With all the business degree program specializations available to today’s students, some prospective students wonder about the value of an MBA in Human Resources.
After questioning whether an MBA in Human Resources is a good degree to obtain, they often investigate the curricula of various academic programs and the career options that attaining that degree makes available.
Here are some of the skills learned through MBA Human Resources degree programs and career options available to those with these academic credentials that testify to the value of the degree.
Knowledge and Skills Developed During an MBA in Human Resources Program
Although the curricula of graduate level Human Resources degree programs have their distinctive features, many of them contain common elements to prepare business professionals for various upper level management human resources related careers. Some of these common elements include courses that are considered foundational, core and subject emphasis courses.
For example, foundational courses for this type of degree program include managerial level accounting, finance and statistical analysis coursework. These ensure that human resources professionals understand the business environment in which they work to offer effective support to senior decision makers.
Core coursework often includes subjects pertaining to business communication, organizational behavior and strategic management. These courses help aspiring human resources managers to develop the primary skills that they will use throughout their careers in human resources.
Human resources emphasis coursework like those pertaining to compensation package creation, recruitment, and training presents students with the precision grade academic tools and methodologies for success in specific human resources job functions.
The Society of Human Resources Management is a well-known professional organization for human resources management that offers guidelines and standards for the development of most accredited human resources degree program curricula.
Resource: Society for Human Resource Management Aligned Masters in HR Degrees
Careers Options for MBA in Human Resources Degree Holders
There are many human resources related career options available for human resources specialists, and even at the upper levels of management the career field still offers a number of challenging positions. For instance, the job of Training and Development Manager is a popular fit for MBA in Human Resources degree holders. These managers design, develop and implement training plans and professional development programs for the corporate workforce they support. Training and Development managers ascertain the training needs of their organizations through careful data collection and analysis. They subsequently apply their up to date, industry specific skills and knowledge to create custom training plans for the workforce.
Human resources specialists who have developed great industry contacts, networking skills and business knowledge in an industry often move into the position of Director of Recruitment. These people use their business communication skills to craft targeted job notices that grab the attention of the best candidates, and they conduct effective candidate screening interviews. Another position includes the one of Risk Manager. Human resources leaders in this job are often involved in settling dicey labor disputes, facilitating the development and dissemination of company safety policies and reducing the company’s overall potential liability from a labor relations perspective.
Salary and Compensation for MBA in Human Resources Degree Holders
Human resources professionals know a great compensation package when they see one, and prospective students often look at the average pay for upper level management positions before choosing a specialized career path in human resources. For example, the average yearly pay in 2012 for a Training and Development manager with only an undergraduate degree and five years of experience was just over $95,000.
Conclusion
The career field of human resources is highly specialized, but it offers practitioners opportunities to use both quantitative and interpersonal skills in their positions. Besides competitive salaries, the dynamic environment in which most human resource professionals work may be the real value of an MBA in Human Resources.
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