Choosing a major in human resource management is the best way to learn the specific skills that are valuable for increasing an organization’s productivity and satisfying employees’ needs. However, it can also be advantageous for you to declare a minor to clearly portray your interest in a certain area of specialization in human resources and put you ahead of your competitors in the competitive job market. Having a secondary area of study can greatly diversify your educational portfolio for demonstrating to future employers that you have the concrete expertise needed to succeed as an HR professional. Since it can be tricky to select a minor, below we have included four great minor options that would complement a human resources degree.
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Students with a major in human resource management often receive the most benefits in reaching their career goals by choosing a minor in industrial/organizational psychology with their university’s social science division. I/O psychology is a rapidly growing discipline that is focused on exploring the behaviors and mental processes that contribute to building a successful work environment. With very close ties to both business and human resources, I/O psychology minors will often the valuable opportunity to develop your understanding of organizational behaviors, personnel psychology, group dynamics, human factors, and psychological testing.
Information Management
As the business world continues to evolve with fast-paced technological changes, it is becoming even more important for HR professionals to have an understanding of computer systems in organizing information on personnel. Choosing an information management or technology minor can be the perfect fit for future human resources specialists for keeping up with the latest HR software programs. Having a background in information management will be very useful for managing employee records, using new recruitment tools, and generating customized workforce reports.
Related Resource: Is an HR Degree Worth It?
International Business
If you are considering taking your professional HR career to the global level, then declaring an international business minor can be extremely helpful for enhancing your understanding of how organizations operate in today’s dynamic global business marketplace. With an international business minor, you will develop cross-cultural HR competencies for supporting organizational global growth, retaining an international workforce, and creating HR initiatives to achieve worldwide business goals. Many individuals choosing this minor eventually go on to successfully receive certification as a Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR).
Training and Development
Although it may be slightly more difficult to find, there are a number of universities in the United States that offer a training and development minor to specifically build expertise in designing, developing, and implementing employee training programs in the workforce. HR majors who are aspiring to become human resources team leaders, recruiting managers, training coordinators, talent acquisition consultants, or employee development managers will benefit the most. A training and development minor will focus on providing coursework related to adult education, instructional methods, learning assessment, instructional design, program evaluation, technology-based instruction, and more.
Overall, declaring a minor is an excellent marketing tool for building your niche in the diverse human resources field with the completion of about half the coursework of a major. In addition to aforementioned minors, you can also decide to complement your major in human resource management with a minor in strategic management, finance, leadership studies, business administration, education, economics, project management, or any other area of interest to you.
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