploma or equivalent qualification.

Graduates of this programme should be able to:

• utilise  the building blocks of strategic management and the interrelatedness of these building blocks to develop a strategic plan with implementation guidelines in order to effectively manage the labour relations function in an organisation
• demonstrates a fundamental and systematic knowledge of advanced human resource management with a view to determine, design and implement appropriate HR systems and practices to ensure proper management of employees in an organisation
• manage labour relations on strategic level in such a way that it contributes towards the achievement of the objectives of the organisation
• negotiate (which includes the process, approaches, tactics and techniques of labour negotiations) in a specific situation within the context of the South African legislative and organisational policy framework
• apply South African labour legislation in an organisational context

Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Development

The purpose of this qualification is to provide students who are in possession of an appropriate Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma and relevant experience in the field of Human Resource Development (HRD) with the opportunity to develop professional and specialised competencies in the field of HRD.  The Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Development will enable them to independently identify, analyse and manage human resource development trends, practices and problems within the context of people development in any organisation. They will also meet the qualification requirements for professional registration with the SABPP for at least the category Learning and Development Practitioner.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Development offers specialised academic and professional studies for candidates holding a relevant Bachelors' Degree, Advanced Diploma or equivalent qualification.

Graduates of this programme should be able to:

• Utilise the building blocks of strategic management and the interrelatedness of these building blocks to develop a strategic plan with implementation guidelines in order to manage the Human Resource Development function effectively in an organisation
• Demonstrate a fundamental and systematic knowledge of strategic human resource development with a view to determine, design and implement appropriate HRD systems and practices to ensure proper development of employees in an organisation
• Demonstrate the ability to manage HRD at an advanced level in such a way that it contributes towards the achievement of the objectives of the organisation
• Demonstrate the ability to apply the principles and techniques of organisation development at a strategic level to enhance organisational performance
• Demonstrate the ability to use comprehensive and specialised knowledge, critical reasoning and applied competence in organisation development and change

Master's and doctoral degrees

The Department of Human Resource Management does not offer direct specialised Master’s and Doctoral degrees. Students who wish to enrol for a master’s degree may apply to register for the MCom (Business Management). This is a research-based qualification and students can therefore choose any topic in an area related to business management, including human resource management, labour relations management and human resource development. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree was introduced in January 2016.

Click here to apply for admission to the master's and doctoral degrees.