How to become a human resource manager
Build yourself an enriching career in human resource management at Swinburne. Whether you’re seeking a bachelor degree, a TAFE course to pathway into a degree, or a postgraduate qualification, our programs will teach you the skills and foresight to become a successful human resource manager.
3 steps to become a human resource manager
Earn a Swinburne qualification, gain real world experience, then build your network and stay informed of the latest trends in human resource management.
1. Get a qualification
Swinburne’s 3-year Bachelor of Business, majoring in Human Resource Management will help you gain the HR skills that are most in demand. Dive into topics such as organisational behaviour, industrial relations, nurturing a diverse and inclusive workplace, performance management and innovation.
Plus, gain real-world experience while studying—take the opportunity to complete 6- or 12-month professional placements, internships and/or study tours.
This degree is accredited by the Australian Human Resource Institute.
Searching for a pathway into the bachelor degree?
If you have at least three years of full-time work experience in human resources, our live, online Diploma of Human Resource Management will provide you with foundational skills in managing and training staff, and meeting the legal requirements of an HR role. Upon completing this 6–8 month course, you could transition into the Bachelor of Business, majoring in Human Resource Management. Delivered part-time, the diploma program is ideal if you want to keep working while you study.
Alternatively, consider our Diploma of Business (UniLink). It has no work experience requirement, and if successfully completed, provides a guaranteed pathway into the second year of the Bachelor of Business, majoring in Human Resource Management.
Move into an HR leadership role with postgraduate study
If you’re already in a mid-level HR-related role and are seeking to differentiate yourself from your peers, consider a Master of Human Resource Management.
Looking for a taster of postgraduate study to see if it’s for you? Start with a Graduate Certificate of Human Resource Management—the credits you gain will count towards the master degree, if you choose to pursue it.
Both postgraduate courses were also co-created with industry partners such as Medibank, Workday and Siemens.
2. Gain experience
Ensuring that you graduate as a job-ready practitioner is our number one goal. And the key to that is guaranteeing real industry experience.
In our bachelor degrees you will:
- get the chance to accelerate your real-world human resources skill-building with an optional 6- or 12-month work placement, or
- choose the 4-year Bachelor of Business (Professional), majoring in Human Resource Management, which includes a guaranteed 12-month work placement
- have the option to find a part-time internship through Swinburne’s job boards
- work in teams, on industry-linked projects.
In our Diploma of Human Resource Management, you’ll learn through tangible, practical projects, such as creating an HR strategy to deliver the right workforce mix, and developing employee and industrial relations policies.
At the master degree level, you’ll work on a human resource consultancy project with a client from either the private or public sector.
In both the master degree and graduate certificate, you’ll utilise industry-informed case studies to bring learning to life. Alongside that, you’ll have the chance to go on site visits to industry partners such as Siemens, Medibank and Workday—observe their internal culture and see how HR works in the real world.
3. Build your HR network, keep up-to-date with news
The Australian Human Resource Institute is the professional body that sets HR standards and certifies HR professionals nationwide. By becoming a member, you can access training, bespoke advice and ample networking opportunities.
To stay on top of HR industry news and connect with fellow professionals at events, Human Resources Director is Australia’s leading multimedia HR resource.
Explore our human resource courses
Want to immerse yourself in change management, diversity and inclusion, reward and recognition, HR technology, industrial relations and more?
How long will it take to become a human resource manager?
Regardless of whether you’re fresh out of school or a working professional looking for your next big move, Swinburne has a course to suit.
You could study a 3-year bachelor degree, a 4-year professional bachelor degree, or even dip your toe in with a 6–8 month–long diploma (with the opportunity to continue into a bachelor degree if you choose).
And with full and part-time options, it’s easy to fit study into your schedule. There’s even the opportunity to fast-track your course by taking classes over a summer or winter term.
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Postgraduate degree
6–24 months full-time, or part-time equivalent.
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Quick facts about human resource management
Average salary
$127k
Job satisfaction
4.1/5
Job growth
16.3% more jobs between 2021-23
What skills do human resource managers need?
Domain capabilities:
- talent management
- workforce effectiveness
- culture leadership
- organisational enablement
- business strategy
- trusted partnership
- health, safety and wellbeing.
Domain skills:
- talent acquisition
- workforce planning
- diversity, equity and inclusion
- HR technology
- HR strategy
- influence and impact
- psychological safety.
Soft skills:
- critical thinking
- empathy
- emotional intelligence
- organisation
- negotiation
- decision making.
Study human resource management at Swinburne
Imparting real-world, practical HR skills on you is our focus. When you graduate, you’ll be more than capable of holding your own in a high-functioning HR team.
Duration:
3–4 years or part-time equivalent
Entry requirements:
Successful completion of VCE, relevant Unilink diploma, TAFE course or similar
Career outcomes:
human resource consultant
human resource adviser
human resource business partner
human resource manager (with several years experience).
Recommended if you want to complete the most widely-accepted qualification in the HR field:
Recommended courses:
Duration:
6–24 months or part-time equivalent
Entry requirements:
Successful completion of a recognised bachelor degree
Career outcomes:
- human resource manager
- human resource director (with further experience).
Recommended if you’re seeking a mid-career move into human resource management:
Recommended if you want senior management to take notice of your intentions to advance your career:
Vocational and short courses that can pathway into a bachelor degree.
Duration:
6–8 months or part-time equivalent
Entry requirements:
Successful completion of VCE or relevant study and/or work history.
Career outcomes:
- human resource assistant
- human resource officer.
Recommended if you’ve recently completed VCE or an international year 12 equivalent. Also recommended if you’ve partially completed an approved tertiary qualification, or have relevant work experience. Successful completion guarantees you a pathway into second year of a bachelor degree:
Recommended if you’ve already been in an HR role for three years and are seeking to advance your career in human resource management, or a pathway into the bachelor degree:
Why study human resource management at Swinburne?
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Real world experience in all courses
Practical work integrated learning opportunities embedded in all courses.
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Co-created and delivered with leading industry partners
Such as Medibank, Workday and Siemens.
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Successful graduate outcomes
According to QILT: Graduate Outcomes Survey 2018-2020, Swinburne business bachelor degree holders earn 9.8% over the national average.
Frequently asked questions
No two days are the same. Human resource managers play an important and varied role that impacts every person in an organisation.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- recruiting employees
- managing staff onboarding
- leading diversity, equity and inclusion programs
- guiding organisational culture
- overseeing staff wellbeing
- assisting with training and development
- managing workplace relations
- overseeing occupational health and safety.
Ideal HR managers are strong leaders, planners and communicators. Being a natural ‘people person’ helps too.
It is possible; however, you should note that nearly 37% of human resource professionals hold a bachelor degree and 15% hold a postgraduate qualification. At the managerial level, the percentage of those holding postgraduate degrees goes up to 24%1.
If you’re not ready for a full degree yet, Swinburne has options for you.
If you already have at least three years’ experience in the human resources field, you could study the Diploma of Human Resources Management. It’s a 6–8 month, part-time course delivered live, online.
If you’re looking for a guaranteed pathway into our Bachelor of Business, majoring in Human Resource Management, then consider our Diploma of Business (UniLink). It’s an 8-month long course, and successful completion guarantees that you can pathway into second year of the degree.
Yes, you can!
It’s worth thinking about your own preferred study style—will a fully-online course suit you? Or would you prefer a combination of online and on-campus learning?
If it’s a fully-online experience you’re after, Swinburne Online’s Bachelor of Business—Human Resource Management might be right for you.
But if you like the independence of online study as well as having in-person classes or tutorials, Swinburne’s Bachelor of Business, majoring in Human Resource Management will allow you to do just that.
According to the Australian Government’s Your Career site, the future demand for human resource managers is very strong3.
Nearly every organisation and industry requires human resources professionals (with the exception of very small businesses). Examples include the fields of finance, education, health, manufacturing, mining, technology, transportation, engineering, medicine—the list goes on.
As a whole, human resource professionals—which includes human resource advisers, recruitment consultants and workplace relation advisers—will see a 13.1% growth in jobs between 2021-26, with 3000 jobs added in the past 12 months alone1. Median weekly earnings are recorded at $1870 across Australia1.
Want to learn more about our human resources management courses?
Compare your options and pathways into human resources management.