Graduate Certificate in Employment Relations and Human Resource Management
PostgraduateGRF-EHR-GCE2025
Course information for 2025 intake
Learn essential skills for a career in human resources management
Upskill for your current role or prepare for a new career with this job-ready course in human resource management. You'll learn skills to develop effective employment relations policies, and navigate organisational complexity.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Applications close
- 16 Feb 2025,
- 29 June 2025
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 6 months full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 4
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
Graduate Certificate in Employment Relations and Human Resource Management
About this degree
KNOWLEDGE
- Demonstrate a contemporary understanding of HR functions and existing and emerging ER issues, processes and legal frameworks in diverse organisational contexts.
SKILLS
- Demonstrate the ability to obtain and analyse data relevant to HR and ER issues in evolving organisational contexts.
- Demonstrate the ability to exercise judgement under supervision to recommend appropriate solutions for evolving ER tasks in diverse contexts and to diverse audiences.
- Demonstrate the ability to analyse and evaluate relevant ethical, legal and social considerations in an impartial way for routine and evolving ER issues.
- Demonstrate the ability to justify, interpret and present diverse HR and ER ideas in a broad set of personal and group contexts.
APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
- Demonstrate the ability to apply a broad and coherent knowledge in diverse Australian contexts.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply ER and HRM knowledge and skills with creativity and initiative to new situations and in professional practice.
This degree is designed to enable those without formal academic qualifications in Employment Relations and Human Resource Management to gain knowledge and skills in the area. Students may already be working in a job in the field or may be seeking to move into such a position. There is a significant practical Australian content to some courses within these programs.
In the Graduate Certificate in Employment Relations and Human Resource Management, you will develop a sound understanding of key issues around formulating and implementing employment relations policies in dynamic environments.
Recommended study pattern
Students are recommended to start with EHR701.
Award requirements
To qualify for the award of Graduate Certificate in Employment Relations and Human Resource Management students must complete four subjects.
The maximum period for completing this program is 2 years.
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
When you have completed your final session of study, OUA students should notify Griffith University of their intention to graduate with the award of Graduate Certificate of Employment Relations. Please contact Griffith Student Connect OUA.programsupport@griffith.edu.au
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative total fee $16,250
The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.
Fees may vary depending on:
- the subjects you choose
- credit from previous work experience
- your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.
To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.
With a network of campuses spanning three cities in South East Queensland, Griffith University is committed to progressive multidisciplinary teaching and research and a valuable online provider with Open Universities Australia. Already attracting students from over one hundred countries, Griffith's dedication to academic excellence is available across Australia through OUA.
Learn more about Griffith University.
Explore Griffith courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 18
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 20
Entry requirements
This is a restricted degree. Subject enrolment is only available to students admitted into this degree.
Hold any Bachelor degree (or higher) from a recognised University (or other tertiary education institution of equivalent standing) with a minimum GPA of 4.0 (using a 7.0 scale)
Have a minimum of two years equivalent full-time professional work experience in a relevant field.
OR
have a combination of alternative admission criteria such as formal, informal and non-formal learning deemed to be equivalent to either of the above.
English language requirements apply to International applicants and other applicants whose previous study was undertaken in a language other than English. The minimum English language requirements for such applicants for entry to this program are as follows:
- A minimum overall band score of 6.5 on IELTS (Academic) with no sub-score of less than 6.0
- OR a minimum score of 575 on TOEFL
- OR an internet-based (iBT) TOEFL score of 79 (no sub-score less than 19)
- OR no score less than 3+ in each skill of the ISLPR (conducted by ISLPR Language Services only)
- OR a minimum overall score of 176 (no score less than 169) on C1 Advanced (formerly Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English) or C2 Proficiency (formerly Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English)
- OR an overall score of 58 in the Pearson Test of English (Academic) with no score less than 50.
English test results must be no more than two years old.
The Graduate Certificate in Employment Relations and Human Resource Management will articulate into the Master of Human Resource Management and Employment Relations. Students will be awarded credit towards the Masters degree.
Credit may be awarded for study undertaken at another tertiary institution and students are encouraged to contact the Course Convenor for further information.
Degree FAQs
How long does it take to finish an online degree?
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
If you're studying with Macquarie University, with the exception of certain degrees, there's no limit to how long you can take. But, please check with Macquarie Student Administration to be sure.
If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
How can I pay for my studies?
You may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government, depending on your citizenship status and where you'll be living during your studies. You can also pay upfront with your credit card.
Payment options are explained in Fees, and you can contact a student advisor for more information.
How does studying through Open Universities Australia work?
You might find learning through OUA a little different to how you've studied in the past. It can take time to develop the skills you need for independent online study.
We connect you with subjects and degrees that are taught by leading Australian universities. You can complete single subjects, or follow a degree structure to work towards a specific qualification. Subjects are offered in several study terms throughout the year, so you can choose to study part-time or full-time, continuously or with breaks.
We help you find the subjects or degree that's right for you, and we handle your enrolment in uni and some administration. Your uni sends you your study materials and deals with all academic matters. They're also in charge of your assessment and graduation. If you go on to complete a degree, you'll graduate from the uni offering your degree, for example, RMIT University or Griffith University.
How do I know if I‘m eligible to apply for a course?
Before starting an enrolment, it's important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you're eligible to apply. If you don't quite meet the requirements, we can help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study. Contact us to find out more.
When is my cut-off date for enrolment?
Our close of enrolment times vary. You can check the cut-off dates for upcoming study terms by visiting Key dates.
Why should I study online through Open Universities Australia?
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don't meet the entry requirements for a degree, we'll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.
You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We'll introduce you to flexible study options you didn't even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.You'll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you'll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you'll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.We'll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.
How do I enrol?
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you've made your choice, click 'Apply now' on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We'll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to a student advisor and we'll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.