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Rutgers launches online masters degree program for Human Resources Management

  William Castellano, professor and chair of human resources and management in the School of Management and Labor Relations, said one of the major differences of the online program was that it did not require a GRE or GMAT because participants in the program are required to have previous experience in human resources or other management.  – Photo by Photo by Rutgers.edu | The Daily Targum

The School of Management and Labor Relations (SMLR) will be launching an online master's degree program for Human Resource Management (HRM) this upcoming fall semester, bringing the University’s current curriculum to the web and making it more accessible. 

William Castellano is a professor and chair of human resources and management in the SMLR. He said the online program will be geared more toward those who have experience in the field already, but wish to expand their knowledge of human resources management. The program will also be much shorter, only requiring 36 credits, as opposed to the in-person program which requires 48. 

The quality of the online program, though, is the same as in-person. The online classes follow a similar structure and are even taught by the same professors as the in-person program, he said. The online master's program would actually be more experiential, as it is more geared to a student's personal experiences as opposed to their academic work.

One of the benefits of the online program is that it works better for those who want a more flexible schedule. Those who work full-time or have children would benefit from it most, Castellano said. The online program can also be completed much faster.

“You could feasibly do the whole course in an 18-month period,” he said. “ A person who has to do it in a class may have some problems with the time schedule. The flexibility is really the most appealing part.”

The online program does have one major difference compared to the in person program: it does not require a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Castellano said the reason behind this is because the in-person program does not demand the same four years of experience that are needed to join the online program. Since the online program does require prior experience in human resources or other types of management professions, the department decided to waive the requirement for a GRE or GMAT. 

Through implementing this online masters program, the human resources curriculum can reach more students of all demographics as well. 

“What we decided to do is to expand our reach, and the best way to do that is to develop an online platform,” Castellano said.

In regard to the current HRM program at Rutgers, it has 15 tenured research faculty, which is higher than other major universities with a similar program, he said.

Students who do the online program will get training and knowledge on the best way to function in the modern workforce, Castellano said. 

“Human resources has quickly become one of the most important functions in any organization. Today, companies usually compete through their human and intellectual capital,” Castellano said. “This program is geared to help people to develop those necessary skills. Understanding HR strategy, how to help a business grow, training and developing staff and growing a stronger workforce for the years to come.”


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