Objective of the Major

The HRM Major is designed to equip students with the requisite skills, knowledge and attributes to operate effectively within, or to manage, the HR function in private, public and not-for-profit organisations. With the increasing incorporation of human resource management in organisational strategy, the HR function grows in importance and consequently the demand for competent professionals is expected to expand. Further, as HRM becomes more complex as a result of globalisation, social changes and legislative developments, there is an increasing need for HR practitioners to possess heightened conceptual and analytical abilities.

As well as developing expertise directly related to the practice of HR, the Major aims to extend students' general business abilities in areas such as written and oral communication; teamwork; the research, analysis, and synthesis of information; computer literacy; and the social, economic and political dimensions of organisations.

Structure and content of the HRM Major

Nominated electives in HR Major: BMA2/391 Managerial Social Responsibility; BMA330 Strategic Issues in HRM; BFA1/281 Financial Management

Graduate career opportunities

Graduates of the HRM Major can look to employment in the private and government sectors within the general HR function, or in specialist areas such as recruitment, HR development, equal employment opportunity, occupational health and safety, organisational change, enterprise bargaining, policy development, and representation at Industrial Relations Commission hearings.

Graduate testimonials

Kevin Lewis

After graduating in 1996 I joined Comalco as HR adviser at Boyne Smelters in Queensland where I worked on moving the workforce to staff employment contracts. In this capacity, the knowledge I gained in the HR Major helped me in working with unions, managing industrial action, appearances in AIRC hearings, and handling unfair dismissal cases, enterprise agreements, etc. In the following year, I was promoted to Specialist HR Adviser & led a team providing HR Services at the smelter. Here, I was involved in recruitment for the site, the development of job descriptions, salary reviews, performance review processes, and the implementation of a HR Information System. In all these tasks, I drew on my studies in the HR Major. Following this, I was appointed as Acting HR Manager for site where I led team of 30 HR, Training, Health & Safety, and Security Staff. In 1999 I was seconded to Rio Tinto Coal in the Hunter Valley as Specialist HR Adviser, working on major restructure. Here, I focussed on a 'Selection for Retention' process which resulted in 55 redundancies in heavily unionised environment.

In 2000 I joined GE Plastics as HR Manager for Australia and New Zealand .  This was a stand alone, generalist role responsible the full range of HR activities from union negotiations, through to developing incentive plans for sales teams. After a year, I was seconded to GE Plastics headquarters in Massachusetts , USA , where I worked on annual performance reviews, HR planning, executive development, and succession planning for GE Plastics globally. In 2002 I moved to Organization Development Manager for GE Plastics, Asia Pacific, based in Shanghai , China . The primary focus of this position was Organisational Development for 8 countries across Asia , with a particular emphasis on 'International HRM'. In 2004, I commenced my present position as HR Manager with GE Consumer Finance in London , UK . This is a generalist HR role with a primary objective of integrating two recently acquired businesses into GE.

  Ferdie Kroon

I commenced my Bachelor of Business degree in 1991 on the North West Coast before moving to Launceston in 1992. I graduated with a Human Resource Management Major in 1994. After graduation, I worked for the Department of Defence in a variety of roles, ranging from finance and human resource services to executive support. My degree prepared me well for the different HR roles which included supervising a training and development cell, developing an internal recruitment shopfront, undertaking cost analyses, and establishing new functions. I left the Department of Defence to join the Housing Industry Association (HIA) as an Industrial Advocate and I used my industrial relations studies to great effect. I have undertaken a significant amount of on-site and tribunal based industrial advocacy as well as developed HR policies for larger members and assisted with all manner of HR operations. I have also worked in compliance, safety and general managerial functions with HIA and my degree has provided an excellent grounding to all of these roles.