Human Resources and Organisational Development

The aim of the study programme Human Resources and Organisational Development is to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills in the field of organisational development, with an emphasis on the development and management of human resources and the social responsibility of organisations, and to prepare them for the working role of a manager or specialist in the field of personnel and organisational development.

To this aim, students are prepared by developing knowledge and skills in the following areas:

- Knowledge of economic principles, the functioning of the market mechanism, labour market and public policy issues, and the impact of the macro environment on organisational functioning and human resources.

- Knowledge in the area of management, development and social responsibility of organisations, whether in the profit or non-profit sector, knowledge in the area of management and development of human resources.

- Ability to independently reflect on and evaluate macroeconomic, social and organisational issues and their significance, causes and consequences.

- Ability to independently argue, design and develop systemic measures and coordinate or implement their implementation.

- Ability to work with people and develop their potential, including competence development, communication and teamwork, creating an appropriate working environment and implementing change, and contributing to the development of human resources and organisational capacity as a prerequisite for coping with tasks in the field.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• Analyse, reflect and assess economic, social and organisational developments and issues including causes, consequences and interrelationships. Is able to apply multiple perspectives.
• Understand the nature of labour market functioning in both macro and micro perspectives. Know contemporary trends in labour market development and be able to assess the impact of existing measures on the organisation and its development.
• Understand the nature and importance of public policy and its components. Knows contemporary trends in the development of public policy and is able to assess the impact of existing measures on the organisation and its development.
• Understand the nature of organizational functioning in relation to the achievement of organizational goals. Knows key organisational processes and theory of organisation, development and management and can apply the knowledge.
• Design, argue and develop systemic organisational measures and coordinate and implement their implementation.
• Evaluate proposed and existing organisational measures. The graduate knows and is able to apply appropriate methods to evaluate measures and their impact.
• Plan staffing needs, evaluation and motivation systems, promote collaboration and work environment development as a means to achieve organizational and societal goals. The student is able to reflect on the implementation conditions.
• Plan for staff training and development. Develop staff and their competencies, plan their careers while respecting their diversity.
• Reflect values, ethics in professional activities and understand the corporate social responsibility and its wider context.
• Communicate, present, negotiate and advocate for actions and changes in organizations. Can communicate in a foreign language.

Graduates of the Master's degree can find employment especially in performance,

- roles in personnel management and development in public and private sector organisations.

- Organisational development worker roles with a focus on human resource development in public and private sector organisations.

- the role of an analytical and conceptual officer in the design and implementation of public and social policy programmes, employment policy and organisational and human resources development strategies.

- A researcher and teacher role in the field (with further professional development anticipated).

Through the lens of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs' National Occupational System, graduates of the Master's degree programme in Personnel and Organisational Development can find employment as a personnel director or personnel specialist in various areas of human resource management (training and development of employees, recruitment of employees or evaluation and remuneration of employees).

Due to the academic focus of the study programme, the practical training is not a compulsory part of the study.

In order to gain practical experience, students can complete the practical training as part of the compulsory elective course Professional Practice.

The standard length of the master thesis text (without notes and annexes) is 18,000 to 22,000 words (144,000 to 162,000 characters, including spaces). Formal requirements for the master thesis are assessed in the course Diploma seminar.

Teachers evaluate the expert quality of the master thesis with theoretical and methodological criteria and criteria assessing the student's contribution and thesis utility (research or design part). The following theoretical and methodological criteria are tools for the assessment of a master thesis during opponent review and thesis defence (during state exams):

- relevance of the goal and problem within the studied program,

- unambiguous definition of thesis goal,

- focus on research of measures, solutions, interventions of related questions,

- theoretical relevance, orientation in the field, application of theoretical criteria, professional discussion instead of mere reproduction of information,

- choice of an appropriate approach to research and sufficiency of conducted research,

- complexity and targeting of the thesis, continuity of the research process,

- clarity of arguments, well-founded conclusion, reaching of a research goal,

- utility for stakeholders, ability to formulate implications for practice or recommendations.

Further instructions for diploma theses will be on the department website.

Students can continue their studies in doctoral programmes focused on human resource management, business economics and management, as well as in programmes focused on the labour market and public and social policy.