The online Professional Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management curriculum is comprehensive and designed to meet the needs of HR professionals to advance their career to top human resources and management positions. The curriculum covers 8 core courses, a capstone course, and 3 electives. A total of 36 credits is needed to attain the degree.

Core Courses (8 courses, 24 credits)

Linking HR to Business Strategy

This course aims to link HR to the organizational strategy, which includes adopting a systems perspective and attending to multiple stakeholders. This course emphasizes the importance of understanding the many forces that shape a firm’s approach to managing HRM and the positioning of the HR function as a strategic partner, putting the focus on the intersection of HRM, business policy, and competitive strategy.

Managing the Global Workforce

The aim of this course is to provide students with a robust understanding of international HR practices and issues. In addition, the course targets building awareness and appreciation of the international business context and how HR can contribute as a strategic partner to enhance multinational’s performance and competitive advantage.

Managing Rewards Systems

This course focuses primarily on base pay systems, incentive pay systems and employee benefits programs. It also provides in-depth coverage of sales, executive, and advanced individual performance pay issues.

Managing Workforce Flow

This course addresses how organizations acquire and deploy human assets, both internally and through outsourcing. Issues discussed include recruiting, selection, turnover, socialization, retention, and downsizing.

Workforce Analytics & HR Data-Base Decisions

This course addresses research design methodology and addresses basic statistics through regression analysis. It will enable students to compile and analyze data that can be used in developing, implementing, and measuring the outcome of HR strategy.

Developing Human Capital

Students in this course will learn how to assess and develop an organization’s human assets through training and development. The course examines both micro issues and macro issues, including the transformative nature of the “learning organization”. It will enable students to assess training needs and design effective training programs to cater tothe organizational strategy and the learning needs of employees.

HR Decision Making: Financial Decisions

The course prepares students to assess the business implications of basic financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement) and to participate in the financial analysis of business strategy. Particular attention is paid to topics where finance and HR intersect (cost-benefitanalysis of HR initiatives, selection of financial measures to serve as bonus drivers, alternative models for valuing employee stock options, financial and accounting aspects of pensions and other post-retirement benefits).

Employment Law

This course covers principles of law associated with the employment relationship. The focus is on understanding the legal process as it relates to employment issues, and developing the ability to research legal issues effectively.

Capstone Project (1 course, 3 credits)

This course will provide students with the opportunity to apply what they have learned throughout the graduate program. By the end of the course, the student will finalize a project that addresses an HR challenge within their organization or a company of their interest.

Elective Courses (select 3 courses, 9 credits)

Economics and Demographics of Labor Markets

This course focuses on the operation of the labor market, and how economic forces and demographic trends affect a firm, its workforce, and the employment relationship. Topics will include economic reasoning and current research on labor demand, labor supply, demographic trends and projections, education and training, unions, discrimination, and unemployment.

HR and Healthcare Administration

This course covers HR practices within the context of healthcare organization. It starts with addressing the nature and characteristics of the healthcare industry, organizations and employees. It also highlights the major legislation in the healthcare industry. The course also addresses HR practices for healthcare workers, such as staffing, performance, motivation, rewards, development and employee relations.

Organizational Leadership and Change Management

This course focuses on leadership theories and their application in work organizations. In addition, this course addresses the process of change management, including the rationale for change, why change succeeds or fails, effective leadership of change, and ethical concerns.

Organizational Behavior

This course aims to address major topics in organizational behavior. Organizational Behavior is an interdisciplinary field that strives to explain and predict how individuals and groups interpret events, react and behave in organizations. The course looks at the role of organizational systems, structures and processes in shaping behavior.

The Inclusive Workplace

This course addresses how to achieve an inclusive workplace; issues related to race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and other aspects of diversity in work organizations.

Leadership in Work Organizations

Leadership theory and its application to work organizations, including unions, non-profits and businesses. Leadership of small groups and large organizations; leadership diversity and development.