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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 visit today!  

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

Professor Mary Trottier, mary.trottier@nichols.edu, 508-213-2125  

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 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.
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.
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.

Electives

In this course students will gain awareness of cultural differences as they affect the conduct of business, and will develop methods to bridge those differences. Globalization, the effect of social conventions on the business environment, and the impact of cultural norms on information gathering and decision making will be studied. Differences in legal, regulatory, and organizational structures will be considered. Each student will participate in a group research project examining the challenges of conducting business and communicating on an intercultural basis.
This advanced course in organizational communication will cover conflict and negotiation, relating document styles and purposes, working with the corporate board of directors, managing a media crisis, whistleblowers and other systemic malfunctions, communication in the unionized workplace, ethical communication, and the profit motive. Students will analyze real cases and propose and debate alternative solutions.

This course will delve into the unique characteristics of and challenges facing women in the workplace today. The biological and sociological theories of gender differences will be explored, as will gender-based communication and leadership styles. The current state of women in leadership around the world will be examined, with students completing a statistical research project. Students will examine and reflect on their own leadership and work styles, as well as practice professional skills of particular interest to women. The course will use leading contemporary books on women and business, and may include experiential aspects such as field trips and interviews.

Labor Economics deals with labor markets, the arrangement under which firms demand workers and the workers supply their labor. Labor is demanded because of its productivity in producing goods and services. Labor is supplied for monetary as well as non-monetary reasons, such as stability of employment, job safety, and opportunity for advancement. Special course attention is given to recent developments affecting the market, including technology, international competitiveness, minimum wage legislation, union activities, income distribution, and ethical issues.

This course introduces students to Gender and Diversity Studies, an interdisciplinary field of academic study. The course surveys contemporary gender issues, focusing on the social construction of race, sexuality, and gender and the relationship of gender to the self, others, and society. Along with the focus on the U.S., the course incorporates international perspectives on gender constructions and experiences. This course aims to connect our academic explorations with our lived experiences.

This course will examine the history of the Civil Rights Movement in America, from its origins in the years after the Civil War to the current Black Lives Matter movement. Students will learn how the development of the NAACP, the Great Migration and World War II helped ignite the protests of the 1950s and 1960s. Students will study numerous events related to the struggle for civil rights, including the murder of Emmett Till, school integration, student sit-ins, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Students will complete a research project on a person or event related to the Civil Rights Movement.

Examines management theory and practice as applied to business activities that cross national boundaries. Emphasis is placed on an understanding of strategic, cultural, behavioral, functional, legal, and socio-ethnical aspects of international management in a global economy with multinational business enterprises.
This course focuses on the strategies and tactics for conceiving, developing, initiating and managing innovation and change within an established corporate structure. Topics include attributes of corporate entrepreneurs, bases of creativity and innovation, interpersonal and interdepartmental relationships, promoting innovation and change within the corporate structure, organizational politics, strategic organizational changes, and corporate culture.
This course examines the formation of groups, group processes, followership, and leadership processes within groups and group behaviors. Emphasis is placed on the experience of applying group theory.
This course reviews the major contemporary theories and techniques of counseling. Students have opportunities to observe counseling situations and to practice counseling techniques. Ethical and professional issues are also addressed.
This course examines the factors impacting human relationships. Emphasis is placed on interpersonal attraction, attitude formation, social perception and cognition, altruism, aggression, small group behavior, and social identity and influence.
The major living religions of the world are studied as expressions of ultimate concern within their historical, theological, and social contexts. Both eastern and western religions are studied.

Faculty