Specialist Diploma in HR Management

This course is designed for professionals who already work within an HR team or in specialist HR functions. Content focuses on best practice, key trends, and emerging themes. The structure of the course encourages discussion and the exchange of ideas - enabling students to learn from their peers as well as from the lecturer. You must have already completed a foundation level course in HR (either theoretical or practical) or have previous experience working within an HR function.

This course is ideal for someone who already works in HR and is looking to gain a competitive edge when going for a promotion or new job. A Specialist Diploma on your CV will show you have up-to-date, relevant expertise that will bring instant value to an employer. Because the course structure promotes knowledge-sharing between peers in similar or different industries, you will also gain skills that are transferable between roles internally or when moving to different organisations or sectors.

Our online experience is designed to be just as interactive, supportive, and inspiring as the UCD Professional Academy campus experience. 

Online courses can be accessed from any computer or laptop with an internet connection. 

Live lectures are delivered using Zoom. During these lectures, your teachers will use technology interactively to ensure an engaging learning experience. During the sessions, students are guided through lectures, breakouts with defined activities, and open discussions.

Student care is a high priority at UCD Professional Academy, which is why our Student Services team is on hand to support you throughout your time with us. They will respond to any queries you have, help you with any technical issues, and facilitate your learning experience at every point. All students are given access to our Student Portal, where you can see your timetable, access all your study materials, and manage your account.

This course is assessed through a learning log (40%) and written assignment (60%).

Your learning log is a reflective exercise which you will complete weekly during the course (except the final week). Each log should be 250 words, making you final learning log a total of 5,750 words.

You written assignment will be a 5,000-word essay on a course topic of your choice. You will have two weeks following the end of the course to complete and submit the assignment.

Specialist Diplomas are extended courses designed to provide learners with the in-depth skills and knowledge they will need to advance within their chosen professional area. They focus on embedding and extending professional skills and career prospects, rather than academic credentials.

With their tight focus and duration, these diplomas are stand-alone qualifications and not referenced to NFQ levels or university degree/certificate courses. They are not generally accepted for transfer credit onto academic courses but are widely recognised and valued by employers.

Your UCD Professional Academy Specialist Diploma will be issued electronically on a secure platform, with a link that you can share with employers and others wishing to verify your credentials. You can also add this qualification to your LinkedIn profile.

This Specialist Diploma is not on the National Framework of Qualifications as a credit-bearing course. This is not unusual for professional courses of this nature, where the need is for fresh and actionable skills immediately applicable in the workplace.

A place on any of our programmes can be secured with a 10% deposit.

For full-time (bootcamp) programmes, the balance must be paid in full before course commencement.

For part-time programmes students will be required to pay 45% of the fees before the start of the course, with the remaining balance due within 30 days of the course commencing.

Please note that standard terms and conditions apply, which you can review here: https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/terms-and-conditions/