International Human Resource Management course summary
The International Human Resource Management degree helps you develop your interpersonal skills and encourages your creative skills and open mindset so as to be able to place employees as a key factor for business success and sustainable change.
The programme for International Human Resource Management
Tomorrow’s world is defined by today’s people – and you play an important role in it.
We think it’s important that what we teach is in line with what happens in the field and so we collaborate closely with businesses. You’ll work with fellow students in small groups on assignments from companies. The focus is on your learning objectives and our lecturers guide you through the process so that you really develop the skills and knowledge you need to be able to later make a difference as a professional.
Learning through doing is the best approach and you’ll get straight down to business with practical assignments being set throughout the programme, starting in year 1. In the first half of the first year, you explore the field of international human resources as you start your journey towards becoming a global human resource expert.
Module 1: Exploring International HRM
Learn the basics of understanding human behaviour in business from a theoretical and ractical point of view. Gain insights into how global organisations create optimal conditions for their staff so as to achieve the company’s strategic goals. Learn to apply concepts and theory from industrial and organisational psychology, human resource management and business ethics and law to practical cases.
Module 2: Enterprise and Innovation
You will learn what it takes to be an innovative and enterprising HR professional and how this can contribute to solving the HRM challenges of today’s companies.
Module 3: Organisational Analysis and performance
You work on real cases and learn how the solutions you create can add value to the business and people working in organisations, including financially. You learn to understand and apply business models and how they relate to customers and employees within an organisation.
Module 4: Value creation in organisations
As an HR professional you will ultimately design solutions for practical HR assignments that add value from the perspective of the employees and the business.
Subjects:
Study load: 20 contact hours, 15 self study hours | 60 ECTS per year
Module 1: Challenges in international HRM
These include diversity, inclusion and belonging, global labour trends and developments, and people analytics.
Module 2: Talent Management in international HRM
Examine the use of data within recruitment and talent management and explore how insights from psychology can be applied.
Semester 2: Internship
Gain your first practical and professional experience, spending 5 months as an HR intern in an international company. This remain close with the study programme as you continue to follow classes one day a week online. The classes focus mainly on your further professional development drawing on your experiences during your internship.
Subjects:
Study load: 20 contact hours, 15 self study hours | 60 ECTS per year
Semester 1: Minor subject (study abroad)
During your minor you focus on a specific subject or expand your knowledge by taking an additional subject. This allows you to truly take charge of your education by ‘customising’ your course.
You can take these minors on the NHL Stenden campus in the Netherlands or at one of the NHL Stenden Grand Tour locations in South Africa, Bali or Thailand. You can also choose from minors offered by other courses and universities of applied sciences via an Exchange programme – this is all part of broadening your academic skills.
Read more about the options available and where you can take your minors in the section below on minors and specialisations.
Semester 2: Human Talent
Back on-site in Leeuwarden, you study our major subject: Human Talent. This major brings company strategy and HR strategy together and enables you to explore in depth how HR creates added value within an organisation.
Subjects:
Study load: 20 contact hours, 15 self study hours | 60 ECTS per year
Internship & graduation
You start your fourth year with an internship in an international company, which smoothly transitions about halfway along into your graduation phase. The graduation phase includes writing your thesis in which you research and design an HR solution that is useful for the company. Lecturers and experienced researchers coach you through the process so that it truly is your master piece that proves you are now launching your careers as a capable HR professional. And if you’ve long dreamt of having your own business, you could consider doing your internship in your own start-up. The Center for Entrepreneurship at NHL Stenden can advise you on how to do this.
60 ECTS per year
Minor to Master's programme at the University of Groningen (RUG)
Do you want to progress directly to a master's programme at the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) of the University of Groningen after completing your bachelor degree? Starting from the 2026-2027 academic year, you can gain direct access to one of the University of Groningen's master's programmes by completing the minor (30 ECTS).
You can take this minor if you are enrolled in one of the following programmes at NHL Stenden:
- Business Administration
- International Human Resource Management
Logistics Management
Download the brochure to get a really useful one-page overview of the curriculum with a description of the modules and a list of subjects per year, the study load and the ECTS you can earn. Use it to compare the programme with other studies you’re interested in.
Minors and specialisations for International Human Resource Management
In your third year of International Human Resource Management, you get to specialise by taking a number of minors.
- Mindful Leadership (Bali or Thailand)
Develop your emotional intelligence with this minor focusing on stress management, mindfulness, communication, resilience and empathy. You’ll develop the skills to become a better leader. - The Art of Ethical Leadership (Leeuwarden or South Africa)
Learn how to apply key concepts of ethical and critical thinking and why tomorrow’s leaders cannot do without a developed moral compass. Develop your soft power, your ability to attract and cooperate rather than to coerce. - The Inspirational Coach and Leader (Bali)
Make a difference in your personal and professional life as a socially competent employee and inspirational leader with this minor. You’ll learn how coaching can be improved and experience the methodology yourself. - Diversity, Inclusion and You (Leeuwarden)
In this minor you explore societal challenges such as labour market issues and how diversity, equity and inclusion contribute to the performance of organisations, teams and individuals. You’ll explore behaviour and tools for understanding it. - International HRM (Leeuwarden, the Netherlands)
Within this minor, you will focus on IHRM from an organisational perspective, such as: its markets, company strategy, structure, and alignment of HRM with the internal structure and processes. This minor also allows you to complete your minor and pre-master in one. By completing your research part of the minor, you will also complete your pre-master, which give you direct access to the Master Sustainable Entrepreneurship at RUG/Campus Fryslân.
Course Catalogue
Practical approach of International Human Resource Management
We aim to help you put theory into practice as quickly as possible. Through our educational concept, Design-Based Education (DBE), you work in small teams of students, teachers, researchers and industry professionals. You tackle current, real-life issues developing and adapting your visions and ideas to form a solid solution.
International opportunities
We want to prepare you for an international, intercultural, and ever-changing environment, so that you can dive into the unknown and gain experience in an international context. It is possible with our Grand Tour, Exchange programme or one of our mobility options offered by RUN-EU. Or you can choose to do your internship abroad. You’ll be able to put together the right combination of courses and internships to develop both your professional and personal skills – and develop your own network for the future.
Is this the degree for you?
If you're confident this degree is the one for you, then why not apply online straightaway? Or pick one of the other options to help you take the next step.
