What Courses Can I Expect to Take for a Human Resources MBA?

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Business professionals considering a career in human resources are probably curious about the various courses for a human resources MBA at today’s top schools. These courses typically include both management classes and those in varied business fields, as well as electives in human resource work that will allow graduates to become skilled human resource managers capable of everything form top-level leadership to hands-on benefits management and personnel problem-solving. Before enrolling in a human resources MBA program, be sure to understand the course requirements typically enforced by today’s universities in order to ensure the program meets educational goals, professional goals, and established experiences that will be brought to class throughout the duration of the program.

The Core of All MBA Programs Focuses on Management, Finance, Accounting and More

The Master of Business Administration degree was designed first and foremost to give students the background they need to be efficient and adaptable managers in the modern business environment. This degree is only about 100 years old, having first taken shape during the early days of the Industrial Revolution. Over the last century, it has become more and more advanced. Today’s graduates are given quicker access to the highest levels of leadership via these advanced skills that range from executive leadership to managerial accounting, financial analysis to business ethics and business intelligence.

All students who pursue an MBA in human resources will be required to master a broad set of advanced business skills. They’ll also be schooled in advanced business ethics and ethical management at all levels. These courses will serve as the foundation of their managerial work, but it’s the specific and advanced human resources coursework that will help them rise through the ranks in a corporate human resources department.

Human Resources Coursework Focuses on Top-Level Decision-Making

Human resource managers need to be ready to take on the most advanced challenges facing a human resources department. That means they’ll typically take between three and 12 elective credits, or between one and four additional courses, within their MBA program. These courses will focus on benefits negotiation and administration, ethical dispute resolution and corporate behavior policy, the legal and ethical issues of human resources leadership, and the financial considerations of human resource management.


By the conclusion of these courses, MBA students will be equipped with advanced skills that will let them lead entire teams of human resource professionals. They’ll also be primed for executive-level leadership in human resources and organizational behavior, which can be an asset as the organization changes its benefit programs to comply with new state and federal regulations, new ethical principles, and changing employee demands.

First and Foremost, the MBA is About Management and Skilled Leadership

Though most MBAs require students to choose a concentration that can help them closely specialize their managerial skills, the core of the program prepares graduates to lead more than just one department or one corporate interest. Indeed, even those who attend an MBA for a human resources specialty will get quite a broad education that spans accounting, finance, management, human resources, management information systems, and business law. The key is to use elective coursework for all it’s worth, adding an extra bit of marketability to the all-too-brief business resume. The elective courses for a human resources MBA will help students become experts in benefits and personnel services, and will allow them to rise to new heights in their managerial career over time.

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