Four High-Quality HR Degrees at Wayland Baptist
Wayland Baptist University is also featured in our ranking of the 20 Most Affordable Online Master’s in Human Resources.
With a 17:1 student-faculty ratio, the School of Business grants a Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Resource Management online and at 15 U.S. locations for Wayland Baptist University Pioneers to better understand how companies build their labor workforces. Chaired by Dr. Samantha Murray, the 124-credit degree completion option provides flexible 11-week courses, such as Compensation and Benefits, plus networking in the Enactus International Organization. The Master of Arts in Management launched the SHRM-aligned Human Resource Management concentration online to train certified specialists who maximize human capital. Organized by Dr. Charles Starnes, the 39-credit, 1.5-year path has placed alumni at Happy State Bank, Hilton, Concord University, McKesson, and more.
Online on Blackboard, the Master of Business Administration offers eight specializations, including Human Resource Management, for Wayland Baptist post-grads to develop broad-based leadership skills for heightened positions. Directed by Dr. Kelly Warren, the 48-credit program has 30+ years of experience delivering intensive 5000-level courses like Strategic Finance and Organizational Theory that end with capstone projects. Since August 2015, the Doctor of Management has admitted post-master’s HR practitioners ready for consulting careers improving business operations. Advised by Dr. Janet Jones, the 60-credit, 10-term sequence blends online seminars from Employee Relations to Qualitative Methods with a qualifying examination and applied research project for $45,240 total.
About Wayland Baptist University
Wayland Baptist University originated in 1906 when Dr. James Henry Wayland and his wife donated $10,000 to the Staked Plains Baptist Association to create a junior college. In 1908, the Texas Legislature chartered it as the Wayland Literary & Technical Institute. In September 1910, an inaugural class of 241 enrolled at Matador Hall. In 1914, Wayland formed a formal partnership with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. In 1926, it was welcomed into the American Association of Junior Colleges. Two decades later, four-year bachelor’s programs were authorized. In 1951, President Bill Marshall made Wayland Baptist College the South’s first liberal arts school to integrate for African Americans. Fully accredited in 1956, Wayland opened its earliest external campus in Lubbock in 1972. The next Fall, Bachelor of Applied Science degrees were developed. By 2003, the Wayland Baptist University name was chosen and the Virtual Campus was founded.
Endowed for $8.35 million, Wayland Baptist University now educates 3,821 undergrad and 1,247 post-grad Pioneers online, on its 155-acre Plainview campus, or at 15 extension centers from Fort Sam Houston to American Samoa with 30+ clubs like the Society of Human Resource Management. In 2018, Wayland Baptist received an SHRM Outstanding Student Chapter Award. In 2019, WBU had a Sigma Tau Delta International Convention Award recipient. Wayland Baptist University won a 2019 NABC Team Academic Excellence Award too. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Wayland among the top 127 West colleges. On Niche, WBU boasts America’s 121st most conservative students, 126th best dorms, and 202nd safest environment. College Factual placed WBU 281st for diversity, 14th for Southern Baptist education, and 330th for business. Washington Monthly declared Wayland Baptist the 46th top regional value.
Wayland Baptist University Accreditation Details
On December 9, 2018, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees met to reaffirm Wayland Baptist University for Level V accreditation status through the 2027-28 evaluation under the 13th president, Dr. Bobby Hall, who received the Distinguished Faculty Service Award. Located 1,137 miles east via Interstate 20 in Decatur, this esteemed 11-state Southeast Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to review WBU’s two associate, 109 baccalaureate, and 18 graduate degrees. Though not accredited, the School of Business is a current member of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Southwestern Council Region 6.
Wayland Baptist University Application Requirements
Enrollment at Wayland Baptist University is classified “minimally difficult” by Peterson’s because 642 of the 652 Fall 2018 applicants were successful for high 98 percent acceptance. First-year Pioneers exploring the Human Resource Management BAS must graduate from accredited high schools with at least three years of English and math. Earning the GED with composite scores of 500 or greater would qualify. The Class of 2022 achieved an average 3.33 GPA. The middle 50th percentile had SAT scores of 888-1100. Mid-range admitted ACT scores were 17-23. Online students aged 22+ can forgo testing requirements and earn a maximum of 18 credits for work experience. The School of Business seeks MBA/MAM entrants who’ve culminated a four-year bachelor’s curriculum with GPAs above 2.7. Probationary status is available for GPAs of 2.5-2.69. The Doctor of Management requires an accredited master’s. Prospective candidates will have their GPA multiplied by 200 points and added to GMAT/GRE scores.
Wayland Baptist University has convenient rolling admission for bachelor’s and master’s students. Registration currently begins on April 29th for Summer, July 22nd for Fall, October 14th for Winter, and January 27th for Spring term. The Doctor of Management only considers candidates until October 1st and April 1st. Accordingly, complete the WBU Application online with the $35 (bachelor’s), $50 (master’s), or $200 (doctoral) fee. Forward official transcripts to 1900 West Seventh Street in Plainview, TX 79072. Send testing results through SAT/GRE code 6930, ACT code 4246, or GMAT code 6SK-VK-06. Attach supplemental materials, such as the two-page essay, three professional references, current resume, and immigration information form. Contact (806) 291-1000 or [email protected] with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, Wayland Baptist University is charging traditional Human Resource Management BAS majors $5,940 per full-time semester. Campus undergrads pay the $540 general fee each term. Living at the Plainview housing like Jimmy Dean Hall adds $1,000 for semester rent. Meal plans for McClung Center are $1,976 extra. WBU budgets $825 for books, $925 for transport, and $1,117 for miscellaneous. Average semester attendance equals $12,323 on-site or $9,347 at home. Online bachelor’s courses are $414 per credit. Active-duty military tuition is discounted to $250 per credit. The School of Business has an 11-week master’s course rate of $488 per credit online. Doctor of Management cohorts spend $754 per credit.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid in Gates Hall Room 101 links 50 percent of full-time WBU Pioneers to tuition assistance averaging $6,096 each for $10.88 million combined. University funds include the Blue & Gold Scholarship, Honors Council Scholarship, Local Church Grant, Residence Hall Grant, Graduate Assistant Scholarship, Alumni Loyalty Scholarship, Hispanic Christian Leadership Scholarship, Law Enforcement Scholarship, Baptist Minister’s Dependent Scholarship, High School Valedictorian Scholarship, and Re-Entering Student Scholarship. The Centennial Scholars Award gifts up to $2,500 annually for freshmen with SAT scores of 1020-1190 or ACT scores of 20-24. The $5,000 Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship supports outstanding transfer students holding minimum 3.75 GPAs. Federal resources, such as the Pell Grant and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, require FAFSA applications coded 003663. Texans might also pursue the Tuition Equalization Grant, Armed Services Scholarship, Horatio Alger Scholarship, Roger Lette HR Student Scholarship, and others.
Learn more about Wayland Baptist University at the School of Business website.
