Rankings

Best MBA in Human Resource Management Programs

MBA in Human Resource Management
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Human Resource Management is intended to be a field that empowers both people and their organizations to maximize their potential to build a better work world for everyone. Human resource managers work across all industries. There are numerous arms of HR management, from talent acquisition for organizations to managing compensation and benefits.

Human Resource Management also has a role in training staff; maintaining good employee and labor relations and navigating negotiations as needed; working with C-level executives to develop more organizational effectiveness; and influencing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within the organization. To develop the leadership needed for human resource management, many professionals are looking for the top MBA in human resource management programs.

The MBA in Human Resource Management degree provides a comprehensive curriculum in business and management skills, as well as specialized knowledge in the domain of human resource management. It focuses on the theory and practice of HR management principles, current HR trends, and design of HR-related policies and practices.

Develop Your MBA Stack in Human Resource Management

HR managers need to be technologically and data savvy and use analytics to attract and retain talent and implement a strategy that leads to an engaged, safe, and fair workplace for everyone. They need to combine their hard skills and soft skills to drive human resources to further organizational goals.

An MBA in human resource management will help students build their talent stack to become skilled and knowledgeable practitioners. The following list gives you the top MBA in human resource management programs. You’ll find a variety of formats, program duration, and HR emphases. Now you need to find the MBA in Human Resource Management degree program that best suits your needs and career goals. We hope this list helps guide you in this process.

Methodology

This list highlights the top MBA in Human Resource Management programs available. We researched business schools from around the country to find those with the best MBA Human Resources Management program. We then identified the MBA degrees with a focus on human resource management.

For the ranking order of this list, we combined information from four leading ranking systems: Quacquarelli Symonds, the Wall Street JournalForbes, and U.S. News and World Report. All ranking scores are weighted equally and averaged. The ranking scores were adjusted to a 100-point scale, which became each MBA’s Stacked Score.


The Best MBA in Human Resource Management Degree Programs

Mercer University – Macon, Georgia

MBA in Human Resource Management

In Macon, Georgia, the Eugene W. Stetson School of Business and Economics at Mercer University offers a Managing People and Change Concentration for both its Full-Time (Daytime) MBA, Evening MBA, and Online MBA students. All three MBA in human resource management programs are 30-credit programs that increase to 36 credits for students pursuing a concentration. For students without a business undergraduate degree, there are required foundational courses, which increase the credits needed to graduate to 39-45.

Students can complete the Full-Time MBA program in as little as 10 to 12 months if desired. The Online MBA program is completed entirely online, and the 30-credit track can be done in just 12 months. Students in the EMBA program attend classes at Mercer’s campuses in Atlanta or Macon one evening per week per course. They have the choice to supplement with online courses as needed, and they can complete the program in just 12 months.

The Managing People and Change Concentration requires the Legal Environment of Business and Management Law course and three electives from the following options: Human Resource Management, Innovation Management, International Management, Negotiations, Organizational Behavior, and Project Management.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 36.40


University of Florida – Gainesville, Florida

MBA in Human Resource Management

Students at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business who have an interest in building their human resources management stack can enroll in the Full-Time MBA program, which offers a concentration in Human Capital. Students must take five courses to complete this concentration, with offerings that include Controllership, Employment Law, Compensation in Organizations, and Art & Science of Negotiation.

There are three full-time program options for the MBA at the University of Florida. Students can choose a traditional two-year program or an accelerated one-year program. For those with an undergraduate degree in business (within the past seven years), the one-year track is only ten months, while for those who come from all other majors, it’s a 12-month program. There is also a Global Immersion Experience offered to all MBA students, and Full-Time MBA students can use the GIE to fulfill an elective credit.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 83.53


University of Wisconsin-Madison – Madison, Wisconsin

MBA in Human Resource Management

At the University of Wisconsin’s Wisconsin School of Business, MBA students have the option to specialize in Strategic Human Resource Management as part of the Full-Time MBA program. This MBA in human resource management counts as two years of work experience that the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) requires in order to sit for the SHRM certification exam. Coursework included in this specialization includes classes like Managing Technological and Organizational Change, Labor-Management Relations, People Analytics, and Personnel Staffing and Evaluation.

The Full-Time MBA at the University of Wisconsin is a two-year program on the UW’s Madison campus. Courses include classes such as Data to Decisions; Leading and Working in Teams; Ethics, Integrity, and Society; and Economics for Managers. Students also complete a consulting practicum during their second year. Students spend the summer between Year 1 and Year 2 engaged in an internship. There is also an optional global learning opportunity available for students, which they can choose to participate in either Year 1 or Year 2.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 86.91


Vanderbilt University – Nashville, Tennessee

MBA in Human Resource Management

Human & Organizational Performance (HOP) is both a specialization and a concentration offered for MBA students at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. A concentration comprises a minimum of 12 credits, while a specialization is 20 credits.

In the specialization, students take Strategic Human Resource Management and either Managerial and Organizational Effectiveness or Leading Change, plus their choice of relevant electives. The specialization track, meanwhile, is more intensive and has six required courses plus electives. The three required courses from the concentration are all required in the specialization alongside Employee Engagement and People Analytics, Compensation Decision Making, and Labor and Employee Relations.

The Vanderbilt MBA in human resource management is a full-time, two-year program on Vanderbilt’s campus in Nashville. Students spend the summer between the two years engaged in an internship. There are also options for students to participate in global immersion trips throughout the program.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 86.76


Emory University – Atlanta, Georgia

MBA in Human Resource Management

Emory University offers its Goizueta Business School MBA students with a career in Human Resource Management the opportunity to earn a concentration in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Some courses offered in this concentration include Bias in the Workplace, Managing Groups and Teams, Principled Leadership, and Business & Society.

Students can also participate in the Peachtree Minority Venture Fund, which is a student-run venture capital fund at The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Emory. Additionally, students in this concentration can participate in the Philanthropy Lab, which is an experiential learning course that addresses the role of philanthropy in solving public problems in the context of Atlanta and the city’s inequality. The core of this course is a student-led grantmaking effort of $60,000 for local nonprofits.

Emory University offers a Full-Time MBA with both a one-year accelerated track and a two-year track on its Atlanta campus. The DEI concentration is available for students in either track.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 86.60


Michigan State University – East Lansing, Michigan

MBA in Human Resource Management

The Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State offers a concentration in Human Resources and Strategic Management as part of its Full-Time MBA program. This is a 12-credit concentration that fits within the overall Full-Time MBA program structure, between the 31-credit core curriculum and the 18-credit elective curriculum.

Courses within this MBA in human resource management concentration include classes such as Social Issues in Management, Talent Management and Development, Leadership and Team Management, and Foundations of Negotiation. Students can also choose to take courses offered through the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations (HRLR) as electives within this concentration. They also have access to the Team Effectiveness Lab, which provides three dedicated, five-person computer networks that run Dynamic Distributed Decision-Making simulation software.

The Full-Time MBA at Broad is a two-year (21-month) program on Michigan State’s East Lansing campus.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 77.65


Pennsylvania State University – University Park, Pennsylvania

MBA in Human Resource Management

Pennsylvania State University’s Smeal College of Business offers a certificate in Talent and Diversity Leadership through its Online MBA program for those looking to build their Human Resource Management talent stack. This 48-credit program requires 39 core credits and an additional nine concentration credits.

As a fully online program, all courses are asynchronous to provide students the flexibility to balance their graduate work with their other obligations. However, for those who desire more engagement with peers and professors, there are synchronous discussions available. All Online MBA students do also have the option of participating in an optional global immersion experience during their studies.

There are six classes available to choose from in the Talent and Diversity Leadership concentration, of which students need to take three to fulfill the nine-credit requirement. Some of the course options include Positive Organizational Behavior and Well-Being, Human Resource Management, People Analytics, and Diversity Leadership.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 68.07


Florida State University – Tallahassee, Florida

MBA in Human Resource Management

The Florida State University College of Business offers a Human Resources specialization for its Accelerated Full-Time MBA students. Students need to choose three courses from the five offered to earn a Human Resources specialization. The courses offered are Compensation Management, HR Analytics, Personnel and Human Resource Management, Staffing, and Training and Development.

This accelerated Full-Time MBA in human resource management program at FSU is a 39-credit program. It is intended for students with significant work experience or qualified internships, given its intensive nature. Students can earn their MBA degrees in one year in this program. Classes are held on FSU’s Tallahassee campus. Students also interested in expanding their law talent stack may pursue a joint JD/MBA pathway, allowing them to earn both their MBA degree alongside a law degree.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 63.97


University of Georgia – Athens, Georgia

MBA in Human Resource Management

The Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia offers a concentration in Human Resource Management for its Full-Time MBA students. Students in this MBA in human resource management must take 15 credits of core coursework, which include Employment Law, Recruitment and Selection, Economics of Managing Organizations, Training and Development, and Performance Management & Compensation. They also take an additional six credits of electives, which include classes such as Leading Evolving Organizations, Fundamentals of Risk Management, and Business Process Management.

The Full-Time MBA program at the University of Georgia is a 61-credit, two-year program. In the summer between the two years, students participate in an internship. All students earn one credit by completing 50 hours of community service. Students also can participate in case competitions, a Net Impact-sponsored project, the Nonprofit Board Fellows Program, consulting projects, an international residency and consulting project, and/or the MBA Fellows Program to round out their experience and flesh out their talent stack.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 63.84


Brigham Young University – Provo, Utah

MBA in Human Resource Management

At Brigham Young University, the Marriott School of Business offers a track in Strategic Human Resources for students enrolled in their MBA program. This MBA in human resource management program requires 64 credits to graduate, which students complete over the span of two years in a full-time capacity on BYU’s Provo, Utah, campus. Between the first and second year, students are strongly encouraged to participate in a summer internship.

There are four required courses in the Strategic Human Resources Track, plus one professional seminar. The required courses are Change Management, Micro/Macro Organizational Behavior, Team Management/Consultation, and Human Resources Management Skills. Students also must complete Human Resources-focused elective credits, which they can earn through courses like Negotiations, Compensation & Benefits, International Human Resources, and Razor’s Edge. Students interested in further building out their talent stack may choose to pursue a consulting or a STEM specialization to add to their Human Resource management focus.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 59.54


University of Illinois at Chicago – Chicago, Illinois

MBA in Human Resource Management

Students looking for an online MBA in Human Resource Management program can consider the Human Resource Management Online MBA program at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s College of Business Administration. Students in the 42-credit Online MBA program can earn their degree in as little as 14 months.

Students complete a total of 11 courses over the 42 credits, which are made up of 26 credits of core coursework and 16 credits of electives. The three Human Resource concentration classes required for this program include Human Resource Management, Talent Management, and Compensation Administration. This Online MBA is done entirely online, offering students the most flexibility when it comes to balancing their work and life commitments. The accelerated format also helps make it supportive of working professionals.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 69.58


Marquette University – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

MBA in Human Resource Management

The Online MBA program at Marquette University’s Graduate School of Business offers students a concentration in Human Resources. This is a flexible program that is entirely completed online and is a part-time program. This format allows students to study on their own time, which means it’s possible to continue working while enrolled in the program.

Courses are set up in seven- and eight-week chunks using the D2L learning management software to engage in all aspects of courses. Students take 15 elective credits in addition to their concentration, which can include further Human Resources-focused classes such as Organizational Development and Human Capital Strategy.

For students coming to Marquette’s Online MBA in human resource management with an undergraduate degree in business or sufficient undergraduate business classes, there is the opportunity to complete the program on an accelerated timeline, helping keep both the financial and time cost of an MBA degree low.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 54.70


Temple University – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

MBA in Human Resource Management

For those interested in building their Human Resources Management stack, Temple University offers two MBA program options through their Fox School of Business. For those interested in a more traditional, in-person experience, the Full-Time MBA program has a concentration option in Human Resource Management.

This is a mostly in-person program with classes on Temple’s Philadelphia campus, though there are some hybrid and online courses offered. All students participate in a consulting capstone project, and there is also an option to participate in a Global Immersion experience. Students earn their degrees by completing 48 credits over the course of this two-year program. It is ideal for those with two to five years of working experience.

Like Temple’s Full-Time MBA program, the Online MBA program also offers a concentration in Human Resource Management. Students may also choose to participate in a dual degree program, earning their Master of Science in Human Resource Management alongside their MBA. This is a fully online program, although students do participate in an on-campus residency at the beginning of their first semester. Students can earn their Online MBA in human resource management degree in two years, though they do have up to six years if needed. It is also a 48-credit program, ideal for those with two to five years of working experience. Classes have synchronous sessions in addition to asynchronous content.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 49.57


Drake University – Des Moines, Iowa

MBA in Human Resource Management

At Drake University, the College of Business and Public Administration offers its Online MBA program with an emphasis on Leadership & Human Capital Development. This Online MBA in human resource management program takes two years to complete with a part-time course load. It is a total of 36 credits, all of which can be fulfilled entirely online. Courses are set up in six-week increments and are all asynchronous, allowing students to work on their degrees when and where they need to. There are not any in-person requirements for this program.

Students in the Leadership & Human Capital Development emphasis must take three of the five offered courses, which completes the nine required elective credits for the Online MBA program. The available courses with this emphasis are Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Operational Risk Management, Human Resources Development, Public Organizations & Leadership, and a seminar in Executive Leadership.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 47.91


California State University, Long Beach – Long Beach, California

MBA in Human Resource Management

Students at the College of Business at California State University, Long Beach, may choose to specialize in Human Resource Management as part of the Evening MBA program. This specialization makes up three of the four required elective classes for the Evening MBA program.

The Evening MBA in human resource management program at CSU, Long Beach, is a self-paced, part-time program that is made up of 16 courses. The self-paced nature allows students to enroll in as many or as few credits as they need from term to term to offer a high level of flexibility. Most students complete this program in three years. Students may choose to enroll full-time and take summer courses, which will allow them to complete the program in just two years. Evening MBA students have the opportunity to participate in a study abroad trip, which is offered once each term.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 47.92


University of South Carolina – Columbia, South Carolina

MBA in Human Resource Management

At the University of South Carolina, the Darla Moore School of Business offers a Human Resource Management specialization for MBA students in the Professional MBA program. To earn this MBA in human resource management, students need to complete four credits in Human Resource Management classes. These four credits also count towards the 21 required elective credits for the PMBA, which amount to seven courses.

The PMBA at the University of South Carolina is a 28-month program made up of 48 credits. The academic year is broken up into six terms, which each last seven weeks. Among the elective choices available, PMBA students may choose to participate in a study abroad experience for 10 to 14 days. The PMBA is offered at Darla Moore School of Business on the Columbia, SC campus and live-streamed synchronously to other University of South Carolina campuses one evening per week. With two-way video technology, there is real-time interaction between students and professors.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 47.35


Oregon State University – Corvallis, Oregon

MBA in Human Resource Management

The College of Business at Oregon State University offers a Full-Time MBA and a Part-TIme MBA in Human Resource Management at its Corvallis, OR, campus. Students who meet the requirements of an undergraduate business degree can earn their MBA degree in as little as nine months as full-time students, which is a total of 45 credits. However, the standard number of credits required to earn OSU’s MBA degree is 60 credits.

The Human Resource Management-focused courses for this MBA program are Compensation Management, Data Analytics for Competitive Advantage, Employee Recruitment & Selection, Human Resources Management, and Negotiations. Students will learn how to develop a strategic human resources plan based on their organization’s goals, evaluate human resource data, outline the legal obligations of an organization from a human resource management standpoint, and evaluate recruitment and selection methodologies for their organization.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 44.55


Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge, Louisiana

MBA in Human Resource Management

The Flores MBA at the E. J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University offers a specialization in Human Resource Management. The Flores Full-Time MBA in human resource management takes 22 months to complete. Over the summer between Year 1 and Year 2, students complete a professional internship.

The One-Year MBA is 11 months and is available to those students who have an undergraduate business degree. LSU does not require the GMAT for admission. For both the Full-Time and the One-Year programs, courses are offered during weekdays on campus in Baton Rouge.

Regardless of which Flores MBA program they are enrolled in at LSU, students in the Human Resource Management Specialization must complete three of the following offered courses: Employee Selection and Placement, Human Factors in Business and Industry, Legal Issues in Human Resource Management, Managing Negotiation, and Public Personnel Policy.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 44.03


California State University, Fullerton – Fullerton, California

MBA in Human Resource Management

For those interested in building their Human Resource Management stack, California State University, Fullerton, offers a Human Resources Concentration for students enrolled in the Flex MBA program through the Steven G. Mihaylo College of Business and Economics. Students in this concentration learn skills to navigate employee training, organizational development, and managing human behavior. The Flex MBA program is made up of 45 credits. Twenty-four of these credits come from core coursework, three from the capstone course, and the remaining 18 from concentration coursework. Courses are offered one night per week on the Fullerton campus.

The Flex MBA in human resource management program can be either a full-time or part-time program depending on what works best for a particular student’s schedule and needs. For those enrolled full-time, this MBA program can be completed in as little as two years, while part-time students complete the program in three years. Students may begin the program in either the fall or spring.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 41.81


University of Cincinnati – Cincinnati, Ohio

MBA in Human Resource Management

At the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, University of Cincinnati, MBA students in the Full-Time MBA program can earn a graduate certificate in Human Resources. Students must complete the following required certificate classes in addition to two more elective classes: Benefits, Compensation, Diversity and Inclusion, and Employment Law. Some of the elective classes offered include courses such as High-Performance Teams, Talent Acquisition and Staffing, Managing Organizational Change, and Negotiation.

The Lindner Full-Time MBA in human resource management is a 48-credit program. Students earn ten credits through foundation courses, 26 through core courses, and the remaining 12 credits through electives like the certificate in Human Resources. Students with an undergraduate degree in business do not need to complete the ten foundation course credits, however, making it only a 36-credit program. All Full-Time MBA students are required to complete a study abroad experience.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 41.51


Fairfield University – Fairfield, Connecticut

MBA in Human Resource Management

Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, offers a Hybrid MBA program through the Charles F. Dolan School of Business. Students in the Hybrid MBA have the opportunity to specialize in Strategic Human Resources as part of the Management Concentration. Students may choose up to two concentrations, pairing Management with Accounting, Finance, Analytics, or Marketing, depending on what their career goals and focus are. Some of the courses offered in the Management Concentration with a human resources focus include Cross Cultural Management and Sustainable Leadership, Human Resource Strategies: An Analytics Approach, Negotiations and Dispute Resolution, and Employee Performance Management and Rewards for Competitive Advantage.

Students in Fairfield’s MBA in human resource management program can choose to enroll as either full-time or part-time students. Depending on the course load chosen, students can complete the MBA program in one to two years. Students without a business background must complete 42 credits, while those who do have a business background only need 36 credits.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 47.52


University at Albany, SUNY – Albany, New York

MBA in Human Resource Management

The University of Albany, SUNY, offers a concentration in Human Resource Information Systems for students enrolled in the School of Business Two-Year Full-Time MBA and One-Year Full-Time MBA programs. Students in the One-Year Full-Time MBA program hold an undergraduate degree in business with at least a 3.3 GPA in business courses and a 3.6 GPA overall. The Human Resource Information Systems Concentration covers topics such as cloud computing, compensation and benefits, enterprise resource planning, human resource information systems, performance management, recruiting, selection, social networking, and software applications.

Two-Year Full-Time MBA students complete a Global Business Sustainability capstone and also participate in an international consulting experience during their first year. During Year two, they complete a field experience or research project in their chosen area of concentration, like Human Resource Information Systems. Two-Year Full-Time MBA students also have the opportunity to pursue an internship while in the program. One-Year Full-Time MBA students also must complete a research project or field experience in their area of concentration.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 40.45


University of Nebraska, Lincoln – Lincoln, Nebraska

MBA in Human Resource Management

Students at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, can earn a specialization in Human Resource Management through the MBA@Nebraska online MBA program offered through the College of Business. This MBA in human resource management program is done entirely online with courses that are divided into eight-week sections. This is a 48-credit program, which students enrolled in a full-time capacity can complete in just a year and a half, but most take three years to earn their MBA degree.

The MBA@Nebraska is made up of 10 core courses and six elective courses. For the specialization in Human Resource Management, students must take Compensation Administration, Talent Acquisition and Staffing, and The Regulatory Environment for Employment and Labor. In addition to a specialization in Human Resource Management, students can also earn a Certificate in Human Resource Management. This 12-credit certificate program requires the same courses as the specialization in addition to Strategic Human Resource Management. MBA students can use their elective credits to earn this certificate.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 38.18


Oklahoma State University – Stillwater, Oklahoma

MBA in Human Resource Management

At Oklahoma State University, students enrolled in the Spears School of Business can earn both a concentration in Human Resource Management as well as a certificate as part of the On-Campus MBA, the Professional MBA, and the Online MBA programs.

The On-Campus MBA is a 36-credit program on the Stillwater, OK, campus for full-time students, which can be completed in as little as 12 months. Working professionals in the PMBA program and online students must complete 33 credits to earn their degrees. The PMBA is a hybrid program with on-campus work done on the Tulsa campus and an 18- to 36-month program. It has a minimal on-campus requirement for projects and networking, while the rest of the program is done online. Online students can complete their degrees in 12 months. Coursework is available asynchronously.

To earn the MBA in Human Resource Management, students must complete 15 credits of coursework, which encompass the following courses: Employment Law, Human Resource Analytics, Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, and Total Rewards. These are also the same courses required for the Human Resource Management Certificate.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 36.79


Montclair State University – Montclair, New Jersey

MBA in Human Resource Management

Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey, offers students in its Live Blended Weeknight MBA and Online MBA programs the opportunity to earn a concentration in Human Resource Management. Delivered through the Feliciano School of Business, The Weeknight MBA is a part-time 24-month program where students take classes two evenings per week.

Classes are offered both in-person and up to 50 percent online, delivered synchronously. The Online MBA program is a 24- to 26-month program delivered entirely online. Most students take this program at part-time enrollment. Both programs are ideal for working professionals. Montclair State also offers a stand-alone Human Resources Certificate.

The Human Resource Management Concentration requires the following five courses and an additional elective course: Contemporary Themes in Human Resource Management, Human Resource Analytics, Managing Global Workforce, Strategic Human Resource Management, and Talent Management. Some of the offered electives include Business Leader Perspectives, Hospitality Management, Special Topics in Management, and Leadership. The concentration is a total of nine credits.

MBA Website

Stacked Score: 31.45


Human Resource Management Stack

MBA in Human Resource Management

There are so many ways to build your talent stack when it comes to a career in human resource management. An MBA is certainly a robust option, but if you are not quite ready to jump into a program, here are a few other ways you might want to consider adding to your HR stack.

If you’re already an experienced HR professional looking to make the next leap in your career with an MBA degree or just curious how your knowledge measures up, the Society of Human Resource Management offers a variety of HR management quizzes to see how your knowledge measures up and where you might need to build up your talent stack. 

Laws & Regulations

One aspect of human resource management is being well-versed in employment laws and regulations, both ensuring that your organization is on the up and up and that your employees are being treated justly and fairly. An organization that violates these ever-changing laws and regulations is exposed to a whole suite of risks. Whether you are currently an HR professional or are considering a career in the field, here are some of the major (and certainly not exhaustive) acts that you’ll want to be familiar with and keep tabs on for changes and updates.

  1. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  2. Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
  3. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) 
  4. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)
  5. Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA)
  6. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
  7. Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA)
  8. Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (INA)
  9. Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA)
  10. Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 (PDA)

Talent Acquisition & Retention

Finding and keeping employees is a large part of human resource management. Talent acquisition, the strategy of recruitment focused on finding, hiring, developing, and retaining talent for your organization, is a huge deal. These two pieces from Forbes and Valamis lay out the process and some strategies to use as an HR manager. 

Being a Good Negotiator

One way to build your HR management stack is to work on your negotiation skills. HR managers have a hand in a variety of negotiations, some large, organization-wide policy changes, others when it comes to the recruitment or retaining of top talent, and other times in setting myriad disputes between employees, just to name a few common types of negotiation.

Negotiations can be highly charged and high risk, though they certainly don’t have to be. As an HR professional, work to build up your talent stack to handle negotiations with ease and professionalism. Here’s an overview of negotiation skills all HR professionals need, again from the Society of Human Resource Managers. Also, check out this video on the Harvard Principles of Negotiation

Why Human Resource Management is Right for You

It’s important to consider what you are looking for in a career as well as your strengths and weaknesses to determine if Human Resource Management is the right fit for you. Human Resource Management requires organizational skills, problem-solving skills, and strong people skills. You should also consider being able to collaborate in teams, ability to work independently, and a willingness to learn new skills. If you feel you have these qualities and enjoy working with people, Human Resource Management may be a great fit for you.

To Wrap Things Up

  • We hope this list of the top MBA in Human Resource Management programs has been valuable when it comes to selecting the best MBA program for career goals and interests and building your talent stack in Human Resource Management.
  • An MBA in human resources allows for many lucrative job opportunities in the field. HR professionals enter the fields of strategic management, career development, talent management, human resource management, conflict management, operations management, and more.

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Written by: Tammie Cagle