Is It Worth Doing A Masters Degree In Human Resources Management?
Monday, February 8th, 2010 at
5:27 pm
I am not sure if human resources is the right field to go into and whether doing a masters in HR will be worth it… I’m just worried that there might be no jobs next year or so if the recession lingers.
Tagged with: Degree • Doing • Human • Management • Masters • Resources • Worth
Filed under: Human Resources Degrees
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If you want to do the MSc in HRM, check the course content carefully because many universities tend to offer courses which are theoretical and lack any practical content, which an employer would be looking for.
As already mentioned, the CIPD is useful to contact, especially because they can help you find a course which is CIPD accredited (a must).
A better option for you might be to enter HR at a low level position. From this point, you could study for a qualification on a part-time basis (or even have your employer agree to pay towards it). As another answer pointed out, there is no substitute for actual experience in the field.
Are you already in the field? People who seek out an MHR degree are those who have already been practicing in the HR arena for a few years, at least, and are looking at a master’s to higher their ability to rise the ranks. They aren’t interested in an MBA or any other degree for that matter ,as the MHR is the most relevant towards their goals.
If you’re inexperienced this would be the wrong approach. Upon graduation you would have no better prospects of being hired than someone who didn’t have the MHR degree. Degree is never a substitute for experience. In fact, having too much education without any experience is sometimes seen negatively by employers as one who is indecisive and/or fearful of the real world, so they would actually hire one with just a bachelor’s over a masters with no experience.
Well, ask yourself… “What would I do with it?” Don’t worry so much about the job market. A recession is the perfect time to get an education! Do something you’ll like, otherwise you’ll be miserable and more likely to drop out anyway. Just remember that a Master’s degree will make you more competitive for jobs, especially with the influx of applicants with just a bachelor’s degree or less.
I would recommend getting your masters in a broader field considering the economic times. It will give your a wider range of jobs you will be able to get and hopefully there will be jobs out there for you! I would say to get your masters in business administration.http://business.adelphi.edu/gbus/
Get in touch with the CIPD, the UK’s professional body for HR. They should be able to give you the necessary detail…..http://www.cipd.co.uk/default.cipd