MSc Management of Training & Development

I will go to Edinburgh University to study MSc Management of Training & Development this September. This course is relevant to HRM and is in the Education School. Somebody may question about it: why it is not in Business School or Management School but Education School?

The course has a core that is relevant to HRM but specialises in Human Resource Development. The focus is on management of learning and development in organisations, so this is why it is situated in the school of education - replied by Ms Claire, our course director.

Hope this will help everybody a lot.

I am from non-211 university, average score is above 85, no work experience, majored in English, and IELTS6.5. I sent my application documents to the university in middle June(very late), and they give the reply in one week. This course requires work experience, but if no experience it seems to be ok. As I know, lots of Chinese students applying for this course are fresh graduates, so no work experience is not a problem.

Anyone who wants to apply for this course can write to course director, claire.valentin@ed.ac.uk You can get reply at any questions about this course. If you have some problem in the application, you can ask Linda(lindad@miscorp.ed.ac.uk), who takes responsibility in recruitment. She will give you reply as soon as possible.

Generally speaking, it is not difficult to apply. If your score is above 80%, IELTS6.5(every part no less than 6) , you can have a try.

The following is an article written by a student studied in Edinburgh University. Hope it is useful:

About application, I suggest that you'd better not apply for it if without 2-year work experience.

Take me for example, I have 1 year work experience in teaching (full-time), and some experience about HR recruitment, but still feel tired in studying this course. It is hard to understand these knowledge without experience.

About HRM in this course, it is only very surface theory, and about training, it is relating to the management, so it is difficult for students without work experience.

If without relating work experience, it is impossible to find a job after graduation, even in UK or China.

It is nearly impossible to find a job in the UK, but there is a Fresh Talent plan in Scotland. But for this plan, it is only available in Scotland, and the chance there is few.

It is said that people from Scotland have a strong accent, but I think people from Edinburgh, especially in the university, you won't meet this problem. It is nonsense that it is not good for language ability if study in Scotland. Only one year is too short, it is impossible to promote your oral English to the native level. The importance is to be full of confidence to speak English.

How many Chinese students in this course?

Maybe you are waiting for the answer to the question. I ask this to Hamish, the teacher in this course, and he gives me the following details:

In general terms, there are about 35 students on the programme, and my impressions was that this past year about 1/3 of the group were from the People's Republic or Taiwan.?

About the new figure in this year, he will tell me later, and I will write it here.

So much useful information. Great!

Hi Dew, how is your course going, are you enjoying it? I would love to hear about it

I have been to Edinburgh for more than one month. Now I'll talk about some related information, and hope it will be helpful.

For this year, there are about 50 students(including part-time diploma) in this course, and ther are about 15 Chinese students. Most of foreign students have related work experience(most of them have taken a training or HR job in government and companies), but most Chinese students don't have. Also our study backgrounds are quite different, so it's possible to recruit students from different background.

For one year Master's course, we have to finish 6 courses and final dissertation. All of the courses will be tested by essay, and there is no written exam. But if you want to study CIPD, you have to finish 8 courses and a final dissertation, also with paper-exam. In all of these courses, there's a really practical course called Work-based Learning, which requires to take intern in local organisations for 20 days(30 days for CIPD students), and finish project. To study this course needs to be selected by interview.

About the taught method, lots of group discuss and presentation may be a challenge to Chinese students. Even students have studied in UK for 2 years or English majors are so quite in class. My classmates' review to this teacher is so so.

And the point should be noticed is we have a classmate with IELTS 6(although Endinburgh University has a strict lanuage requirement, there still is an exception). It means that you should not give up any hopes, for nothing is impossible.

Finally, Edingurgh is a pretty good place, and you'll find life is much colourful as you imagine if you come here. So I can say that studying abroad is not only for a degree, but an experience, and Edinburgh is that place which can fulfill your life.

The above is what I want to tell. Hope you successful in application.

Support^_^

Yeh, great information, thanks Dew! Sounds like you really enjoy the course and the city. Very interesting that they accept a student with IELTS 6.0 - it just shows you should never give up on your favourite university and contacting the Courese Director directly can often help. I bet if the student had asked the International Office they would have told her that with IELTS 6.0 it was impossible to start the course

Dew is really warm-hearted. Though I haven't met her before, she is so kind and answer my questions with patience. Also, she helped me to verify my personal statement, and give some useful advice. I am still waiting for the application result, but I want to say thanks to Dew here, for her help~~^_^

Hello everyone, Long time no see. I have successfully completed the course and I'm now back to work in China.

First of all, the course is not too difficult. Almost everyone can graduate on time.

Secondly, it is more difficult for Chinese students however. Although to pass is easy it is very difficult to get a Distinction. In my year only two foreign students were recommended for PHD study.

Finally, in our year the employment situation was affected by the financial crisis although on the whole it was not too bad. Most Chinese students have chosen to return to China. One student got a job in the UK with TESCO and was sent to Shanghai as HR Manager. Another was employed by Zara in the United Kingdom and sent to China's Human Resources team. Those students who were sent by the government returned to work in the public national human resources and Social Security. Some students retruned to training institutions to work as English lecturers. Not all students entered the HR industry, for example one student is now a product designer with China Southern Airlines.

As for me I am now working with HSBC China as Personal Relationship Manager.

Some students from China chose to remain in the United Kingdom and found employment such as in the HR department of charitable organizations or as a Supervisor with Burger King, as well with small companies around London.

In contrast, other international students find it easier to work in the UK such as an Indian girl who now works in the NHS.

These are my experiences if you are interested you can continue to post here. I hope I can help.

One more news, I saw simonlyy in Edinburgh. He has successfully got the offer. Hope everything is well for him.

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