Bachelor of Arts in Human Resource Management

A Human Resource Management degree qualifies you to work in virtually every industry since every business needs strong human resource leaders. Every organization needs strong human resource leaders to administer and oversee programs that benefit employees, as well those to manage the fast-changing, complex employment laws. From determining staffing needs, to recruitment and training, to keeping employee records, overseeing benefits, and managing compensation, HR managers play an integral role in business. As the demand rises for HR managers, so does the competitive nature of these positions. That's why the people best poised to land these types of jobs are college graduates, especially those with bachelor's degrees in human resource management. Students who graduate with a major in Human Resource Management will be able to provide their skills, knowledge and understanding of human resource functions to organizations in the for-profit, nonprofit, and public sectors of the workforce.

Program Overview

The Human Resource Management program at Mercyhurst offers an environment with smaller class sizes that encourages more discussion and engagement between students, allowing for more individual attention and the opportunity to complete more involved exercises and projects. Some examples of the projects that are undertaken by students in Human Resource Management classes include:

• Students create job descriptions for different roles, specifying tasks, duties, responsibilities, and the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. Following this, they craft authentic recruitment advertisements, ensuring compliance with current legal language, avoiding discrimination, and promoting them effectively.
• Creating a personal LinkedIn profile following preset requirements to join groups, connect with others, and network.
• Planning and writing a training program which includes selecting the topic of the training, choosing presenters/speakers for the keynote and break-out sessions, picking a training facility, and planning each event, including the type of seating and training materials to be used.
• Forming a budgeted training event at a specific facility for their given firm's employees, with selections of real-world facilities such as the Marriott City Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, or the Kimpton Hotel Wilshire in Los Angeles, California. Students plan all aspects of the training from obtaining nationally recognized speakers, planning general and break-out sessions, and organizing seating and food arrangements.
• Students in the program are also given the opportunity to attend conferences with faculty, including recently the Society for Human Resource Management Conference, the Women in Leadership Conference, and the Diversity in Leadership Conference.