Human Resource Management: B.S.
Overview for Students Matriculated before January 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.
Overview For Students Matriculated On or After January 2022
The Human Resource Management (HRM) professional is an essential partner in developing and executing the strategy of the organization. Another important function of the HR manager is to oversee many laws that protect the individual, as well as the organization, from unethical or unsafe conditions. Human Resource managers must carry out many different functions in the organization. The areas of responsibility include recruitment and selection, compensation and benefits, training and development, employee relations, employment and labor law, and other related functions. It is the HRM professional’s responsibility to ensure HRM policies, procedures and practices are matched effectively with the organization’s strategies. This includes functions such as:
- recruiting/staffing
- training
- planning and development
- reward systems including direct and indirect monetary rewards
- workplace safety and health
- employee/labor relations.
To perform these functions, an HR professional needs to interact with people across the organization. The HR professional is in a trusted position; those who serve in this field are held to high standards of integrity, discretion and discernment.
Issues that currently face professionals in this field are numerous and complex. The legal, economic and political environments at the local, state, country and international levels impact how HR strategies can be achieved. In addition to understanding the broad framework of the relevant laws (e.g., for equal opportunity, income security, safety and health, labor-management relations), the HR professional also needs to understand the economic, social and political environments and their impact on HR activities within an organization. Of critical importance are issues such as globalization, rise of knowledge worker and technology. The HR function is frequently asked to implement policies and programs to enhance the organization’s ability to thrive in environments undergoing rapid change.
Progression in the Degree Program
It is important for any business student to understand the roles and functions of a manager; to understand the basic accounting forms managers use; to understand how economics impact the business environment; to understand the impact of financial risk and debt, and to understand the purpose of marketing initiatives. Students who seek a B.S. in Human Resource Management will eventually work in HR settings that require them to interact with personnel from all departments, and thus, will benefit from understanding the workings of all facets of their organizations.
Human Resource managers are often asked to handle complex problems and collaborate with strategic problems that require ability to synthesize complex material. A capstone course is included in this program so that students have opportunity to practice this kind of synthesis.
Program Guidelines for Students Matriculated Before January 2022
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.
Program Guidelines for Students Matriculated On or After January 2022
To acquire that understanding, students pursuing a B. S. in Human Resource Management should build a strong competency base in the foundational areas of business by including these courses of introductory and advanced learning. These foundations may be met through transcript credit; college-level knowledge demonstrated through individual prior learning assessment (iPLA), professional learning evaluations (PLE), or credit by examination; or individual courses, a series of courses, or components within individual courses with Empire State College.
Foundation Area #1 Knowledge of Business
Learning outcome: Students will be able to define the basic roles and functions of managers in general and in specific departments critical to the organization.
Foundational Area #2: Ethical Standards and Conduct
Learning outcome: Students will be able to apply learning in business ethics to the supervision of ethical standards in the organization.
Foundational Area #3: Quantitative and Analytical Skills and Knowledge
Learning outcome: Students will be able to apply quantitative knowledge and skills to the development of databases and analysis pertinent to HR.
Foundational Area #4: The Human Resource Management Portfolio of Responsibility
Learning outcome: The student will be able to apply laws and regulations that pertain to the recruitment and compensation, and ethical treatment of employees to the solution of case studies.
Foundational Area #5: Understanding and Developing People and Organizations
Learning outcome: The student will be able to develop sample training programs that reflect optimal attention to different learning styles and motivational needs.
Learning outcome: The student will be able to use Organizational Behavior concepts to develop practices that assist leaders to attain organizational goals.
Foundational Area #6: Global Competency
Learning outcome: The student will be able to develop programs (such as compensation, benefits, or training) that impact employees in different cultural environments.
Foundational Area #7: Comprehensive Skills, Knowledge and Abilities to Perform in a Human Resource Management Role
Learning outcome: The student will be able to integrate knowledge earned, either through course work or experience in the key functional areas of Human Resource Management, to provide responses to real life case studies.
Program Requirements For Students Matriculated Before January 2022
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Division | ||
| Core HR Management Courses | ||
| MGMT 1005 | Principles of Management | 4 |
| MRKT 1005 | Marketing Principles | 4 |
| ACCT 2005 | Introductory Accounting I: Financial Accounting | 4 |
| ECON 2010 | Introductory Economics: Micro & Macro 6 Cr. | 6 |
| SUNY General Education | ||
| Mathematics (Statistics) | 4 | |
| Basic Communication | 4 | |
| 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 3015 | Human Resource Management | 4 |
| BUSN 3010 | Business Ethics | 4 |
| BUSN 2010 | Business Statistics | 4 |
| FSMA 3010 | Corporate Finance | 4 |
| MGMT 3060 | Organizational Behavior | 4 |
| HRMS 3010 | Diversity in the Workplace | 4 |
| HRMS 3040 | Staffing the Organization | 4 |
| HRMS 3020 | Human Resources Information System | 4 |
| HRMS 3005 | Compensation & Benefits | 4 |
| HRMS 3050 | Training & Development | 4 |
| HRMS 4010 | Employment & Labor Law | 4 |
| Human Resource Elective | 4 | |
| HRMS 4020 | Strategic Human Resource Management | 4 |
| HRMS 3025 | International Human Resources Management | 4 |
Program Requirements For Students Matriculated On or After January 2022
Foundation Area #1 Knowledge of Business
Required courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MGMT 1005 | Principles of Management | 3,4 |
| ACCT 2005 | Introductory Accounting I: Financial Accounting | 4 |
| ECON 2010 | Introductory Economics: Micro & Macro 6 Cr. | 6 |
| MRKT 1005 | Marketing Principles | 4 |
| FSMA 3010 | Corporate Finance | 4 |
Foundational Area #2: Ethical Standards and Conduct
Required course
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BUSN 3010 | Business Ethics | 4 |
Foundational Area #3: Quantitative and Analytical Skills and Knowledge
Required courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BUSN 2010 | Business Statistics | 4 |
(or any college level statistics) | ||
| HRMS 3020 | Human Resources Information System | 4 |
Foundational Area #4: The Human Resource Management Portfolio of Responsibility
Required courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HRMS 3015 | Human Resource Management | 4 |
| HRMS 3040 | Staffing the Organization | 4 |
| HRMS 3005 | Compensation & Benefits | 4 |
| HRMS 4010 | Employment & Labor Law | 4 |
| HRMS 3010 | Diversity in the Workplace | 4 |
Foundational Area #5: Understanding and Developing People and Organizations
Required courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HRMS 3050 | Training & Development | 4 |
| MGMT 3060 | Organizational Behavior | 4 |
Foundational Area #6: Global Competency
Required course
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HRMS 3025 | International Human Resources Management | 4 |
Foundational Area #7: Comprehensive Skills, Knowledge and Abilities to Perform in a Human Resource Management Role
Required course
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HRMS 4020 | Strategic Human Resource Management | 4 |