Villanova University

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Human Resources Programs at Villanova University

Villanova University is also featured in our ranking of the 20 Best Master’s in Human Resources (Campus-based).

At Villanova University, undergraduate students don’t have access to a human-resources degree itself, but there are bachelor’s degrees available in management as a broad-spectrum field that includes human resources in it. There is also the combined Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies/Master of Human Resource Development program where the student earns both degrees at the same time. Students may also earn a certification in the field of Human Resources.

The BIS/MS degree requires students to have completed at least 45 credits in the core curriculum before admittance into the combined program. Those students must also have an overall GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.2 in technical classes. In a student’s senior year, that student will enroll in three graduate classes chosen from the following list:


  • HRD 8006 Human Resources Analytics
  • HRD 8419 Foundations of Strategic Human Resources
  • PSY 8425 Organizational Development
  • PSY 8475 Training & Development
  • PSY 8875 Organization Development

Traditional graduate students may select on-campus, online, or hybrid versions of Villanova University’s graduate programs in Human Resource Development. Students may either earn a Master of Science in Human Resource Development or a graduate certificate in the same field.

About Villanova University

Villanova University was founded by the Augustinian Order in 1842. Since the founding, the university has striven to live up to Saint Augustine’s ideas regarding community, faith, and education. At the core of that philosophy is the idea of a community united in both mind and heart.

Not everyone has shared this ideal. In 1844, for example, anti-Catholic, nativist rioters burned down Saint Augustine’s Church in Philadelphia. The loss of the church was a terrific financial blow to the Order, and the university shut up shop. It reopened in 1846 and received the backing of both the governor and the state legislature. A little more than 10 years later, the Panic of 1857, caused by the Dred Scott decision, which adversely affected the railroad expansion in the territories, created another financial crisis that forced the school to shut its doors.

Nevertheless, the school rebounded and awarded its first master’s degrees in 1859. The Civil War forced the third long-term closure of the university, but after Lee’s surrender, it has been in constant operation.

U.S. News and World Report ranks Villanova University No. 49 on its list of National Universities. The university is also No. 48 among “Best Value Schools” and No. 2 among “Best Online Business Degrees.”

Villanova University Accreditation Details

Villanova University’s regional accreditation comes from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Many other accrediting bodies have given their blessing to certain departments. Those accrediting bodies include the:

  • American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • American Chemical Society
  • Computing Accreditation Commission
  • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Inc.
  • National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration
  • Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
  • Engineering Accreditation Commission
  • State Board of Nursing of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
  • Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
  • Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center
  • Commission on Dietetic Registration
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  • American Bar Association

Villanova University Application Requirements

Incoming freshmen must submit a teacher recommendation and a school counselor recommendation. They must also have their high schools submit their official transcripts on their behalf. Students must also complete either the SAT or the ACT. They are allowed to submit both. The university does not require subject tests from either company. Essays are required, however, and there is a list of three approved topics from which prospective students may choose. The university accepts roughly half of its freshmen applicants.

Graduate students’ requirements vary by degree chosen. Some require testing, such as the Graduate Record Examinations or Graduate Management Admissions Test, and some don’t. All graduate students must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or such a degree from an overseas institution that has received its country’s version of regional accreditation. Each discipline has its own other requirements regarding GPA, courses taken, essays, recommendations, etc. Interested students should check the university’s website for further details.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Annual tuition for undergraduates at Villanova University is $54,550. Housing costs between $6,000 and $10,000 annually, and that depends on the residence hall chosen and whether or not one selects a roommate. On-campus meal costs vary between $5,000 and $7,300. All told, the tuition for a year at Villanova University could cost upwards of $75,000 when one figures in the cost of books, assorted fees, and incidentals. Graduate students pay by the credit hour, and these rates range from $692 to $1,525. The fees for graduate students are different between online and on-campus students.

Need-based financial aid is awarded after the student completes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA. Students include all of their income and assets information on this form. They must also include their parents’ information. The school and the government will then assess the student’s eligibility for need-based financial aid.

Students may choose to apply for private forms of aid, too, and these might include private scholarships, loans, or grants from outside institutions. Any private aid the student receives must also be included on the FAFSA.

Whether private or public, financial aid comes in the three varieties: loans, grants, and scholarships. Work-study programs count as grants. Many of these forms of financial aid have stringent academic requirements to keep them, so students should make themselves aware of such requirements so that they don’t inadvertently and suddenly lose their financial aid.

Villanova University is proud to continue its tradition of inclusive education based upon Augustine’s ideals of equality and the importance of reason.