Human Resource Studies: People Management BSc

Program content

Human Resource Studies: People Management has an international orientation, with an emphasis on the European context. This is reflected in the choice and content of the cases that you will study during the courses.  The program has strong links with large international companies and offers a strong interaction between academic approaches and real world problems. You will be trained to take evidence-based management decisions.

• In the first year of your Bachelor's program, you will learn the basic concepts and ideas of psychology, sociology, economics and management studies. At the end of the year, you will begin to apply these disciplinary perspectives to analyze issues related to work, organization and people management.
• During the second year,  you will learn how to combine disciplinary insights and to apply these insights to real world people management problems. You will also learn to formulate evidence-based management interventions.
• In the third year of the program, you will perform scientific research on a people management related topic. You will be expected to use the theoretical knowledge you have acquired earlier in the program to conduct original scientific research. You will conclude the program with a Bachelor’s thesis.

Human Resource Studies: People Management in a nutshell - video (2:52 min)

Typical courses are:

• Strategic Human Resource Management
  Research shows a positive relationship between effective Human Resource Management and organizational performance. However, there are several challenges that require our attention to really understand the nature of the relationship between HRM and organizational performance. For example, what is the role of line managers in executing HRM and what are the payoffs between organizational performance and employee wellbeing?
• Work and Health Psychology
  This course focuses on the structure and regulation of individual work well-being and performance. Topics that are studied in work psychology relate to the level and type of workload (job demands), the resources in the job, and the role of individual differences in this context.
• Talent Management
  The course Talent Management addresses the most important organizational decisions of people management: the hiring, the development and careers of employees. It focuses, among other things, on inclusive and exclusive definitions of talent, and on instruments to assess the quality of people and their work.

More on the program and courses

Study Human Resource Studies: People Management in Tilburg

• Study people management and organizational problems in an international classroom, with a European focus and from the four disciplines of psychology, sociology, economics and management studies, making this program unique in Europe. 
• Focus on social sciences and organizational issues, while also acquiring HR analytics skills, which are important in the current field of Human Resource Management.
• Use your curriculum choices and mobility window to prepare for a Master’s program of your choice in one of the supporting disciplines and multidisciplinary programs.
• Benefit from an interactive learning environment in a small-scale international classroom and personal guidance and coaching from an academic mentor who will support you throughout your study trajectory and help you achieve your full potential. Watch a short video about our Program for Academic Study Success (PASS), designed to support you during your studies (video - 2:21 min).

What to expect when coming to Tilburg

• Why study at Tilburg University?
• International student support
• Study in Holland

Beyond your Bachelor: Extracurricular Activities

• Join the student organization: Input & Output. A great way to meet like-minded students and make friends.
• Join Faculty Association IDEA.
• Challenge yourself by participating in one of the programs of excellence.

View all extracurricular activities

Careers and subsequent Master’s programs

After obtaining your Bachelor's degree in Human Resource Studies: People Management, you can choose to do a Master's program. After you have completed a Master's program, you will have favorable career prospects as a HR specialist or policy advisor.

Graduates found work at Rabobank, Philips, DHL, Capgemini, Deloitte, ASML, and Ahold N.V.

Discover what you can do after your Bachelor’s

Please follow the national application and admission procedure (in Dutch) if you are applying based on a Dutch vwo or hbo-p diploma, regardless of your nationality. A general description of the national application procedure is also available in English.

Admission requirements

• To be eligible for admission to a research university such as Tilburg University, you must have a high school diploma equal to the highest level of secondary education in the Netherlands (the Dutch vwo diploma).
• As this Bachelor’s program is taught entirely in English, you must prove your English language proficiency. 
• A good knowledge of mathematics is important for being successful in this Bachelor’s program. In order to be admitted, you must therefore prove that you have sufficient knowledge of mathematics.

You can find more detailed information about the admission requirements on this program's 'Application and admission' page.

Go to application and admission

BSc Global Management of Social Issues

In the BSc Global Management of Social Issues you will learn how to approach complex societal challenges in an international context from an organizational and management perspective. You will for example learn how to run projects and to compose teams of experts that work on complex social issues also called ‘wicked problems’. This program  integrates knowledge from three academic fields in the social sciences: human resource studies, organization studies, and sociology.

BSc Psychology

In the BSc Psychology you will acquire a solid foundation in various fields of Psychology, preparing you for a diverse range of professional fields, including health and social services, mental health, organizational leadership and management, community and public relations, education, program development and facilitation, and social science research.

International Sociology

The BSc International Sociology focuses on the dynamics between man and society and uses a comparative perspective on the Western world. You study social themes such as migration, poverty and inequality, and cultural differences, while connecting these themes to politics and policy. You also follow introductory courses in disciplines that have common ground with sociology: political science, psychology and economics.