Human resources (HR) professionals play a pivotal part in today’s dynamic business environment — especially given the importance of talent acquisition, employee engagement, and organizational development to a company’s overall success.
If you’ve been thinking about pursuing your HR degree or advancing your education at the graduate level, this could be a great way to further develop your skills and enhance your expertise. Likewise, with HR programs offered both on-campus and online, these degrees are now more accessible to a wider audience.
What is an HR degree, exactly, and what does it entail? Read on to gain a better understanding of what to expect from an HR degree program and the kinds of careers in HR you can explore with a degree.
What Is a Human Resources Degree?
Although there’s more than one type of human resources degree (including those at the undergraduate and graduate level), any HR degree will focus on the study of managing people within organizations to support and maximize employee performance. Whether you opt for an undergraduate or graduate degree in HR will depend on your career goals and your current highest level of education.
Undergraduate HR Degrees
If you don’t already have an undergraduate degree (like a bachelor’s degree in HR or a related field), you’ll most likely start here in your formal education. Specifically, a Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management consists of about 120 credit hours and is designed to take around four years to complete. This type of program will cover coursework in core industry topics such as:
- Organizational behavior
- Employment law
- Recruitment strategies
- Compensation management
Graduate HR Degrees
For those who have already completed their undergraduate studies, the next level of education may be a Master of Business Administration in Human Resources (MBA in HR). This advanced degree program consists of about 36 credit hours and generally takes around two years to complete, with coursework covering more specialized HR topics like:
- Strategic HR management
- Leadership
- Global HR practices
- HR analytics
Careers With an Undergraduate HR Degree
So, what kinds of HR careers may be available to you with a bachelor’s degree? From entry-level positions to mid-level roles and beyond, there are plenty of options worth exploring.
Entry-Level HR Positions
HR Assistant
HR assistants, also known as junior HR associates, tend to handle administrative-adjacent tasks that include payroll processing, planning special events, and benefits/compensation.
Recruitment Coordinator
Recruitment coordinators are HR professionals who take on responsibilities related to hiring new employees. They may schedule interviews with candidates, work with recruiters, and serve as a liaison between potential employees and their companies.
Training and Development Coordinator
Training and development coordinators are integral to any HR department. Primarily responsible for designing and managing company training programs, these HR professionals work to ensure that all employees receive the training and development needed to reach their full potential.
Payroll Specialist
Some companies hire dedicated payroll specialists as part of their HR staff. They handle everything related to making sure employees get paid, including payroll processing, wage calculations, tax withholding, and more.
Mid-Level HR Positions
HR Generalist
As their job title implies, HR generalists are somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades, performing a wide range of HR tasks that may include recruitment, onboarding, training, payroll, and benefits.
Talent Acquisition Specialist
Similar to a recruitment coordinator, talent acquisition specialists take things a step further by focusing more on the strategic aspects of onboarding new employees. They are often the ones to screen, interview, and make recommendations for hiring new employees.
Benefits Coordinator
Meanwhile, benefits coordinators are HR professionals who manage just about everything related to a company’s benefits programs. This may include health insurance, life insurance, retirement plans, wellness programs, and policies related to leave time.
Employee Relations Specialist
These HR professionals (also commonly known as labor relations specialists) are responsible for managing the relationships between companies and their employees. Their goal is to maintain a positive, engaging, and productive work environment while resolving any conflicts as they arise.
Advancement Opportunities
In addition to the above roles, many professionals working in HR can gain practical experience through internships, on-the-job training, continuing education, and certifications to gradually work their way up the career ladder. This could lead to opportunities to work in senior-level roles — even without an MBA.
Careers with a Graduate HR Degree
With the specialized skills and knowledge gained in an MBA in HR program, you may qualify for more advanced careers in human resource management as well — including executive and strategic roles.
Advanced HR Roles
HR Manager
An HR manager is a professional who typically oversees a company’s entire HR department (including HR assistants, generalists, payroll specialists, and training coordinators).
Senior Recruiter
Compared to recruitment specialists and talent acquisition specialists, the work of a senior recruiter is even more strategic in nature. They are responsible for everything from developing recruitment plans to conducting interviews and negotiating benefits/compensation with potential hires.
Compensation and Benefits Manager
Companies rely on compensation and benefits managers to make sure that they are offering competitive wages and benefits to employees and job candidates. These professionals are responsible for researching average compensation rates, exploring different benefits packages, and making final decisions.
Training and Development Manager
Typically, training and development managers oversee training coordinators to ensure they are carrying out the responsibilities of their job well while also making any necessary changes to training programs to meet the company’s needs and goals.
Executive and Strategic Roles
HR Director
At the executive level, HR directors are senior professionals effectively in charge of all aspects of a company’s human resources department. From developing strategies and managing HR staff to creating HR budgets, directors do a little bit of everything.
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
Some companies also hire chief human resources officers to oversee their human resources departments and the people who work within them. For example, a CHRO may be in charge of change management strategies, labor policies, and ensuring that HR policies are in line with industry laws and regulations.
Organizational Development Consultant
An organizational development (OD) consultant is an HR professional who works with businesses to identify areas where they may be able to improve their employees’ productivity, employee engagement, job satisfaction, and other key areas.
HR Business Partner
An HR business partner (HRBP) works closely with business leaders to ensure that HR strategies and policies within the business are in line with the company’s overarching goals and mission.
Specialized Roles
Some organizations need to hire HR professionals for specialized roles that aren’t covered by the job duties of a traditional HR position.
Labor Relations Manager
When companies are focused on improving relationships between themselves and their employees, they may bring a labor relations manager on board to assist in resolving conflicts, negotiating contracts, and investigating complaints.
HR Analytics Specialist
An HR analytics specialist is responsible for analyzing large amounts of HR data and drawing key insights and conclusions from it — which may then be used to make important decisions for the company’s future.
How to Start a Career in Human Resources
If any of these human resource careers sound compelling, you may be wondering what steps you’ll need to take to begin working in this rewarding field.
Earn Your Degree
One of the most impactful ways to kickstart your HR career is to pursue an undergraduate degree in HR. If you have a bachelor’s degree in another field, you might seek to earn your MBA in HR instead.
At Baker College, for instance, we offer HR degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels — including the option to pursue your human resource management degree online for added flexibility.
Gain Experience
Aside from pursuing your formal degree in HR, another crucial step toward embarking on a career in HR is to gain practical experience. You may do this through internship experiences and HR-related volunteer opportunities that allow you to gain hands-on experience. Even an entry-level role as an HR assistant or a similar job can help you learn more about foundational HR functions and how to execute them.
Get Professional Certifications
Even once you’re working in the field, true HR professionals are never done learning. Pursuing additional certifications can be a great way to learn more about different niches of the field while gaining more specialized experience. Some popular HR certifications to consider as you advance your career include:
Network and Join Professional Associations
Another central aspect of breaking into the HR field (and staying relevant) is going out of your way to network with other professionals. You might attend industry events like conferences and seminars, where you can meet and connect with peers. Depending on where you attend your HR degree program, you may also have access to a robust alumni network for these purposes.
Consider, too, joining relevant professional associations in the HR industry, such as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Earn Your Human Resources Degree at Baker
An HR degree can be an excellent way to improve your career prospects while building foundational knowledge and expertise in this dynamic field. Still looking for the degree program that’s right for your needs and schedule? The Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management through Baker College is available in both online and Online Live formats. Already have your undergraduate degree? We also offer an online MBA in Human Resource Management that can be completed in an average of just two years.Learn more about any of Baker College’s degree programs by requesting further information today. If you’re ready to take the next step, you may get started with your online application for admission.