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Nichols College

Learn. Lead. Succeed

Human Resource Management

Photo of a professor teaching a lesson

A Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with a concentration in Human Resource Management prepares students to become leaders in a myriad of fields and industries—as human resources are at the heart of every workplace. 

Human resource (HR) managers oversee an organization’s human resources or employees. HR management professionals work both directly and indirectly with all employees of an organization and serve to bridge the gap between upper management and their employees. They also strive to make all members of the organization feel supported and motivated. The Human Resource Management concentration instructs students on how to approach such issues as employee rights, performance management, and global talent management, creating effective managers with an affinity for people. Other core aspects of employment human resource managers handle include: 

  • recruiting and staffing,
  • administration of compensation and benefits,
  • implementing employee training protocols, and
  • ensuring company compliance with labor laws. 

Careers in HR Management

Human resource managers wear many hats—recruiter, compensation and benefits director, workforce coordinator, administrative function supervisor—and are crucial team members for organizations across all industries. 

Job titles in the human resource management field include the following: 

  • HR Director
  • Director of Training and Development
  • Executive Manager
  • HR Consultant
  • Senior HR Manager

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of human resources managers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2016 to 2026. The median annual wage for human resources managers was $113,300 in May of 2018.

Learn More!

Earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management can prepare you to learn, lead, and succeed—and you, in turn, will help the workforce to thrive. Find out more about studying Human Resource Management at Nichols by requesting more informationor scheduling a campus visittoday!  

If you have questions, our Human Resource Management faculty is here to help—find their contact information below. 

Courses & Requirements

Human Resource Management majors must complete 121 credit hours (approximately 40 courses), including courses from the foundation and business core curricula, focused electives and these required specialization courses:

Required Courses

This course introduces students to the fundamental practices involved in effective human resource management, such as recruiting, performance evaluation, compensation, employment law, and employee rights. HR theory and practice is emphasized within the context of improving organizational productivity and developing employee potential.
Today's organizations must compete globally and their most important asset for success is a highly competent and effective workforce. This course focuses on how top businesses attract, hire, and retain the best and the brightest talent while respecting and protecting civil and employment rights.
Hiring qualified talent is no guarantee that these employees will achieve their potential. Without nurturing, much of this talent will remain untapped and wasted. High performing workforces are the result of continuous development and effective motivational strategy. Based on sound motivational theory, this course examines why people work and what organizations should know and do in order to create winning teams.
This course is an upper level seminar concerning the historical role of labor in the American economy. One of the major themes of the course will be the relationship between labor markets and political issues. We will be interested in the relatively stagnate wage growth of the last three (plus) decades and the rise of income inequality. Other topics of interest will be: (1) the role of women in the U.S. economy; (2) the issue of race in shaping the historical development of capitalism in the U.S.; and (3) the changing structure of labor in the twentieth century U.S. American Economy, and the rise of the “predator state.” We will seek to better understand these trends and to explain them through history, modeling, and theoretical and political analysis.
This course examines the relationship between rewards and performance on the job. Students will learn about the issues that influence how organizations set pay and benefits policies including executive bonus and deferred compensation plans. They will also examine how compensation differs by job level and by job location and how these factors contribute to decisions regarding outsourcing and off-shoring of jobs.
The Internship in Human Resource Management will afford students an opportunity to apply the knowledge acquired in the classroom to practical situations at the internship site. Students will gain an appreciation for the dynamic nature of the workplace and will have an opportunity to participate in the implementation of human resource programs. Library research and reading assignments will underscore the need for life-long professional development and learning in order to meet new challenges in this rapidly changing field of management.
Virtually every US company now faces competition from abroad, and the fortunes of most US firms, large and small, are inextricably bound to the global economy. Company HR Departments must have a global perspective to remain competitive. And all managers, especially HR professionals, must develop a sensitivity to global issues and practices. This course will focus on several aspects of human resources in a global context: labor practices in developing countries; multinational companies' strategies in complying with international ethical principles; and how companies can manage global operations in a manner that results in a successful experience for both the employee and the firm.

Faculty