Higher Education in Flanders

a. Scientific competencies

The Master of Human Resource Management offers a scientifically underpinned program in the area of human resource management. This program is designed to offer an insight into the current scientific knowledge ('state of the art') in the field: personnel, employment, and organization within the context of a globalized economy, transitional employment and an evolving society.

The aimed-for knowledge in the multidisciplinary discipline of human resource management entails:

a Basic insights into employment, economy and society based on current findings in scientific human resource research.

b Basic insights into the management of organizations in changing environments, both from a strategic and a financial perspective. c Interpret the evolution of theories on the management of organizations and their human resources. d Basic insights into the relevant HRM methods and techniques in order to generate and implement solutions embedded into the strategy of organizations. e A first step towards specialization in the functional domain of HRM and Organization. The student must be able to apply the basic principles of scientific research. This implies: to be able to formulate a problem, to develop a research design, to collect and analyze data, and to reach a conclusion. Implicitly this implies: originality and the ability to make a contribution to scientifically-based human resource management. The university level further requires a broad, general educational background. This implies the study of a number of secondary disciplines relevant to strategic human resource management (such as law, ethics, social and psychological sciences), and the study of the institutional framework. The result of the above is that the Master of Human Resource Management is able to integrate and synthesize the various approaches to organizational and HR problems, both within his or her own discipline and between disciplines. Important is the ability to independently apply scientific research techniques and methods. b. Professional competencies The master should be able to professionally and independently apply his/her scientific knowledge in preparing, and following up on organizational and human resource decisions and to deal with their implementation in the private as well as the public sector, in profit as well as non-profit organizations. The development of core skills such as independent analysis, synthesis, judging and communicating is as important as the direct preparation for a professional management career. Therefore, the master is being imbued with a problem-oriented attitude that is required for the recognition and tackling of problems, for investigating directions towards solutions, and for choosing, designing, implementing, and evaluating a reasoned solution. The master is able to critically apply scientific insights and methods in the evaluation and the development of organizational and human resource knowledge. The master develops skills such as presenting, interviewing for selection, assessing of competencies, conducting evaluation interviews (in function of employee development), negotiations, working-together with a common goal in mind (team work inclusive of dealing with conflict situations), holding meetings (presiding and taking minutes), and expression and formulating skills (argumentation). The master acquires an international (multicultural) attitude. The master is actively oriented towards insights into social developments (globalization, the 'new economy', the ageing population, individualization,...), towards insights that result from scientific human resource research and their relevance to the daily professional tasks. The master is aware of the interaction that exists between social changes and the way in which organizations function, particularly in the matter of the 'utilization' of people. c. Reflective competencies: The master assumes an independent and critical attitude whereby he/she recognizes in what circumstances it is important to reflect independently, rationally, and in a disciplined manner, and possesses the daring and the strength to apply his/her abilities in that process. The master reflects out of a historical-scientific perspective on his or her position in society. Out of a critical-philosophical reflection, the master questions both himself or herself and the political, social, and economic system. Out of an ethnic-humane concern, the master places himself/herself at the disposal of society and champions the cause of its less fortunate and disadvantaged members. From a multicultural viewpoint, he/she takes a position inside his/her immediate and distant environment. The master evidences value awareness and acts accordingly.