Career opportunities
The HRM major and minor will give you the skill set to apply for HRM roles in large or small, public or private organisations. These usually begin with HR administrator roles, with progress through to advisors and managers. Alternatively, you can specialise in areas such as employment relations, talent management, learning and development, or recruiting. The skill set gained in the HRM major will also enable you to enter graduate recruitment schemes.
Hands-on HRM at Otago
Students and staff share how Otago’s Human Resource Management major blends theory and practice, with a strong focus on leadership skills, communication, and real-world connections.
Read transcript
Cecilia Foster:
Hi, my name is Cecilia and I study Human Resource Management here at Otago. What I love about this subject is the group work we get to do, so it’s really hands-on work. I get to take the theory I’ve learnt in class and apply that practically. I love about the subject that you get leadership skills and people management skills which are transferable in any job role that I want to go into.
This subject has really inspired me to help businesses and encourage them to invest in their people, so I aspire to be an HR manager in the future.
Dr Paula O'Kane:
So my name is Paula O'Kane and I am the course director for the BCom major in Human Resource Management. Human Resource Management at Otago has been around for about three or four years as a major, but we taught a lot of those subjects prior to the major being introduced.
Students who study HRM at Otago do a lot of practical experiences. So we have a negotiation paper that is intense that allows people to really understand what negotiation's about. We bring in lots of speakers and we really work together to bring students in and to understand them and to get to know them.
We also are closely aligned with the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand, so we bring speakers in from there, we use their resources and we’re really engaged with that practitioner community.
Another key benefit of HRM Otago is that we really engage with our alumni network. We use them to mentor our students, to provide job opportunities, and really engage and make them enjoy the course and bring people together, as we do as a subject for Human Resource Management.
Human Resource Management at Otago gives people really great transferrable skills. We focus a lot on communication skills, whether that’s presentations — which we know people at the time perhaps don’t really enjoy — but when they go out into the workplace having those skills is absolutely beneficial. We get that feedback constantly from our graduates.
Their written communication skills are really developed as well, and then the knowledge much more generally of Human Resource Management is extremely well grounded. We practice evidence-based Human Resource Management, so we get students to go to the literature but also to practitioner reports to bring information together so they can make really good and signed decisions whenever they think about what they’re going to do for HR in the workplace.
We really encourage people to come together to form close-knit teams, to really work as teams within HRM at Otago, and then whenever they go out into the big bad world out there, we have lots of networks already built. So you have your own alumni, you have the people that you have met through university that really helps you build your career in HR.
Student exchange
The University of Otago has exchange agreements with more than 90 institutions in over 30 countries. If your marks average B or better you may qualify to attend one of these institutions for one semester or a full year. You pay only your New Zealand fees and complete your qualification within the same timeframe as if you had never been away.
As an HRM student you are also encouraged to participate in one of the more than 50 specific business exchanges offered through the Otago Business School. The School also offers scholarships to assist students with their travel costs.
What you need to study
For a BCom majoring in HRM you must complete the following papers (and also meet BCom degree requirements including the completion of all BCom core BSNS papers):
100-level
BSNS 111 Business and Society
MANT 101 Managing for Performance
200-level
MANT 250 Managing People
MANT 251 Managing Organisations
Plus one further paper from:
MANT 217 International Management
MANT 222 Interpersonal and International Business Communication
MANT 252 Developing Responsible Leadership
300-level and beyond
MANT 345 Strategic Human Resource Management
MANT 346 Employment Relations
Plus two further papers from:
MANT 330 Leadership
MANT 339 Human Resource Development
MANT 347 Occupational Psychology
Degree options
Because HRM is focused on an organisation's most important asset – its people – completing an HRM major or minor alongside another discipline available in the BCom degree makes perfect sense. HRM also complements many disciplines studied outside the Business School, such as Gender Studies, Law, Psychology, and Sociology. Otago's flexible degree structures enable you to study HRM alongside many majors. Human Resource Management can also be one of the two majors that comprise a BACom or BComSc combined degree.
Recommended high school subjects for undergraduate study
There are no formal prerequisite subjects to study HRM at 100-Level – you don't even have to have studied business subjects before. However, because all Business students complete a set of compulsory core papers, and because of the importance of communication to organisational life, it is recommended that you study English, Mathematics or Statistics at high school.
Choose a study option
Whether you're embarking on your academic journey with our comprehensive undergraduate programmes or aiming to reach new heights through our advanced postgraduate offerings, Otago is here to support your aspirations.
Undergraduate qualifications
For new and current students studying towards a Bachelor's or other first degree. Explore undergraduate qualifications at Otago, designed to build a strong foundation in your chosen field, preparing you for a successful career or further study.
Note: this subject can also be studied as a minor.
Bachelor of Commerce (BCom)
A three-year degree offering flexibility to explore a major in Commerce along with other subjects
Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom)
Combine two majors, one in Arts and one in Commerce, into a four-year degree and expand your future career prospects
Bachelor of Commerce and Science (BComSc)
Combine two majors, one in Commerce and one in Science, into a four-year degree and expand your future career prospects
Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr)
A three-year degree that equips you to change the world as you create new products, services and ideas
Ready to apply?
Take the first step towards your future in this subject.
Further study opportunities
Whether you are looking to bridge your undergraduate studies to advanced knowledge or aiming to specialise in a specific field, Otago offers a range of graduate and postgraduate options to suit your aspirations.
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Programme details
Compare programmes for this subject.
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | MANT 101 Managing for Performance | 18 |
| BSNS 111 Business and Society | 18 | |
| BSNS 112 Interpreting Business Data, BSNS 113 Economic Principles and Policy, BSNS 114 Financial Decision Making, BSNS 115 Accounting and Information Systems – must normally be taken in first year of study | 72 | |
| 200-level | MANT 250 Managing People | 18 |
| MANT 251 Managing Organisations | 18 | |
| One of MANT 217 International Management MANT 222 Interpersonal/International Business Communication MANT 252 Developing Responsible Leadership | 18 | |
| 300-level | MANT 345 Strategic Human Resource Management | 18 |
| MANT 346 Employment Relations | 18 | |
| Two of MANT 330 Leadership and Change MANT 339 Human Resource Development MANT 347 Occupational Psychology | 36 | |
| Plus | 126 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above.Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Commerce. | 126 |
| Every programme must include BSNS 111-115. At least three of these papers must be passed before enrolling in any 200-level Commerce paper, and all must normally be passed before enrolling in any 300-level Commerce paper. For single-degree BCom students, all five must be attempted in the first year of study or equivalent. STAT 110 or STAT 115 will be accepted as an alternative to BSNS 112 as a required paper or as part of the major subject requirements or as a prerequisite when: Any student who completed PTWY 111 before enrolling in the BCom degree shall be exempt from the requirement to complete BSNS 113. Any student who has completed PTWY 112 before enrolling in the BCom degree shall be exempt from the requirement to complete BSNS 114. A candidate completing the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws is able to satisfy the CPA/CAANZ accreditation requirements by substituting:a) LAWS 202, LAWS 203, LAWS 204, LAWS 301 and LAWS 407 in place of BLAW 211 and BLAW 212 b) LAWS 416 in place of ACTP 312. | ||
| Total | 360 |
A minor subject can be included in many of our undergraduate degrees. To earn a minor, you typically must complete a minimum of 90 points in that subject, with at least 18 points at the 300-level.
Your minor can be a subject more commonly taken for a different degree. For example, a BCom majoring in Marketing can include Japanese as a minor subject. To include this subject as a minor in your application, first find a major subject through our Subject Search or Study Match.
You can check what’s required to receive the minor accreditation in the programme details below.
Available as a minor subject for a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Music (MusB), Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Bachelor of Theology (BTheol), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr), Bachelor of Health Science (BHealSc), Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom), Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) or Bachelor of Commerce and Science (BComSc) degree
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | MANT 101 Managing for Performance | 18 |
| 200-level | MANT 250 Managing People | 18 |
| 300-level | MANT 345 Strategic Human Resource Management MANT 346 Employment Relations | 36 |
| Plus | One of | 18 |
| Total | 90 |
Papers
View a list of all related papers below.
HURM papers
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More information
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