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Bachelors in HR Management or a CIPD Level 5?

Hi CIPD Community, 

I am a little flustered as to what I should do with myself right now. I have over 3 years of recruitment experience (most recently on a contract which has been terminated due to company funds). I really enjoy my career working in recruitment but have more so, enjoyed working within HR and wanting to learn more about the industry and get my foot in.

I have really struggled finding a new role due to this pandemic (and I am sure many people have) but over the last few years, I have been thinking about going back into education to gain a Bachelors degree in Human Resource Management. I have spoken with a member from CIPD and they said I can start at Level 5 which will be more cost-effective compared to a Bachelors' and I will gain the learning experience as well as the qualification needed to into HR. Once completed, he said I would be able to apply for HR Manager or Advisor roles.

However, I have also seen Universities offering Bachelors degree which are accredited by CIPD i.e. University of Leeds, Aston University and University of Greenwich. I have spoken to the Lecturers and they mentioned that once I graduate, I will automatically become an Associate member and can add Assoc. CIPD to my name - how much of this is true? 

I am mostly worried that if I did study 4 years at University to gain a Bachelors in Human Resource Management - would I also need take on a CIPD course in future? 

Also, I have noticed some Universities that offer Human Resource Management courses are not accredited by CIPD but are "approved" by them. What does this mean? And would I need to go to a University that's accredited by CIPD in order for me to work in this role after completion of my studies?

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  • Hello again Vivian

    The CIPD main site invites people to call to talk through qualification options with an advisor: +44 (0)20 8612 6208
  • My main advice to any one is experience, experience, experience. Going back to uni may well be a fantastic life experience but you may well find yourself struggling to get a role at end of it.
  • Hi Vivian,

    If you already have a degree then you are better of doing the the Level 5 only, I did mine via Avado.

    If you don’t have a degree already then I would do a bachelors in HR that comes with the Lvl 5 too.

    Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!
  • Hello Vivian, Obtaining a bachelors degree in Human Resource Management will allow you to explore some elements in other business functions such as Accounting, Finance and Marketing, with an emphasis on HRM modules indeed. However, with a CIPD level 5 diploma, you'll cover only HR topics. HRM undergraduates programs accredited by CIPD will automatically qualify you to become a CIPD member. Therfore, I would recommend either to study a bachelor's degree that is accredited by CIPD, or completing a CIPD diploma directly. whatever you choice is, it will all depend on your budget, interest and duration you will be willing to invest to obtain a certificate. I hope this was helpful. Thanks. Kayal.