Online Bachelor’s in Human Resource Management CurriculumOnline Bachelor’s in Human Resource Management CurriculumOnline Bachelor’s in Human Resource Management Curriculum

Human resource (HR) managers are the stewards of a company’s workforce. Without their expertise in finding and retaining the right employees, an organization can struggle to achieve its sustainability and growth goals. Because human resource managers are such a vital component of a company’s success, they need to learn and cultivate high-level knowledge and skills.

That is why choosing the right educational path is so important. While earning a bachelor’s degree can help an individual pursue a position in the field, choosing a program with a strong human resources curriculum is key to acquiring the necessary competencies for success.

A strong human resources curriculum enables students to cultivate foundational knowledge of core concepts typically associated with HR roles, such as building an effective and diverse workforce through talent recruitment, performance management, training and development, workforce health and safety, and HR law. Other roles relate to employee retention, from overseeing benefit packages to developing company culture. Understanding these key roles makes it possible for HR professionals to work with senior leaders to develop and implement key strategies that maximize employee engagement and performance to affect the stability and growth of a business.

Maryville University Online BS in Human Resource Management

Business Core Courses (39 Credit Hours)

  • This course covers commonly used software installed on PCs and laptops, web-based technologies, and applications (apps) used on digital devices. Information literacy and database concepts are also covered in this course.

  • In today’s business world, effective communication, whether it is delivered face-to-face or in a written format, is essential. This course increases the ability of students to express themselves effectively through various forms of communications channels. The course is designed to enhance the quality of student’s communication skills.

  • This course focuses on how business events affect financial statements by acquiring a working knowledge of basic accounting theory and concepts. Topics include the role of accounting in decision making; the recording procedures that accountants use to organize information for financial statement preparation; and analytical tools and accounting principles to aid in reading and interpreting financial statements.

  • The concepts of managerial accounting are covered in this course. Emphasis is placed on the preparation and use of financial information for planning, decision making and control. The course will address cost classifications, product and service costing methods and systems, profit planning, measuring performance, and the new manufacturing environment.

  • This course introduces the economic perspective on decisions currently faced by individuals, businesses, and society. Basic economic principles and methods are used to address both microeconomic and macroeconomic topics, with a focus on the modern market economy. Essential content includes the laws of supply and demand; the behavior of consumers and firms; the function of resource markets; macroeconomic measures of economic growth, unemployment, and inflation; the use of fiscal and monetary policy to achieve macroeconomic goals; and an overview of international trade.

  • This course develops business data analysis skills and statistical techniques using spreadsheets. Topics include data collection storage and analysis using descriptive statistics, tables and charts; probability and data distributions, statistical tests, correlation, regression, forecasting, and quality control analysis.

  • This course examines legal rights and ethics, crimes, torts, contracts, personal property, bailments and sales.

  • This course studies the basic theories and concepts of management including the evolution of management, ethics, decision making, organizational structure, motivation, communication, group dynamics and team building, planning, job design, leadership and organizational change.

  • An introduction to the concepts of marketing and their application to those engaged in marketing consumer and industrial goods and services; pricing, product planning, distribution and promotion.

  • Students examine basic financial management of business firms: a) procurement, b) allocation and c) control of funds; corporate financial behavior; financial instruments and markets; and the analysis and interpretation of investment and profit performance.

  • This course examines business operations as they relate to both product and service type components. The course provides techniques of production and operation, as well as techniques for service type organizations.

  • This course focuses on the tools and concepts of strategic management as applied within the business context. Students will develop both the understanding and analytical skills necessary for strategic analysis, formulation and implementation. The course will also involve integration of concepts from prior business core courses.

Human Resource Management Major Requirements (30 Credit Hours)

  • This course provides an overview of the activities related to human resource administration and the role of human resource professionals in organizations. Topics include employment law, equal employment, job design, human resource planning, staffing (recruitment, selection, and placement), training and development, performance management, employee retention, employee relations, and compensation and benefits.

  • This course develops students’ understanding of recruitment and selection strategies, hiring aligned with organization-specific competencies, goals, and training methods. Students will have an opportunity to view recruitment, hiring, and training as a central part of an organization’s strategic plan, learning to measure the costs associated with hiring, training, and turnover rate. Topics will include issues of equity and inclusion within full-cycle recruiting, use of social media, data analytics, and HR software/database systems, as well as outsourcing, and contingent and temporary workforce strategy management.

  • Today’s business professionals, particularly HR specialists, must be aware of the many aspects of employee relations and negotiations, including those pertaining to both union and non-union employees. This course will cover labor history (both domestically and globally), as well as all aspects of employee relations, including simple and complex negotiations. Specific areas include legal foundations and issues, unions (collective bargaining, union contract administration, work stoppages, decertification/certification, worker-employer rights, grievance administration), and negotiation tactics. Attention will also be paid to international/global relations and negotiations, as well as business mergers, acquisitions, and sales.

  • This course covers analysis and documentation of business processes as they apply to HR professionals, as well as the design and use of information systems to automate these processes on the desktop, web, and using mobile platforms. Students will learn how to use Human Resource Management (HRM) systems and platforms for data analysis and management, personality assessments, and HR metrics. Social media and its use in HR will be covered.

  • This course focuses on employment law regulations and how to plan and reduce legal exposure in the area of human resources. Employment laws are extensive and vary based on many factors, including the size of the organization, its location, and the type of industry in which it operates. The laws that apply to the majority of employers are discussed, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including how to apply these laws to persons, departments, occupations, and organizations. The course will emphasize experiential learning as students explore potential problems and solutions through a variety of case studies.

  • This course examines all aspects of the compensation package, including total compensation, benefits, payroll, and budgeting, with a special emphasis on employee benefits, both legally required benefits such as workers’ compensation insurance and optional benefits such as retirement plans. The course provides students with the guidelines for establishing job and pay structures while taking into account legal requirements. Other topics include compensable and economic factors influencing pay decisions, incentive pay plans, executive compensation, downsizing, outsourcing, and compa-ratio calculations. Students will also examine basic financial management of business firms: procurement, allocation, and control of funds, as well as corporate financial behavior.

  • A robust training and development strategy and infrastructure create, promote, and foster individual and organizational effectiveness. This course is designed to help human resource professionals use a systematic approach to develop and conduct an array of innovative and diverse programs in support of an organization’s commitment to employee development, partnerships, and organizational enrichment and maintain its competitive position in today’s business environment. It will address training needs, instructional objectives, learning preferences, training design and delivery, and evaluation of workshops. Instruction will emphasize active training and learning by doing.

  • Focusing on students’ preparedness to enter the workforce, this course concentrates on helping them develop a broader and deeper understanding of human relations principles and practices. The ability to understand and cope effectively with today’s work and life issues and problems is an important skill to master. Trends such as globalization, increasing workforce diversity, teamwork, and flat organizational structures require a more nuanced and current understanding of the complexities associated with human relations. Students will explore topics related to attitude, motivation, individual approach to work, communication, personal performance management, job satisfaction, conflict management, individual differences and personality, decision-making, workplace change, and stress and health.

  • Students in this course will study the behavior of people in work situations and learn major theories and concepts pertaining to organizational behavior, applying these theories and concepts to organizational problems. The enhancement of the effectiveness of an organization’s human resources is the primary focus of the course.

  • Note: This course must be taken last in the Human Resource Management program. In this course, students will gain an understanding of the vital partnership between HR and upper management in developing organizational strategy and meeting organizational needs. Topics include executive support and relationship management, workforce management, strategic leadership, critical thinking and application, employee morale, and organizational behavior and design.

Recommended Human Resource Management Electives

  • Students may choose to pursue experiential learning in a human resource setting. Credit is variable from 3-10 credits. Students who are pursuing the SHRM-CP student certification are required to acquire 500 hours in experiential learning. Note: A maximum of 3 credit hours of internship credit can count towards the major or minor requirements/electives. Students may take additional hours (up to 18 total) of internship credit, however, remaining credits will be applied to general electives. Related Courses: ACCT 499, BUS 499, FIN 499, ISYS 499, MKT 499, and MGMT 499 Prerequisite: Permission of supervising faculty and 15 credits toward HRMG major

  • This course has two objectives: (1) to help students understand organizations’ cultures and structures as places of employment and work; and (2) to give students guidance in developing their resumes and portfolios, and mapping out their individual job searching and interviewing networks and strategies. Students will develop their own resumes and portfolios in the class.

  • This course explores the discipline of industrial and organizational psychology, the scientific study of psychology applied to work. Topics include but are not limited to selection, recruitment, psychological assessment, performance management, learning and development, organization assessment, organization attitudes and behavior, and workplace psychological health. Cross-listed: PSYC 351 Prerequisite: PSYC 101, or PSYC 202H

  • Organizational psychology is the scientific study of how and why people think, feel, and behave as they do in organizations. Building on research in social psychology, it applies psychological science principles and theories to work settings (organizations) for the purpose of improving the well-being and effectiveness of employees and the organization. This seminar course includes topics such as perception and learning in organizations; attitudes; job satisfaction; justice, diversity and inclusion; stress and health; conflict; individual differences and personality; motivation; decision making; teams; power and influence; organization culture and change. General Education Area: Social Science Cross-listed: ORGL 425 Prerequisite: PSYC 101 or PSYC 202H

  • This course examines the interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors in promoting health and preventing illness. You will learn an overview of psychological research methods, theories, and principles for stress management that can be applied to enhance approaches for promoting health. Topics include but are not limited to factors underlying health habits and lifestyles, methods to enhance health behavior and prevent illness, and stress management. General Education Area: Social Science Prerequisite: PSYC 101, or PSYC 202H

  • This course examines the application of psychological research and theory to effective human resource management in organizations. Particular emphasis is given to recruitment, selection, performance management, learning and development, and the social and legal context of personnel psychology. General Education Area: Social Science Cross-listed: ORGL 455 Prerequisite: PSYC 101 or PSYC 202H

  • The purpose of this course is to convey the history, impact and strategies of Vocational Rehabilitation and Supported Employment for persons with disabilities. Job site behavior management at the job types of supported employment and special affecting successful employment of persons disabilities will be addressed. Students gain knowledge of the Vocational Rehabilitation System and employment of people with disabilities who utilize Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Students will gain an understanding of client status within the VR System as well as the emphasis on employment and the diverse approaches to work. Included are Ergonomics and Work-Site Accommodations

To ensure the best possible educational experience for our students, we may update our curriculum to reflect emerging and changing employer and industry trends. Undergraduate programs and certificates are designed to be taken at a part-time pace. Please speak to your advisor for more details.

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What Is Human Resource Management?

On a very basic level, human resource management involves the recruitment, training, and development of a company’s workforce. Yet, there’s more to the profession than this. Those in HR management roles help shape an organization’s compensation and benefits offerings, work with all levels of management to ensure compliance with the organization’s own internal employment policies as well as state and Federal employment laws, and act as a valued resource to executives on key HR issues such as diversity and sexual harassment.

For instance, human resource managers can be critical in developing and maintaining a company culture that supports employee well-being and aligns with corporate goals and values. This can be achieved through the implementation of secondary benefits, which can range from simple perks such as a casual dress code to more complex offerings like on-site fitness equipment. Optimizing a company’s culture can also be achieved through the creation of programs that encourage workforce bonding, such as company picnics, exercise clubs, and beyond.

Human resource managers are also typically tasked with ensuring a company’s compensation and benefits offerings are competitive. Some of these benefits include medical and dental care, long-term care insurance, and retirement offerings such as 401(k) plans. Additionally, HR managers often oversee a company’s day-to-day functionality to make sure they’re in compliance with federal and state labor laws and regulations.

These and other elements frame a concrete human resources strategy that aims to create a workspace geared toward maximizing productivity. This, in turn, can help a company develop strategies that use this productivity as a competitive advantage, which can result in achieving goals pertaining to growth and sustainability.

The Essential Skills of Human Resource Management

The work of human resource managers affects many elements of the workplace, from the employees to the benefits, to the programs and policies that keep employees safe and productive. To do this effectively, human resource professionals need to have a specific skill set, one that meets the needs of management as well as employees at all levels.

For instance, HR managers need strong leadership skills to be able to share the vision and rationale behind corporate decisions that affect a workforce in a way that maintains or boosts morale. They should also possess strong interpersonal and communication skills. The nature of the role itself organically places those in HR management in situations that directly influence a company’s workforce. As such, it’s important that HR practitioners know how to effectively communicate with a company’s diverse employees. On the other hand, HR managers are a crucial part of management operations, acting to serve the best needs of the business. This can translate to advising executive leadership on personnel reductions during periods of slow or negative growth, conducting investigations of employees accused of misconduct, or ensuring that compensation and benefits packages do not overly impact the company’s bottom line.

Because human resource managers may be working on a number of tasks simultaneously, strong organizational skills are crucial. Effective decision-making skills are also vital, as HR managers are responsible for guiding essential organizational components such as talent recruitment and performance management. Additionally, the growing influence of social media and technology-driven HR management systems have made technical competence an increasingly important skill.

Earning a bachelor’s degree in human resource management can help an individual refine the core competencies to be effective in a human resource position. Collectively, the skills can be used to foster a sense of trust between an HR manager and a workforce. Considering the impact and influence that an HR manager can have on an organization, this sense of trust can greatly affect how successful an organization can be.

What Does an Advanced Human Resource Management Curriculum Look Like?

An effective human resources degree curriculum is built on more than just developing skills, it also focuses on establishing a firm knowledge of core human resource concepts. This knowledge can help HR managers optimize their effectiveness and ultimately better shape more productive workforces.

Some of the courses typically found in a relevant curriculum are built around gaining a fundamental understanding of recruitment and talent management strategies, including the use of social media and data analytics as recruitment tactics. Other courses focus on training and development elements, such as employee skill development workshops and training programs, explaining how they can enrich a company’s ability to nurture quality employees. A typical online HR curriculum also covers information pertaining to compensation and benefits packages, which can encompass concepts such as payroll, budgeting, and legally required benefits such as workers’ compensation.

Maryville University’s online Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management program features courses that examine fundamental business concepts as applied within the context of human resources. The business core courses offer a focus in finance, project management, managerial accounting, and marketing, giving future human resources professionals a background in essential business practices. The major requirements of the online HR curriculum feature the following courses:

  • Human Resource Management: This core course provides insight into essential elements of human resource roles, such as employment law, staffing, performance management, and employee retention.
  • Human Resource Systems and Technology: This core course emphasizes the use of information systems, data analysis, and social media within human resources.
  • Training and Development: This course is designed to help HR professionals develop innovative programs committed to employee development and organizational enrichment. It covers training design and delivery, instructional objectives, and workshop evaluations.
  • Interpersonal Management Skills: Students learn strategies that are designed to develop broader perspectives on human relations principles.
  • Capstone – Workforce Management and Strategic Leadership: Taken as the last course of the program, the capstone reinforces the vital relationship between HR and upper management. It covers areas like relationship management, workforce management, employee morale, and organizational behavior and design.

A Key Component of Business Success

Quality human resource management can be the element that turns a company from a place where people go to work to a place where people want to work. The role of a human resource manager has evolved into a true internal business partner, working with executive management to ensure that employee performance aligns with the company’s business needs. By bringing in high-quality, diverse people, cultivating a positive company culture, and negotiating competitive benefits, human resource managers can be instrumental in not only establishing a productive workforce, but also setting a foundation that can make it easier for a company to thrive.

Discover how Maryville University’s online Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management program can help you gain the knowledge and skills to make a substantial impact on a company’s most valuable resource — its human talent.

Sources

Academy of Accounting and Financial Studies Journal, Human Capital Cost Accounting in the Company Management System

Houston Chronicle, How Does Technology Impact HR Practice?

Houston Chronicle, Six Main Functions of a Human Resource Department

Inc., Human Resource Management

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Human Resource Managers

U.S. News and World Report, 10 Ways to Learn About a Company’s Culture

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