Online MBA in Human Resources Degrees
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The master's degree in business administration with a focus in human resources is great preparation for entering a human resources management career. These degrees cover general business subjects, as well as specific HR topics like incentives, productivity, hiring, selection, and communication principles.
The modern workplace is becoming increasingly employee-centered, in order to boost productivity, increase worker morale, and retain skilled employees. Human resources managers are the professionals who enact the strategies and procedures that make businesses pleasant and safe places to work. The master's degree in business administration prepares graduates to perform this role from the perspective of a business person, in order to meet the goals of the business while creating a worker-oriented environment.
These degree programs are usually aimed at business people with a few years of professional experience, who are ready to increase their practical knowledge and business savvy. Classes in general business topics make up the first year of the program, followed by human resources course work in the second and third years. Employers value the MBA degree, and graduates with the MBA in human resources should have good job opportunities. The HR manager job market should remain healthy in the coming years, as new laws regulating the workplace and an increase in business are predicted to generate new management positions.
Featured Accredited Schools Offering Online MBA in Human Resources Degrees
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Learn more about Kaplan University - Business Programs
What are some of the specializations within this degree program?
- Directors of Human Resources: These professionals work in large companies to oversee the human resources managers that work in various HR departments.
- Employee Benefits Managers: These managers are charged with structuring a company's health care plans, 401(k) retirement plans, stock offerings, child care services, and other employee benefits.
- Training and Development Managers: Training and development managers are responsible for seeing that new hires are prepared for their positions and aware of their responsibilities. They may also run development classes or certification programs for experienced employees.
- Work-Life Managers: Employees' physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being is the realm of work-life managers. They help mitigate occupational safety hazards, promote physical fitness inside the workplace, and may assist employees with legal, financial, or other life issues.
- Labor Relations Managers: These managers help maintain the relationship between the company's employees and its management. They may interface with unions, field complaints, conduct negotiations, or deal with wage disputes.
What degree levels are available?
- Master of Business Administration: 2-3 year to complete
What are the educational and certification requirements?
The MBA with a focus in human resources is designed to be a practical, terminal degree for individuals who want to begin careers as HR managers. Most MBAs require applicants to have a bachelor's degree and at least two years of professional business experience, before they will be accepted into the program. These two- to three-year programs in human resources begin with a core of practical business classes, in areas such as accounting, finance, decision making, and leadership. During the final year or two of the program, students focus their degree with a number of courses in human resources management, such as management principles, mediation and negotiation, psychology, and organizational structure and function.
There are no mandatory industry credentials for managers in human resources, although there are many voluntary certification programs. Certain industry groups, such as the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), offer general credentials; SHRM offers the Professional in Human Resources and the Senior Professional in Human Resources certifications. Other organizations, such as The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the American Society for Training and Development offer more specialized credentials for HR managers. These certifications are usually given to applicants based on their professional experience or exam sores. They can help HR managers advance in their profession and demonstrate their abilities to future employers. (BLS)
What kinds of classes will I be expected to take?
- Labor Relations: Learn about such concepts as mediation and collective bargaining here. This course's central theme will always be the relationship between discontented employees and the rights of managerial staff.
- Negotiation: This class teaches you the formal ways of enacting the common truth, "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." Strong MBA programs will boost your skills in negotiating via technology, including phones, email, and texting.
- Compensation: Understanding the nature of pay in a company here. The class refines your skills in design pay schemes, performance worth, and organization efficacy.
- Benefits: Social security, disability, work/life balance, unemployment, retirement; concepts like these ground this course. You'll also learn how benefits can function as strategy for a business' success.
- Staffing Strategy: This class will inform you about how businesses expect human resources to improve their structure. Retention and rightsizing are key vocabulary for the course.
If I pursue this program online, will I be required to complete any on-site training?
The answer to this question truly changes from program to program. But on the whole, you can expect an MBA program in human resources to, at some point, encourage your live appearance at certain training options, in order to assess your skills and hone your learning.
What are some other degrees that are related to this program?
- MBA in Organizational Leadership: This specialization caters to those looking to enter positions that demand expertise in handling multiple tiers of a business. Everything from customer service to communication with executives is covered here.
- MBA in Public Administration: This is the specialization to choose for a future in governmental departments. Learn about city management and comptrolling as well.
- MBA in International Business: Human resources professionals can sometimes qualify for positions abroad. Training in international business, even if not via a full-blown MBA, is highly valuable.
