Human resources courses

Influence how businesses are run so you can make working lives better.

Are you detail-oriented, people-centred and curious about how businesses operate? 

In human resource management (or ‘HR’) you can use your communication and agile thinking skills to shape positive working cultures. Above all, human resource managers are passionate about people. You’ll be the momentum that keeps businesses moving forward, coordinating, planning and improving things like workplace processes and employee engagement with your eye on the bottom line. 

If this is you to a tee, open the door to a new career or build on your existing skills through Open Universities Australia. We’ll help you find and enrol in online courses delivered by leading Australian universities.

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Why should you study human resources?

HR professionals thrive when they are empowered to help others and make a positive impact on an organisational scale. If you’re a compulsive planner and confident communicator, studying HR will allow you to do just that and more.

You’ll gain the ability to explain complex business ideas in terms that make sense to the common employee, and forge relationships with workers at every level. These skills are in high-demand among medium-to-large businesses.

Moreover, given the permanent shift to remote working for many businesses since the pandemic, the need for HR professionals to create a cohesive working environment for both new recruits and existing employees has never been greater.

According to LinkedIn Talent Solutions, 78% of talent professionals in the Asia-Pacific region say virtual recruiting is on the rise and that it has outlasted the impact of the pandemic and overseas conflicts.

Discover online human resources courses

Discover online HR subjects

Undergraduate USA-BUSS3111

HR Analytics

Postgraduate ACU-HRMG601

Human Resource Management

Undergraduate GRF-EHR309

Global Human Resource Management

Related degrees

What you'll learn in a HR course

Human resources is a combination of academia, street smarts and learned experiences. A HR course will enable you to become the person businesses need at the helm of their resourcing and employee experience decisions.

Depending on your past experience, you can choose to study HR at either an undergraduate or postgraduate level. An undergraduate degree, like a Bachelor of Business (Human Resource Management), is a fantastic base to get you started, because you will build your business knowledge and people skills from the ground up.

Meanwhile, a postgraduate degree in HR, like a Master of Management (Human Resource Management), is the best route for those with existing skills in the space. You will enhance your understanding of this rapidly changing industry. Of course, what you’ll cover depends on your specialisation and study plans.

In general, you will learn how to:

  • Make strategic decisions that impact the wider business and employees.
  • Develop training plans that help employees thrive, learn and live out their career goals.
  • Communicate in a way that engages employees and increases productivity.

You can also explore how to:

  • Develop and measure employment value propositions.
  • Use the process of job design to establish an employee’s roles and responsibilities.
  • Understand the value of employer branding.

Human resource course FAQs

What is human resources?

Human resources (or ‘HR’ as it is commonly known) is an industry that focuses on improving workplace engagement. HR professionals manage people, refine processes, assess businesses for the risk of turnover and aim for constant positive workplace cultures. This field has more recently gone by the terms ‘people and culture’ as well as ‘people experience’ or ‘PX’.

How long is a human resources course?

It depends on what—and how—you choose to study.

As a general guide:

  • A bachelor degree is equivalent to 3 years of full-time study.
  • A graduate certificate is equivalent to 6 months of full-time study.
  • A graduate diploma is equivalent to a year of full-time study.
  • A masters degree is equivalent to 2 years of full-time study.

That said, if you choose to study online through Open Universities Australia, you can control how long it takes to complete your qualification. You have the flexibility to choose how many subjects you take at once, and scale them up and down as it suits you. While some universities will require you to complete your course in a set time period, other universities have no limit at all.

If you’d like to find out more about this, reach out to us directly and our friendly student advisors can help you out.

How do I know if I’m eligible to apply for a course?

Before starting an enrolment, it’s important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you’re eligible to apply. If you don’t quite meet the requirements, we may be able to help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study.

Chat with us to find out more.

How do I enrol?

Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.

When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.

Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.

If you get stuck at any time, reach out to us and we’ll talk you through it.

You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.

Why study online through Open Universities Australia?

Find the right course for you

Explore and choose from thousands of degrees, subjects and short courses from leading Australian unis.

Start studying, regardless of academic history

We offer entry without requirements through single undergraduate subjects from full degrees.

Gain credit towards your degree

Apply for credit for past study, or your work experience, and finish your studies faster.

Graduate with a degree from a leading uni

Enrol through us and graduate with exactly the same qualifications as on-campus students.

Feel supported from start to finish

Our student advisors can guide you in the right direction and help with your enrolment.

Get going with OUA

Compare and apply

We’ll help you find the right course for you. Our student advisors are ready to answer your questions.

Work out your finances

During your enrolment, we’ll offer you the option to pay upfront in full, or defer your payment using a student loan. Remember to look into income tax deductions for course fees and study-related expenses.

Get credit for your success

We won’t let your hard work go unrecognised. Choose to take a single subject, or combine your work as part of a degree.

We're here to guide you there

Our student advisors can assist you with enrolment, help you plan your studies, and answer questions about how studying through Open Universities Australia can get you from where you are today, to where you want to be tomorrow.

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