Bachelor Of Science (B.S.) In Human Resource Management For Students Matriculated Before Jan. 1, 2022

The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Human Resource Management is a 124-credit program designed to serve students who are interested in pursuing future careers in the field of human resource management. The program provides the foundation of core competencies, theoretical and technical body of knowledge in the content areas of human resource management, business, and SUNY liberal arts and general education requirements. Students will have the option of completing their course work in a variety of delivery modes: online, blended and/or face-to-face study. This program provides students with the option to pursue a more structured degree program in Human Resource Management while offering them the option to individualize their degree through their selection of electives.

Students enrolled in 16 credits per semester, two semesters per year, could expect to complete this program in four years. SUNY Empire State College also offers a summer term that includes courses in Human Resource Management.  It permits courses transfer based on the college’s policy,  up to 93 total upper and lower level credits of same listed courses/topics or equivalent courses.

For more information about this degree program, please visit the B.S. in Human Resource Management web page.

Admission

The admissions requirements for the B.S. in Human Resource Management will be the same as current undergraduate admissions requirements, which include proof of high school completion and the ability to pursue college-level work as demonstrated through an essay, which is submitted with the admissions application.

To prepare to study in the HR field, students should develop an understanding of the environment through study in fields such as psychology, sociology, political science, economics, law and quantitative analysis, including statistics. Students also should ensure they have the ability to communicate in multiple forms (oral, written, electronically) with individuals and groups, and are able to analyze complex information.

Students pursuing an HRM degree should build a strong foundation of knowledge in the functional areas of business including:

  • Accounting.
  • Finance.
  • Management.
  • Operations.
  • Marketing.
  • Information systems.

It is also important to have an understanding of the changing nature of work and the work force, including such issues as workplace diversity and globalization. Students should also understand the interactions among individuals, groups and organizations through a study such as Organizational Behavior or Managerial Psychology.

Students pursuing an HRM degree should have a broad-based understanding of the HR function through study or experience.

HRM Knowledge/Studies

The HR function has four key responsibilities:

  • Staffing (recruitment and selection).
  • Compensation (direct and indirect).
  • Training and development.
  • Employee/labor relations,

Students seeking a broad-based HR career should build competencies in these four areas above through a combination of experience, studies and/or internships. Students could also consider taking an integrative (capstone) study to integrate their knowledge of HR and organizations. In addition, students could consider including studies that help in developing knowledge and competencies in specialized areas of HR. Possible topics include:

  • Employment and/or labor law.
  • Diversity in the workplace.
  • Dispute resolution in the workplace.
  • International HRM.
  • Human resource planning.
  • Human resource information systems.
  • Change management.
  • Performance management.
  • Labor economics.
  • Workplace safety and health.

Supporting Studies

Other supporting studies could focus on the organization or industry in which the student plans to work. These could include nonprofit management, retail management, manufacturing technology, health-care administration and other similar types of organizational studies.

Lower Division


Core HR Management Courses
MGMT 1005Principles of Management3,4
MRKT 1005Marketing Principles4
ACCT 1005Accounting for Decision Makers6
ECON 2005Principles of Economics4
SUNY General Education
Mathematics (Statistics)4
Basic Communication4
Select 12 credits from the following Gen Ed categories:12
Natural Science
American History
Western Civilization
Other World Civilization
The Arts
Foreign Language

Upper Division

Core HR Management Courses
HRMS 3015Human Resource Management4
BUSN 3010Business Ethics4
BUSN 2010Business Statistics4
FSMA 3010Corporate Finance4
MGMT 3060Organizational Behavior4
HRMS 3010Diversity in the Workplace4
HRMS 3040Staffing the Organization4
HRMS 3020Human Resources Information System4
HRMS 3005Compensation & Benefits4
HRMS 3043Training & Development4
Human Resource Elective4
HRMS 4020Strategic Human Resource Management4
HRMS 3025International Human Resources Management4