Sunday, February 12, 2012YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Youngstown State University's bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management has been recognized by the national Society for Human Resource Management. The degree fully aligns with SHRM’s curriculum requirements.
The Williamson College of Business Administration Department of Management, which houses the HR program, redesigned the curriculum as part of an overall, college-wide effort to refine formal educational components to match professional requirements, according to Jacob Breland, assistant professor of management at YSU. SHRM publishes curriculum guidelines to provide colleges and universities with a resource for tracking HR curricula against a common skill set needed by employers who seek to fill HR professional positions.
SHRM’s recognition of the HR major comes on the heels of the college’s reaffirmation of accreditation by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business. The HR program at YSU joins only 52 schools in the nation and six in Ohio in holding both SHRM recognition and the AACSB accreditation. “Considered in the broader context of our dedicated faculty, supportive professional community, enthusiastic students, and award-winning student chapter of SHRM, this provides further evidence of the professional competencies and knowledge our students bring to their employers,” Breland noted.
The redesigned WCBA HR curriculum included revamping existing coursework and creating new ones to better meet the needs of both employers and students. As a result, students majoring in HR can expect to be introduced to the major via a survey course designed to create a broad awareness to HR processes, followed by specialization courses in labor law and negotiations, compensation and performance appraisal, and selection and training.
Two new courses have been created to serve as capstone experience for HR majors: Strategic HR Management and Projects in HR, Breland said. Through the emphasis of a hands-on approach, students completing the requirements of the HR major will have a portfolio of experiences from which they can showcase their competencies to potential employers.
The Society for Human Resource Management is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management, representing more than 250,000 members in more than 140 countries.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.