Management    

Dr. Gary McMahan, Associate Professor, discussing strategic human resource management

MSHRM Program Overview

 Objective

The basic purpose of the Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management is to provide students with both a general knowledge of business and a specialized knowledge in human resource management. Students are exposed to the theory, research and practical applications of numerous content areas, including human resource strategy and policy, human resource planning, career planning and development, human resources law, organization change and development, employee selection, compensation, training and development and employee diversity in organizations. The program is designed to prepare students for human resource management careers in business and industrial firms, as well as government and nonprofit organizations.

 Degree Requirements

The program is designed primarily for the student who has a bachelor's degree in business administration. A minimum of 30 semester hours is required if the student chooses to write a thesis. If the student chooses not to write a thesis, a minimum of 36 semester hours is required. Students who do not have bachelor's degrees in business administration may have to take additional course work (up to 18 semester hours) to acquire sufficient general business knowledge for effective performance as a human resource executive.

Course work for the program includes 15 hours of required work in human resource management, six hours of required work in research and statistical methods, three hours of strategic management, and thesis or elective hours in related management courses to complete the 30- or 36-hour requirements. For the students who choose to write a thesis, the six hours of thesis will involve working closely with one or more members of the graduate faculty from the Department of Management on a research project in a specialized area of interest in human resource management.

 Curriculum Requirements

1. Advanced Courses
            A. Required human resource management courses
                        MANA 5340 Strategic Human Resource Management
                        MANA 5341 Staffing and Performance Management
                        MANA 5322 Compensation and Benefits
                        MANA 5323 Training and Development
                        MANA 5327 Human Resource Law

            B. Required research courses
                        STAT 5325 Advanced Statistical Methods in Business
                        MANA 5334 Organizational Consulting

            C. Required capstone course
                        MANA 5336 Strategic Management

2. Thesis (MANA 5698) and three elective semester hours.
3. Non-thesis option requires 12 elective semester hours.

4. Students without a business undergraduate degree may need to complete up to 18