Concentration in Human Resource Management
- What Human Resource Managers Do
- Jobs & Careers In Human Resource Management
- Preparatory Coursework
- Human Resource Management Coursework
- Coursework Required of all Business Majors
- Enhance Your Degree
- Skills for HR Career Success
- Human Resource Management Faculty
- For More Information
What Human Resource Managers Do
Human Resource professionals create systems for managing employees that support an organization’s overall strategy. To accomplish this they analyze and design jobs; forecast supply and demand for workers; ensure legal compliance; implement affirmative action plans; recruit and select candidates to fill open positions; train and develop employees to meet current and future job demands; manage employee performance and career progress; develop basic pay structures; create incentive plans; administer benefit programs; assure employees safety and health; retain employees; improve employee morale; reduce turnover; and carry out disciplinary actions, all while applying constantly evolving technology.
Jobs & Careers In Human Resource Management
Students who have completed this concentration at UW-Parkside now work in Human Resource Management at a wide variety of organizations in southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, including Aurora Health Care, CNH, Uline, Hewitt Associates, Horizon Retail Construction, Bass Pro Shops, and Walgreens. Other students have used their Human Resource knowledge to help run their family’s and other small businesses.
Our alumni also pursue graduate degrees through programs like the MBA at UW-Parkside or the Masters in Human Resources and labor Relations (MHRLR) at UW-Milwaukee. In addition they may pursue professional certification as a PHR or a SPHR (analogous to a CPA in accounting) through the Society for Human Resource Management.
Preparatory Coursework
Choices that you make regarding general education (or BOK ... Breadth of Knowledge) classes can position you well for the future courses that may interest you. Here are some examples:
- Taking General Psychology (PSYC 101) fulfills the prerequisite for psychology courses like Interviewing (PSYC 330), a terrific elective for HR students.
- Communication and the Human Condition (COMM 107) prepares you for the sequence of communication courses that culminate in the Certificate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution.
- Introduction to Sociology (SOCI 101) prepares you for advanced classes like Occupations and Professions (SOCA 371), which may be of interest.
- Courses like Diversity Law (POLS 315 and 316) become an option if you take American Politics (POLS 100).
While the catalog lists a defined set of courses that are automatically accepted as electives toward an HR concentration, the HR faculty has some leeway where students can customize a program to suit their particular interests. As an example… Given that domestic violence can spill over into the workplace issues for HR to address, a student who had taken Introduction to Criminal Justice (CRMJ 101) was allowed, after consultation with their advisor, to take Domestic Violence (CRMJ 305) as an elective on her HR concentration.
The key here is that electives for the HR concentration generally need to be upper division courses, numbered 300 or higher. Most disciplines require prerequisites for upper division courses. Using your own General Education requirements to fulfill those prerequisites is a great strategy to position yourself for efficient program completion.
Human Resource Management Concentration Requirements
The concentration consists of five classes (15 credits) beyond the business fundamental and core courses required by all business majors. One class, Human Resource Management (HRM 343) is required by all students. Two additional courses are required, along with two elective courses.
Requirements (3 courses, 9 credits):
HRM 343 Human Resource Management (3 cr)
Select two courses from the following:
HRM 441 Staffing Organizations (3 cr)
HRM 442 Improving Employee Performance (3 cr)
HRM 444 Compensation & Benefits (3 cr)
Electives (2 courses, 6 credits) selected from the following list:
HRM 490, 494, 499, MGT 446, 447, PMGT 342, COMM 303, 385, 485, ECON 380, POLS 315, PSYC 330, or SOCA 371, 374. Students who choose to take HRM 441, 442, AND 444 may count one of them as an elective.
Coursework Required of all Business Majors
Lower-level: Math 112 College Algebra II, ECON 120 & 121 Micro and Macro Economics, ACCT 201 & 202 Financial and Managerial Cost Accounting, QM 210 & 211 Business Statistics I & II, BUS 272 Legal Environment of Business, COMM 105 Public Speaking, and written communication ENGL 201, 202, or 204.
Upper-level: QM 319 Operations Management, MIS 320 Management Information Systems, FIN 320 Management Information Systems, FIN 330 Managerial Finance, MGT 349 Organizational Behavior, MKT 350 Marketing Principles, and BUS 495 Business Policy Seminar.
Enhance Your Degree
HR students, of all people, should understand the competitive nature of getting a job. Plan now to enhance your credentials and give yourself the competitive edge. Ideas include:
- Complete a certificate like the Certificate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution offered by the UW-Parkside Communication department or the Online Certificate in Project Management offered by the UW-Parkside Business Department.
- Involve yourself in real world experiences available through SEG Center and Community Based Learning projects.
- Secure in an internship with a local business.
Skills for HR Career Success
Since many HR activities involve providing services by interacting with employees, strong interpersonal skills are vital. Good oral and written communication skills, along with a concern for an interest in others, also support successful HR practice. An ability to use standard office computer programs (word processing, spread sheets, Internet) and knowledge of statistics are also very helpful.
Human Resource Management Faculty
Area of Expertise: Professor Norton specializes in Human Resource Management issues and compensation/benefits issues. Her current research focus is on the relationship of gender and family status to work status & compensation. She teaches courses in Human Resource Management and in Compensation/Benefits. Professional Activities: Professor Norton's latest publications include articles on sexual harassment & female vulnerability, assessment of student learning, and gender issues in cross-cultural management. She also has extensive experience in human resource management in small businesses, particularly in the areas of fair employment, hiring/firing, job analysis, and policy/handbook development. She also has a background in business etiquette. She has published in Educational & Psychological Measurement, Gender, Work, & Organization, Business & Psychology, and Academic Exchange Quarterly. She has served as an expert witness in several gender d iscrimination cases. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, The Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and the Academy of Management. |
Area of Expertise: Professor Crooker specializes on the intersection and interaction of individuals' personal and professional lives. As such, her research interests include: work/life balance, downsizing, personality, job and life satisfaction, along with issues related to employee selection, retention, and benefits programs. Her research has examined the effect of changing work environments on the lives of employees, particularly quality of life aspects. She uses a variety of research methodologies including surveys and secondary analysis of existing data sets. She teaches courses in Human Resource Management and Personnel Selection and Training, and her previous industry experience includes public accounting and health care management. Professional Activities: Professor Crooker has published in such journals as Personnel Psychology, Social Indicators Research, Best Papers Proceedings 1999 Academy of Management, and the Journal of Accounting Education. She is a member of the Human Resource Management Association of Southeastern Wisconsin (HRMA), the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), the Academy of Management and Midwest Academy of Management. In the past she served on a workplace outcomes taskforce for the Mental Health Association in Milwaukee County, and she is an active member of the HRMA Research Committee. |
For More Information
For more information about Human Resource Management at UW-Parkside, contact the Department of Business, 262-595-2280, Professor Sue Norton (Contact), Molinaro 345, or Professor Karen Crooker (Contact), Molinaro 349.
For additional information about the Human Resource Management field, check out the Society for Human Resource Management (www.shrm.org) and Workforce (www.workforce.com).
