MSc in People Analytics University of Hull Online

Make an impact on your organisation’s performance. Learn how to analyse and visualise workplace data and connect it to your organisation’s strategic goals.

Why this MSc in People Analytics?

People Analytics isn’t just about using data to manage people at work. It’s about making theory- and data-driven decisions to improve your organisation’s effectiveness.

With the University of Hull's MSc in People Analytics, you will learn how to evaluate workplace behaviours and connect them to your organisation’s wider strategy.

This MSc combines different specialisms that will help you see how variables from different areas of an organisation are interrelated. You will get an advanced apprehension of Organisational Behaviour (OB), Human Resource Management (HRM), Data Analytics and Psychometrics.

You will learn to develop and apply a variety of psychological and statistical tools, including specialist software and psychometric instruments, within the workplace. You will train on quantitative and qualitative research methods that will help you make more strategic and data-informed decisions.

You will also obtain the skills to interpret and visualise data so that you can explain your insights to your organisation’s key decision-makers and make suggestions for improving performance.

Organisations in all sectors are looking to develop their analytics capabilities. Whether your background is in HR, marketing or another function, this MSc will give you the data literacy and analytics skills that organisations need right now to become more effective.

What you learn

Organisations in all sectors need individuals who understand how OB, HRM, leadership, business strategies and people analytics are interrelated. During your studies, you will learn about the key concepts in OB and HRM, such as psychological constructs (e.g. organisational climate, culture, commitment, turnover) and HRM practices (e.g. recruitment and selection, training and development, and performance appraisal).

You will acquire skills on how to design and implement the right People Analytics projects to inform and support whatever strategic goals your organisation is working towards. You will be able to see complex situations as a whole and decide which tools and methods are most appropriate for different projects.

You will evaluate the impact projects will make within your organisation and their value to managers and decision-makers. You will also learn about data governance, including implementing privacy and anonymity policies, and how to implement practices to protect employee data from theft and abuse.

Throughout the course, you will gain the knowledge and confidence to

• Use quantitative and qualitative research methods, including identifying and formulating a research problem in people analytics, research design and procedures for data collection and data analysis.
• Develop, adapt and validate psychometric instruments.
• Use analytic techniques in statistics and data science such as descriptive and inferential statistics, unsupervised and supervised machine learning algorithms and text mining.
• Use software for data science, such as Microsoft Excel, R and/or Python. Process and wrangle data.
• Report results and create data visualisation strategies in a clear, concise and credible way.

By the end of the course, you will have the confidence to create a People Analytics project that will maximise individual and organisational performance.

Find out what life’s like as a part-time distance learning student during our Virtual Open Evening.

Individuals with data analytics skills are in high demand in the labour market. Companies increasingly understand that to become more effective, they need data literate and analytically savvy staff within their businesses.

After finishing this MSc in People Analytics, you will be trained in quantitative and qualitative research methods. You will be able to use some of the most advanced techniques from statistics, machine learning and psychometrics. You will be confident to make strategic and data-driven decisions for organisations in many different sectors, making you highly employable.

Roles open to you as an MSc in People Analytics graduate could include:

• People Analyst
• HR Analyst
• HR Consultant
• Data Analyst
• HR Analytics Manager
• Psychometrician
• Behavioural Scientist
• Computational Social Scientist

Course modules

During this course, you study the following compulsory modules.

The Science and Practice of People Analytics (30 credits)

This introductory module breaks down all the fundamentals of People Analytics by addressing the most up-to-date and relevant practices, topics and tools involved in the field. You will explore the many facets of this interdisciplinary field — particularly its relevance within HR — including how organisational psychology, psychometrics and data science are used to understand human behaviour within organisations and help guide strategic decision-making.

The module also provides an introduction to the use of R software and other data-gathering instruments, as well as the guidelines surrounding the ethical use of data, including GDPR, the Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Data Ethics Framework.

Research Methods: Designing a People Analytics Project (30 credits)

On this module, you will have the opportunity to put research into practice by learning how to identify business problems and develop a corresponding People Analytics project. Using qualitative, quantitative and mixed research methods, you will learn how specific evidence-based techniques can address HR problems and challenges and will explore all aspects of a People Analytics project, including participants, materials and instruments, data collection and analysis procedures, and the surrounding ethical aspects.

Psychometrics: Development and Validation of Research Instruments (30 credits)

Using the knowledge gained from previous modules surrounding core theory and research methods within People Analytics, you will learn the central concepts of psychological measurement and how they use pertains to the field of People Analytics. You will explore the fundamentals of psychometric theories — Item Response Theory and Classical Test Theory — as well as how to develop and validate psychological instruments through the use of R software.

Critically, the module also emphasises ethics within the application of psychological testing and will show you how to work within specific ethical and professional frameworks.

Delivering People Analytics: Predictive Modelling, Text Mining and Data Visualisation (30 credits)

The many aspects of People Analytics come together on this module, where you will learn how to effectively and efficiently deliver a People Analytics project. You will unpack the various steps within a People Analytics project, including the variables included and what methods, tools and algorithms you should use in your delivery. From there, you will use a hands-on approach to learning data analysis and will be introduced to text mining techniques and advanced machine learning algorithms, as well as how to interpret your results clearly and ethically in corresponding business reports.

Capstone Project (60 credits)

Combining the lessons you have learned on previous modules, you will develop your own People Analytics project on a topic of your interest. You will address a specific business issue through the use of thoughtful research questions, targeted methodology, research literature and in-depth data analysis with either data from your current employer, government open data or through public datasets.

This can be compiled in a formal dissertation, the development of a computer programme or app, a technical report or another related project, all with the aim of demonstrating the skills and knowledge you have learned from the course as a whole, as well as providing you with practical experience in the field of People Analytics.

How you're assessed

Throughout this MSc in People Analytics, you will be assessed on:

• Your knowledge of and capability to apply analytic tools in different business contexts
• Your ability to design analytic strategies to solve business problems
• Your ability to critically evaluate analytic tools and strategies

All assessment for the course is based on coursework and submitted online.

Your performance on the course will be assessed through a range of methods including:

• Ongoing tutor and peer feedback
• Practical work, including group projects and discussion forums
• Written work, including case studies, reports and essays