First Year
This degree programme lasts 9 months and comprises 60 credits. The modules in this first block are designed to provide the strategic and functional knowledge framework upon which all advanced skills will be built upon, thus providing a 360-degree view of modern talent management .
Human Capital Development and Talent Retention
This module covers the talent lifecycle, teaching students how to plan staffing requirements and design motivating job roles. Students learn to implement effective recruitment and selection processes, culminating in the creation of onboarding programmes that ensure successful integration and lay the foundations for long-term human capital retention.
Strategic Human Resources Management
This module teaches how to position HR as a strategic business partner. Students learn to align people management with corporate objectives, to use data analytics ( People Analytics) to make informed decisions, and to measure the department’s impact using tools such as the HR Scorecard to demonstrate its value.
Team Management Skills and Techniques
This module provides practical training in managerial skills. It focuses on developing leadership and motivational skills, and on equipping students with effective techniques for team management, conflict resolution, running productive meetings and the effective management of organisational change.
Objectives and Performance Management
Here, participants learn systems for measuring and enhancing staff performance. The module covers management by objectives (OKR) and by competencies, various methods of performance appraisal, and the design of remuneration and benefits schemes that are directly linked to results to incentivise excellence.
Talent Planning, Recruitment and Selection
This course focuses on attracting and securing the best talent. It explores workforce planning in depth, as well as the most innovative recruitment and selection tools, including the use of technology (ATS) and the creation of a strong employer brand.
Introduction to Employment Law
This module provides the essential legal knowledge required for HR professionals to ensure regulatory compliance. It covers everything from the different types of employment contracts and working conditions to the functioning of the social security system and the company’s legal obligations.
Management
To be a business partner, you need to understand the business. This module offers an overview of business management, examining the fundamentals of business organisation and how the HR department should interact and align with other key departments such as finance, marketing and operations.
Remuneration and Benefits
This module delves into the design of fair and competitive remuneration systems. Students learn how to create compensation plans that balance fixed pay with incentives, how to incorporate employee benefits (emotional pay) and how to monitor the system to ensure its sustainability and fairness.
International People Management
Focused on the global environment, this module prepares students to lead in multicultural organisations and manage diversity. It covers talent management at an international level, performance appraisal across different cultures, leading virtual teams and managing the complex issues surrounding expatriates.
Labour Relations and Collective Bargaining
This module equips students to operate within the framework of collective labour relations. It examines the role of trade unions, collective bargaining strategies, the management of strikes, and the fundamentals of risk prevention and occupational health to ensure a safe working environment.
Work Placement
This experience bridges the gap between theory and practice. Through a placement in a company, students apply the knowledge they have acquired in a real professional environment, gaining practical experience, developing new skills and facilitating their future entry into the labour market.
Master’s Thesis (TFM)
The MSc Thesis is the project that culminates the master’s programme, in which students bring together everything they have learnt. Through a research paper or an applied project, students demonstrate their ability to solve a complex HR problem, establishing themselves as experts in an area of their interest.
Methodology of the Master’s in Human Resources Leadership and Management
This Master’s programme offers the highest level of assurance as it is accredited by the Council of Universities, which grants it full validity throughout Spain and within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). This means that the qualification obtained will be officially recognised in dozens of countries, greatly broadening the career prospects of its graduates.
Furthermore, for students from Latin America, the programme offers a key distinguishing advantage, as it is recognised and accredited by the region’s main education systems. Bodies such as SENESCYT (Ecuador), MEN (Colombia), SEP (Mexico) and MESCYT (Dominican Republic), amongst others, automatically recognise the qualification, simplifying administrative procedures and opening the doors to the labour market across the Americas.
The main reason why working professionals choose to study at UAX is the genuine possibility of balancing personal life, work and studies. The methodology is designed to be barrier-free and student-centred, based on three pillars:
- Online with constant support: from day one, students have the support of academic advisers who guide their learning so that they never feel alone in front of the screen. Students have access to a clear study plan and a Virtual Campus with all the resources they need for their learning.
- Flexible and at your own pace: students can study wherever and whenever they wish, with complete freedom over their timetable. The Virtual Campus is available 24/7, allowing access to classes to watch them live or on demand, as suits them best. They can also contact their lecturers via various channels to clarify any queries at any time.
- The assurance of a leading university: students become enrolled at Alfonso X el Sabio University, a prestigious institution with over 30 years’ experience in training professionals. Furthermore, although the programme is delivered online, students have full access to the Madrid campus to carry out administrative tasks, seek advice or simply enjoy the facilities.
Career prospects for the Master’s in HR Management
The final and most important question for any prospective student is what doors this programme will open. A Master’s in Human Resources does not train students for a single role, but equips them for a wide range of strategic and highly sought-after roles across all types of organisations, from tech start-ups to large multinationals. Upon completion, graduates are prepared to take on roles such as:
- HR Business Partner (HRBP): this is the strategic role par excellence. The HRBP is embedded within a business unit (e.g. Marketing, Operations) as an in-house consultant, helping its leaders achieve their objectives through bespoke talent management.
- Talent Acquisition Manager: as a specialist in attracting talent, they are responsible for designing and executing the company’s recruitment strategy, leading recruitment teams to find and hire the best professionals in a competitive market.
- Compensation and Benefits Manager: a highly analytical and strategic role, in which the professional is responsible for designing salary policies, incentive schemes and benefits packages to ensure the company remains competitive and can attract and retain its key employees.
- Learning and Development Manager (L&D Manager): their mission is to develop internal talent by designing career plans, training programmes, performance appraisals and succession strategies to ensure the organisation has the leaders it will need in the future.
- Labour Relations Specialist: acts as the link between the company and employee representatives, negotiating collective agreements, managing compliance with labour regulations and mediating in potential disputes.
- Head of Human Resources: for experienced professionals, this master’s degree ideally positions them to take on the highest level of responsibility within the department, defining the company’s overall human capital strategy and reporting directly to senior management.
Summary
This article provides a comprehensive guide to the Human Resources modules that make up the curriculum of the Online Master’s Degree in Human Resources. It breaks down in detail the content of each subject in the first semester, ranging from strategic management and talent planning to the development of managerial skills and the legal foundations of the profession. The aim is to provide a clear and in-depth overview of the knowledge and skills students will acquire, preparing them to become strategic leaders capable of managing human capital in today’s complex business environment.
Sources
