Core Courses in a Bachelor’s in Human Resources Program
- Psychology
- Accounting
- Professional Writing
- Human Resource Management
- Business
When you want to work in human resources, it is important to take the right courses in the Bachelor’s in Human Resources program. Each educational institution differs in their core requirements and available electives, but most will have a key set of classes that you must take. Doing well in these five key classes will help ensure your success when you get a job as a human resources specialist.
Related Resource: Top 10 PhD Programs in Human Resources
1. Psychology
Psychology is a key course in a bachelor’s degree program for human resources. In order to do your job well, you will need to understand human behavior. An introductory psychology class will help you learn about different behavioral theories. You will also learn about different personality types. This class will help you with your observations of candidates during interviews. Taking a couple of higher level psychology classes may also be beneficial to your career. For example, social psychology could help you understand more about the interactions between individuals in the workplace. Personality psychology will help you know more about what influences people and their workplace behavior.
2. Accounting
Having some basic knowledge of accounting is important to your future work in human relations. In an introductory accounting class, you will learn about the two primary methods of accounting. You will also learn about the processes of invoicing, payroll, taxes, deductions, accounts receivable, and maintaining a balance sheet. You may learn about methods of taking inventory and determining costs versus benefits of choosing a particular vendor or partner.
3. Professional Writing
Another key course to take for a Bachelor’s in Human Resources is professional writing. In your work as a human resources specialist, you will need to document all actions that you take. You will need to do this in a clear, concise and professional manner. You will also need to know how to write job descriptions and review the applications sent to you by candidates. If your job duties will entail training or writing manuals for your company, the professional writing class will come in handy.
4. Human Resource Management
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, another important class to take for your Bachelor’s in Human Resources is human resource management. Even if you do not intend to go into a management position, this class is likely to be required for your degree. In this course, you will learn about how to make the most of each employee’s skills and past work experience. It will also help you with putting teams of people together so that each person on the team complements the others.
5. Business
Another key course in a human resources degree program is business. This is a general type of class that will give you an overview of accounting, finance, and economics. It will also cover entrepreneurship, marketing, and ethics. In some programs, you may have to take more specific business classes such as small business or corporate management. If you plan to work in a large organization, the corporate business classes will benefit your career plans.
Each of these five classes teaches you about an essential part of working in human relations. These classes will be complemented by other requirements as well as some of the electives that you choose to take. Make sure to dedicate plenty of time and effort to these five essential courses for a Bachelor’s in Human Resources degree.
