Students participating in a lecture

Program and courses Human Resource Studies

Become fully equipped to analyze and advise on HR, work, and organizational issues with a focus on wellbeing and performance.

Program structure

This one-year Master's program consists of 60 credits (ECTS):

  • 3 core courses (24 ECTS)
  • 2-3 out of 10 elective courses (12 ECTS)
  • Master’s thesis (24 ECTS)

The program is divided into four blocks and has two intake moments. You can start either at the end of August (first intake moment) or at the end of January (second intake moment). You can find the program content for each intake moment below.

Program content

Block 1 (September - October) (First intake moment)

First intake moment

You will take the following courses in block 1:

  • Seminar Human Resource Studies
    You gain practical and scientific insight into HR studies. You learn to assess, discuss and apply research, theory and concepts by investigating practical issues in the field.
  • HR Analytics
    Learn how to understand and apply analytics in an organizational setting, and use the outcomes to support evidence-based management and decision-making processes.

Second intake moment 

You will take the following courses in block 3:

  • HR AnalyticsLearn how to understand and apply analytics in an organizational setting, and use the outcomes to support evidence-based management and decision-making processes.
  • Master's thesis Human Resource Studies
Block 2 (October- January)

First intake moment

You will take the following courses in block 2:

  • HR Analytics
    Learn how to understand and apply analytics in an organizational setting, and use the outcomes to support evidence-based management and decision-making processes.
  • Master's thesis Human Resource Studies
  • One elective course

Second intake moment 

You will take the following courses in block 4:

  • HR Analytics
    Learn how to understand and apply analytics in an organizational setting, and use the outcomes to support evidence-based management and decision-making processes.
  • Master's thesis Human Resource Studies
  • One elective course
Block 3 (January - April) (Second intake moment)

First intake moment

You will take the following courses in block 3:

  • Organizational Change
    Gain insights and understanding of the major principles underlying successful change management initiatives. You will be prepared for the challenges of leading organizational change and renewal. 
  • Master's Thesis Human Resource Studies

Second intake moment

You will take the following courses in block 1:

  • Seminar Human Resource Studies SPRING
    You gain practical and scientific insight into HR studies. You learn to assess, discuss and apply research, theory and concepts by investigating practical issues in the field.
  • Organizational Change
    Gain insights and understanding of the major principles underlying successful change management initiatives. You will be prepared for the challenges of leading organizational change and renewal. 
Block 4 (April - August)

First intake moment

You will take the following courses in block 4:

  • Organizational Change
    Gain insights and understanding of the major principles underlying successful change management initiatives. You will be prepared for the challenges of leading organizational change and renewal. 
  • Master's thesis Human Resource Studies
  • One or two elective courses

Second intake moment 

You will take the following courses in block 2:

  • Organizational Change
    Gain insights and understanding of the major principles underlying successful change management initiatives. You will be prepared for the challenges of leading organizational change and renewal. 
  • Master's thesis Human Resource Studies
Elective courses

You can choose two or three elective courses (12 ECTS in total)

  • Positive Institutions
  • Human Resource Development
  • Performance Management
  • HRM, Work-design and Technology
  • Cultural Diversity Management
  • International Labour Law & Globalization
  • Compensation and Benefits
  • International Human Resource Management
  • Active Aging at Work
  • Inclusive HRM
  • Positive Psychology Interventions in Organizations
  • Leadership Perspectives on HRM
Master's thesis

During the second block, the Human Resource Studies’ supervisors will present several research topics and themes in a sequence of lectures. You will write an Individual Research Proposal HRS (IRP) based on one of these pre-selected themes. Once your IRP is completed and approved,  you can start writing your Master's thesis (24 ECTS).

The master’s thesis project starts at the beginning of the third block. You will join a Thesis Circle: a small group of students with similar research themes, supervised by one or more knowledgeable member(s) of the department. In this circle, individual progress and research issues are presented and discussed together.  You will receive feedback from your peers as well as from your supervisor.

Examples of thesis subjects are:

  • Inclusive HRM and transitions on the labor market 
  • Retaining older workers in the workforce 
  • The interplay between involvement and compliance-achieving HR practices on employee performance and well-being 
  • Career development of solo self-employed workers 
  • The impact of HR systems and relational climates on knowledge hiding 

You will find a detailed description of the courses and required literature in our course catalog.

Go to the course descriptions

Please note: programs are subject to change. We advise you to look up the current program in OSIRIS Student at the start of the year.

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Extend your master with an exchange program, professional traineeship or research traineeship

You can also apply for an Extended Master's Program. An Extended Master's Program adds an extra semester (6 months) to your regular Master’s program during which you get the chance to gain relevant work, abroad or research experience and enhance your professional skills or academic knowledge. 

Within the Extended Master's Program Human Resource Studies you can choose one of the following options:

  • Exchange program International Comparative HR
  • Professional traineeship
  • Research Traineeship in HR analytics

Short overview of Human Resource Studies

  • Benefit from the expertise of our specialist and generalist staff at the oldest scientific education program in the field of Human Resources in the Netherlands (since 1986) and one of the leading and largest departments of HR experts in Europe.
  • You get the opportunity to create your own unique profile through the program's elective courses.
  • The HR department consists of international specialists in the field of talent management, inclusiveness, aging and stress at work as well as generalists. 
  • The Master’s thesis is based on advanced empirical research and closely linked to the research projects of staff.   
  • The international orientation (20% of students is international) and practice-oriented approach give you a head start in the labor market. 
  • You learn to understand the foundations for HR decisions and their consequences for work, wellbeing, and performance. You also learn to implement new HR policies in the context of a changing environment. 
  • You can add another semester to the program by doing an Extended Master. You have the opportunity to expand your skills and knowledge through a professional traineeship, a research traineeship, or an (international) exchange. The total duration of the Extended Master program is 1,5 years.

Interested in the MSc Human Resource Studies?

Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application

Application and admission

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