OU or Warwick for masters

[Ruffledcardigan]

Hi all

Just after a little bit of advice. I work in HR currently in an entry level/middle of the road role but I want to progress to management/more senior roles.

To enable me to do this I need a CIPD level 7, which is a masters in HR.

For context I’m 33 with 3 children at secondary school. I got no GCSEs at school due to my own barriers at the time, not because of a lack of intelligence.

Fast forward to now and I’ve completed a degree via the OU which I didn’t find too challenging and ended up with a 1st. I live close by to Warwick Uni and have done all my life. The HR masters there at the business school is very expensive, where as at the OU it’s not.

Professionally I know Warwick will impress employers more, but practically and financially the OU would be better for me.

I would be willing to invest more money in Warwick if it would benefit me further down the line.

I believe I have the ambition to go far regardless, but I just want to make a firm decision, so I’m just after a few opinions?

Thanks in advance.

Can’t help with your specific query, but you may find it helpful to have your thread on the new ‘Mature Study and Retraining’ board under the Education topic. Lots of people considering similar questions there:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mature_students

MN will move your thread if you ask via the Report button.

Warwick Business School is world-renowned, so it would certainly help with career progression, I think. Could really open doors for you. Plus studying F2F can be motivating. But it's whether you can manage it in terms of the lower degree of flexibility, I guess.

@BurbageBrook

Yes I am definitely swaying more towards Warwick even with the financial hit. It would be great to have the opportunity to study at a brick and with it being on my doorstep too, that helps. Thank you for your reply.

Are you already a full member of CIPD? You don’t need a masters for this do you? However Warwick every time.

@TizerorFizz

I have level 3 and 5. You can’t be fully chartered without level 7. I can do the level 7 for around 6-7000 pounds but I would still be competing against others with masters degrees. Particularly for business partner and head of HR roles.

Things have changed since my day! I just did their CIPD qualifying course. Then work was taken into account and that was it! Other people breezed in with experience!

However in view of the fact you need level 7 which can be their course or a masters (I assume?) then it sounds best to do the masters in your situation. When I was working no one did a masters! We all did the CIPD 2 year course.

@TizerorFizz

Ahh I see. Yes I’m competing against a very young and ambitious cohort coming up through the ranks. Gathered at 33 I’m still not quite past it, so it’s now or never.

Warwick is an amazing business school but I personally wouldn’t make the investment. Employers will want the CIPD to tick a box but will be much more interested in your skills and experience than where you studied.

If you are competing against grads with similar experience and the masters they might look where if came from. You know your market. But do get chartered. That really matters. Employers do expect that in HR at more senior levels. It’s a chartered profession so not facing if holds people back.

Yes I do plan on getting chartered. Thank you for all your responses.