Human Resource Management Students

Human Resource Management Major

How does an organization find the right person for the job, manage diversity, implement a compensation system, keep its employees safe while they work, decide who should receive leadership training, negotiate contracts with labor unions, manage a restructuring event, or utilize big data to make better decisions about its human capital?

As a Human Resource Management Major, you will learn all of this and more!

What is Human Resource Management?

Human Resource (HR) Management involves managing an organization’s human capital (i.e., its employees and all their knowledge, skills, and abilities that contribute to the organization’s success). HR Professionals act as a conduit between the employees and the organization, helping managers in other business areas attract, deploy, and retain an effective workforce.

Is an HR Major Right for Me?

If you want to have an impact on people and business, a career in HR does just that. An HR Major is a great option for “people-persons” and “numbers-persons” alike. HR areas such as recruiting or training involve working with people and using psychology. If you enjoy numbers and data, consider working in the HR areas of compensation or HR information systems where you will work with data sets and statistical equations. Whether you gravitate towards interacting with people or interacting with numbers (or both!), an HR Major could be right for you!

A Background in HR compliments other majors too! If your primary interest is in another business functional area, such as finance, accounting, marketing, supply chain, information systems or economics, you may still be interested in HR as a Double Major or Minor. Many business graduates find themselves involved in HR activities such as staffing, whether they have taken an HR course or not! Proficiency in HR can be the competitive edge that helps you navigate the world of people in business after graduation. HR can also be combined with non-business majors such as psychology or sociology. A degree in HR can add to the marketability of a non-business degree and increase your chances of job placement!

What Courses Are Offered in the HR Major?

Our HR Major meets all of the recommended guidelines from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). In fact, UW-Oshkosh is one of the few universities that offers an HR Major, rather than just a General Management Major with an HR emphasis/track. The difference is that instead of taking a few electives about HR practices, your major classes will offer you an in depth understanding of all of the HR functional areas and how they strategically integrate to achieve organizational success. We offer entire classes devoted to Staffing & Planning, Training & Development, Occupational Safety & Health, Compensation Management, Benefits Administration, HR Information Systems & Metrics, Employee Relations, and Managing Organizational Change. These courses also integrate business ethics, diversity management, legal compliance, and metrics. Our classes require student projects that apply knowledge to true-to-life problems and develop job skills. Example projects include conducting a job analysis, negotiating labor contracts, creating a structured interview, performing a safety audit, and writing a training proposal.

Who Are the HR Faculty?

Our faculty are committed to high quality teaching. Many of our faculty members have been recognized with Department, College, and University Teaching Awards. They are trained in quantitative and qualitative research methods and actively present their work at leading conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals. Currently our faculty are researching in the areas of recruitment, sexual harassment, safety performance, occupational stress, work-family balance, HR in family business, and workforce diversity (including the aging workforce, gender diversity, and social class diversity).  Our faculty also offer consulting services to businesses in the Fox River Valley, creating a bridge between practicing HR professionals and our students. Visit our Faculty Profiles Page to learn more about our dedicated MHR Faculty!

Is There a Student Organization Associated with the HR Major?

Yes! The UW-Oshkosh College of Business has an Award-Winning Student Chapter of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management). Our SHRM Club has won the Superior Merit Award 9 out of the last 10 years and has been honored with the Outstanding Student Chapter Award twice in the last decade! SHRM Club hosts 8+ professional speakers each year, goes on company tours, and provides opportunities for mentoring and community volunteering. Each year, a board election is held, allowing HR students to develop and showcase their leadership skills throughout the year as they lead SHRM Club. After graduation, HR graduates can join one of the Professional SHRM Chapters in the Fox River Valley, across the nation, or abroad, wherever their HR careers take them!