Human resources courses in Ireland, online.
HR from the first officer role to degree level, studied from Ireland: a QQI Level 5 foundation, the QQI Level 6 Diploma in Human Resource Management awarded by OTHM and IAB, the BA (Hons) Human Resource Management top-up from Arden University a year later, and a postgraduate diploma in HR at QQI Level 9 equivalent. From €220 a month, no exams on the diplomas.
The courses, by level.
Four courses, one after the other. The 120-credit diploma is the one the degree accepts; the 60-credit version is the shorter option for people who want the qualification for work. The postgraduate diploma is for graduates and senior HR people.
- FoundationFoundation Diploma in HR€220 a monthQQI 5 · About 10 months
- DiplomaDiploma in Human Resource Management€220 a monthQQI 6 · 10 to 15 monthsAlso as a 60-credit diploma, about 6 months →
- DegreeBA (Hons) Human Resource Management£206 a monthQQI 7–8 · One year
- PostgradPostgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management€220 a monthQQI 9 · 10 to 15 months
What you learn.
The foundation covers how organisations work, the diploma is the HR job itself, the degree is the strategic layer, and the postgraduate diploma is HR strategy at master’s level. Written assignments throughout, no exams.
FoundationFoundation Diploma in HRQQI 5 · About 10 months6 modules
- Organisation structures and their culture and values
- Principles of organisational planning
- Managing human resources
- Personal and professional development
- Teamwork
- Leadership and management skills
DiplomaDiploma in Human Resource ManagementQQI 6 · 10 to 15 months16 modules
- Culture and the organisation
- Developing interpersonal skills
- Managing and rewarding performance
- Managing ethically
- Managing people in organisations
- Motivating and influencing people
- Organisation structures
- Recruitment and CPD
- Strategic human resource development
- Working in teams
- Principles and Concepts of Strategy
- The Management of Human Resources
- Marketing for Managers
- Business Law for Managers
- Management Accounting and Decision Making
- Business Start-up
DegreeBA (Hons) Human Resource ManagementQQI 7–8 · One year6 modules
- Business Transformation
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Corporate Governance, Law & Ethics
- Independent Study
- Future Leaders & Talent Management
- Reward & Performance
PostgradPostgraduate Diploma in Human Resource ManagementQQI 9 · 10 to 15 months6 modules
- Strategic Human Resource Management
- Engagement of Employees and Organisational Learning
- Leadership Development and Performance Management
- Global Resourcing, Talent and Reward Management
- Managing Employment Relations and Employment Law
- Business Research Methods
The 60-credit diploma is six modules over about six months, for people who want the certificate for work and are not planning the degree.
Who this is for.
You do not need HR experience to start.
- HR administrators and officers doing the job without the qualification
- Office managers who handle recruitment, contracts and payroll alongside everything else
- People moving into HR from administration or a recruitment agency
- Team leaders who run appraisals and want the theory behind them
The foundation is for someone new to office work; the diploma accepts work experience in place of a Leaving Certificate.
Where it leads in Ireland.
Recruiters’ guides name the roles each level opens. The two figures are Ireland’s, from Eurostat.
HR Generalist, then HR Business Partner
Role titles from the Broadwing, Morgan McKinley and Stelfox salary guides.
Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 and Labour Force Survey 2024. Averages for people with any tertiary qualification, not a promise about anyone.
Entry, in plain terms.
The school confirms your place when you apply; we check it with you on the first call, before you pay anything.
A Junior Certificate, a QQI Level 4 award, or the equivalent, or strong professional work experience in place of them. Age 16 or over.
A Leaving Certificate, a QQI Level 5 award, a QQI Level 5 foundation diploma, or the equivalent, or strong professional work experience in place of them. Age 16 or over.
A QQI Level 6 diploma or an HND in business, or the equivalent, with prior learning consistent with QQI Level 6. English at IELTS 6.0 or evidence that your previous study was in English. Arden University decides, and considers applications without an exact match case by case.
A bachelor’s degree in any subject, or strong professional work experience in place of one. Age 21 or over.
How QQI levels work in Ireland.
Ireland uses the QQI framework, which numbers levels differently from the EQF. A QQI Level 6 is the same level as an EQF Level 5. Irish NFQ and EQF levels compared →
Human resources in Ireland: the questions we get.
What is the difference between the 60-credit and the 120-credit HR diploma?
The 120-credit diploma is the full QQI Level 6 qualification, twelve assignments, and the one the top-up degree accepts. The 60-credit version is six modules over about six months, for people who want the certificate for work and are not planning the degree.
Can I do the degree straight after the diploma?
Yes. The QQI Level 6 diploma is the entry qualification for the BA (Hons) Human Resource Management top-up at Arden University: the final year of the degree, online, typically one year, £206 a month over twelve months.
What comes after the degree?
The QQI Level 9 Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management: six modules, ten to fifteen months, €220 a month, no exams. Its sixty credits count towards a master’s; the top-up in HR management that completes it is offered by an external university, not through us.
Do I need to be working in HR already?
No. Work experience counts towards entry, but the diploma is taken by people moving into HR as often as by people already in it.
Is the diploma recognised in Ireland?
It is awarded by OTHM and IAB, both, regulated by Ofqual in the UK. On Ireland’s framework the level is its QQI equivalent, under QQI’s own referencing of the EQF, and the certificate is recognised across the EU.
Other subjects in Ireland.
Studying from Malta? The same courses carry EQF levels there. Human resources courses in Malta →