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Master of Human Resources

MHR Curriculum


Business Core Requirement

The MHR Program consists of 36 hours of course work plus a required six-hour internship.

Internships

The MHR program has an internship that provides students with pre-employment exposure to the practice of human resource management. All internships are professional level, last at least eight weeks (most last 12 or more) and provide on-the-job experience in an actual human resources environment. The internship requirement is usually fulfilled during the summer, following two semesters of coursework. Internship assignments are intended to complement the formal course work, and often lead to job opportunities. 

The Learning Environment

Limited enrollment (approximately 30-35 new students per year) and small class size provide students with individualized attention. MHR students benefit from the close-knit atmosphere of a small, selective program and the services offered by a large university.

The MHR faculty includes distinguished practitioners committed to teaching and conducting research at the cutting edge of the field. MHR students come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds and geographic regions, creating a stimulating learning environment. The alumni network reaches nationwide and supports the program as well as its graduates. This exceptional combination of students, faculty, staff, and alumni gives the MHR program a competitive edge as its graduates enter the job market.  

Professional Development

First-year students take part in a series of seminars during the fall semester to prepare for the internship and job search processes, as well as to assist in creating a foundation for a career as an HR professional. Workshop topics include resume preparation and review, interviewing (including mock interviews), job search, team building, oral presentation, and intercultural communication. Sessions are conducted by the Graduate Career Management Office and the Center for Business Communication.  

Program Requirement

Students from all undergraduate majors are welcome in the MHR program. Students who are not business undergraduates are required to take an additional 12 hours of graduate-level core business courses as a part of the program.

The following four courses are integrated into the MHR curriculum over the course of the two-year program for the student with an undergraduate degree in a subject other than business (e.g., psychology):

A student with a business undergraduate degree will earn the MHR degree in 1-1/2 years (three semesters plus the summer internship.)

Prerequisite: Students with an undergraduate degree in business must have completed an intermediate statistics course within the past 6 years with a grade of at least "B."


MHR Curriculum


Currently, the curriculum includes the following core courses plus an additional two electives:

Management 779 -- Personnel and Employment Relations.   An introduction to the human resources field, examining all functional areas.

Management 719 -- Management of Compensation.   A study of the fundamental and current issues in compensation management.

Management 720 -- Staffing.   Instruction in job analysis, recruitment, test validation, and selection systems.

Management 721 -- Employment Relations Law.   Policy and practice in areas such as equal employment, wages and hours, employee health and safety, pensions, and labor relations.

Management 722 -- Labor Relations.  An analysis of some of the major problems faced by managers in their dealings with organizations representing employees. Primary emphasis is on the negotiation of labor agreements and the handling of problems arising under them.

Management 772 -- Employee and Organizational Development.   Examination of methods of employee development and organizational change efforts designed to increase organizational effectiveness with an emphasis on planning, design, management, and evaluation of intervention programs.

Management 801 -- International Employment Relations.  An analysis of selected employment and labor relations problems and practices viewed from a comparative, cross-national perspective and the perspective of a multinational enterprise.

Finance 745 -- Management of Employee Benefits.  An analytical study of group life, health, and retirement plans that provide economic security for employees; focuses on design, funding, tax considerations, cost controls, compliance with governmental regulations, the impact of inflation, and new types of benefits.

Economics 506 -- Labor Economics.  Economics of labor demand, labor supply, wage determination in competitive markets, migration, discrimination, unemployment, and labor unions.

Management 726 -- Issues in Personnel and Employment Relations.  The capstone course, including an examination of business strategy and a study of human resource information technology.