Human Resources - Master of Science programme

Societies, labour markets and work are in transformation influenced by globalisation and internationalisation, digitalisation and AI, green transition and growing social inequalities. It increases the expectations on organisations in all societal sectors in terms of sustainability, responsibility and demands for innovation and new ways of thinking. This program is designed to provide you with the knowledge and methods needed to address a transforming labour market.

The Master’s programme will develop your knowledge of social sustainability, innovation and change processes in organisations and the unique role HR can fill to support this work. The HR profession needs tools to implement, develop and evaluate strategies to meet the changes taking place in organisations, working life and society, both at national and international level. Creativity and problem solving are central to strategic HR-driven development work that supports social sustainability and innovations.

Knowledge of management and governance for different forms of change is necessary in a society undergoing digitalised transformation where AI plays an increasingly important role. The programme will give you in depth knowledge of learning and skills development, collective learning processes, communication and data-driven evaluation and analysis, as these are central to meet a labour market in transformation and changing demands on organisations and companies.

The programme leads to a master’s degree in Human Resources with a major in Psychology or Sociology. The Master’s programme also provides eligibility for further studies at post-graduate level in psychology and sociology.

The programme is given on Campus in Lund at the Department of Sociology. For more information and a template for the Statement of purpose, please visit the department website:

www.soc.lu.se/en/master-science-human-resources

In the programme, you will gain:

• Knowledge and skills to conduct science-based HR work with focus on social sustainability and innovation.
• Knowledge and methods for strategic HR governance and management and data-driven evaluation and analysis.
• Knowledge and understanding of how an organisation can work with artificial intelligence to collect and analyse data.
• Methodological, analytical and communication skills in order to support organisations in their business development.
• Knowledge and skills to work in public and private sectors as well as civil society organisations.

Courses and number of credits

• Semester 1: Social Sciences and Human Resources: Concepts, Theory and Applied Methods (15 credits), Social Sustainability and Human Resources (15 credits).
• Semester 2: Innovation and Human Resources (15 credits), Methodology courses (15 credits).
• Semester 3: Elective courses: Human Resources: Internship Course (15 credits) or Human Resources: Autonomous desk study (15 credits). Compulsory course: Data-driven Strategic Management, Development and Evaluation in Human Resources (15 credits).
• Semester 4: Master’s thesis (30 credits)

Career prospects

There is a growing need for expertise that can support both traditional and emerging aspects of human resource management. The master’s programme prepares students for work as HR specialists after graduation and for entry into management functions and management teams in organisations or as consultants with specialist knowledge. The programme can also lead to further study in third-cycle education.