The first cohort of students on the new Bachelor of Arts (Hons ) in Human Resource Management in Atlantic Technological University (ATU ) were conferred with their awards at the recent annual ceremonies.
Seventeen students received their parchments at the Conferring of Awards ceremony in St Mary’s Hall, ATU Mayo on November 21. The three-year programme is delivered through the Department of Organisational Development in the Mayo campus which has been delivering programmes in HRM for almost three decades, beginning with the Diploma in Personnel Management in the late 1990s. The new Level 8 builds on that success and incorporates the latest developments in Human Resource Management and the most up to date technologies in programme delivery.
The programme is delivered on a part-time, blended basis whereby students are required to attend classes on site on Thursdays and Fridays once a month. Students also attend residential weekends, along with classes and seminars delivered by guest lecturers including HR managers and other industry professionals. The residential weekends are particularly popular as, apart from enabling students to hear from industry experts, they facilitate networking opportunities between students and professionals. The rest of their engagement with the programme is online through ATU’s Virtual Learning Environment.
This delivery format is particularly attractive to anyone who is working full time or unsocial hours, as well as for people with family or caring commitments. Most of the 17 new graduates combined their three-year studies with busy professional and personal lives.
“This is a great achievement for our students," said Michael Gill, head of department. "Staff are very proud of them as they continue to develop at a professional level pursuing rich and rewarding lives. We are very conscious that they are our future and the values they hold will ensure we maintain a rich culture in the west and northwest region. Despite challenging weather condition the students who were able to attend the conferring were in great form looking forward to rewarding future careers. Comhghairdeas libh.”
The L8 programme was developed in collaboration with the professional body the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD ) and graduates are now eligible for associate membership.
Applications for September 2025 will open in March. Further information on the programme is available on the web at Human Resource Management - Atlantic Technological University.
