The Master of Science in Human Resources (MSHR) degree prepares students to manage the modern organizational workforce. Students develop skills necessary to succeed in specific areas of human resources, such as benefits, compensation, labor relations, recruitment and workforce training programs. Students gain a real-world education in HR management in a stimulating program that combines high-quality teaching with evidence-based recommendations from leading scholars in the field.
Faculty members have won numerous teaching awards and have many years of professional experience in a range of management-related fields, which helps students understand the connection between science and practice. Industry guest speakers, business cases, simulations and internships enhance students’ practical understanding of the HR field. The program leverages DePaul's wide-ranging network of alumni and HR business leaders to create opportunities for students to engage in professional activities and community outreach via service learning. The program also is aligned with the curriculum standards set by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the most influential human resources association.
Program Features
In this program, students develop the skills to manage core HR functions, including workforce planning, staffing, performance management, total rewards, talent management, and training and development. Classes address current topics encountered by human resource professionals, such as:
- Change management, downsizing/rightsizing and mergers and acquisitions
- Internal consulting and organizational development
- Employment law, ethics, and employee and labor relations
- Globalization, outsourcing and managing a diverse workforce
- Metrics, data analytics and human resource information systems
- Organizational succession planning and personal career growth and development
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Degree Requirements | 48 |
| Total hours required | 48 |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Use analytical and problem-solving skills in decision-making.
- Recognize and analyze ethical and legal problems within applied business situations, choose a resolution, and justify that ethical choice.
- Be knowledgeable about the differences among global economies, institutions, and cultures and will understand the implications these have on global management.
- Produce a coherent written statement and oral presentation of the analysis of a complex business issue.
- Exhibit sophisticated knowledge of HR/business management practices leading to applicable skills in relevant areas (e.g., selection, training, compensation, and performance management) that leads to professional HR career-related success.
- Demonstrate higher-order cognitive skills to analyze an unstructured problem, formulate and develop a solution using appropriate technology, and effectively communicate the results to stakeholders
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
Students complete the MS in Human Resources by taking 12 courses across three groups: 1) six core Human Resource courses, 2) three Human Resource electives, and 3) three Business electives.
Required Core Human Resource Courses
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MGT 500 | LEADING EFFECTIVE AND ETHICAL ORGANIZATIONS | 4 |
| MGT 523 | RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION | 4 |
| MGT 525 | TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| MGT 526 | COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS | 4 |
| MGT 555 | HUMAN CAPITAL STRATEGY AND SCIENCE | 4 |
| MGT 591 | FUNDAMENTALS OF PEOPLE ANALYTICS | 4 |
Human Resource Electives
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select three of the following | 12 | |
| BUSINESS STRATEGY | ||
| LIFE AND CAREER COACHING | ||
| LEADERSHIP IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND CONSULTING | ||
| GLOBAL WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| MANAGING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION | ||
| RESOLVING CONFLICT IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| NEGOTIATION SKILLS | ||
| EMPLOYMENT LAW | ||
| HEALTH INSURANCE & BENEFITS | ||
| CONSULTING SKILLS | ||
| EXECUTIVE COACHING: LEADERSHIP IN A VOLATILE, UNCERTAIN, CHAOTIC AND AMBIGUOUS BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT | ||
| ADVANCED PEOPLE ANALYTICS | ||
| MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP (Strongly recommended for students without HR experience) | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS (When related to human resources; approval required) | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY | ||
| WRITING IN THE PROFESSIONS | ||
Business Electives
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select three of the following: 1 | 12 | |
| FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | ||
or ACC 502 | FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING FOR MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING | |
| BUSINESS CONDITIONS ANALYSIS | ||
| MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS 2 | ||
| FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 2 | ||
| BUSINESS ANALYTICS TOOLS | ||
or GSB 519 | BUSINESS ANALYTICS TOOLS (FORMERLY GSB420) | |
| BUSINESS INNOVATION & DESIGN (FORMERLY MGT 573) | ||
| OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT 2 | ||
| SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT | ||
| ETHICS AND LEADERSHIP | ||
| INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT | ||
| MANAGEMENT OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE | ||
| ADVANCED PEOPLE ANALYTICS | ||
| PROJECT MANAGEMENT | ||
| MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY | ||
| MARKETING MANAGEMENT | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC SERVICE MANAGEMENT | ||
| NONPROFIT FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION | ||
| STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING | ||
- 1
Students choose three electives from these general business courses at the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business (and may substitute an HR elective if an equivalent course was taken elsewhere).
- 2
If you are interested in an HR career that specializes in compensation and benefits, please consider taking the following courses: ACC 500 or ACC 502, FIN 555, and MGT 566.
Career Tracks and Certificates
Completion of a career track will earn the student a Certificate in the designated area.
Compensation and Benefits
This career track and certificate aims to deepen knowledge and skills specific to compensation and benefits. The compensation and benefits career track builds on the foundational and required course MGT 526: Compensation and Benefits. Presently, this career track is listed as a recommendation for MSHR students who wish to specialize in compensation and benefits. The O*Net OnLine job description database describes several knowledge (Personnel and Human Resources, Administration and Management, Law and Government, Economics and Accounting) and skill (Management of Personnel Resources, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking) areas for Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists and Compensation and Benefits Managers. To support students interested in developing knowledge and skills pertaining to compensation and benefits specialists and managers, and thus, become more competitive for such positions, we recommend this career track and certificate.
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACC 500 | FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| or ACC 502 | FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING FOR MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING | |
| FIN 555 | FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| MGT 566 | HEALTH INSURANCE & BENEFITS | 4 |
Coaching and Leadership
This career track and certificate aims to deepen knowledge and specific skills specific to coaching and leadership. The coaching and leadership track builds on the foundational and required courses MGT 500: Leading Ethical and Effective Organizations and MGT 525: Training and Career Development. Organizations increasingly rely on coaching as a method to develop managers and leaders to improve workplace effectiveness (e.g., SHRM's Coaching in a Business Environment). To support students interested in developing knowledge and skills pertaining to coaching and leadership, we recommend this career track and certificate.
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MGT 529 | LIFE AND CAREER COACHING | 4 |
| MGT 798 | SPECIAL TOPICS (For this career track and certificate, you must take MGT 798: The Mindful Leader) | 4 |
| or MGT 530 | LEADERSHIP IN ORGANIZATIONS | |
| MGT 589 | EXECUTIVE COACHING: LEADERSHIP IN A VOLATILE, UNCERTAIN, CHAOTIC AND AMBIGUOUS BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT | 4 |
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
This career track and certificate aims to deepen knowledge and specific skills specific to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The diversity, equity, and inclusion track builds on the foundational and required courses MGT 523: Recruitment and Selection and MGT 555: Human Capital Strategy and Science. The job description for diversity managers from the Society for Human Resource Management describes the need to create strategies to foster organizational diversity goals, develop training and development programs to aid diversity and retention initiatives, and maintain knowledge of employment legislation. To support students interested in developing knowledge and skills pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and thus, become more competitive for such positions, we recommend this career track and certificate.
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MGT 551 | GLOBAL WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| MGT 552 | MANAGING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION | 4 |
| MGT 562 | RESOLVING CONFLICT IN ORGANIZATIONS | 4 |
| or MGT 565 | EMPLOYMENT LAW | |
HR/People Analytics
This career track and certificate aims to deepen knowledge and skills specific to HR/people analytics. The HR/people analytics career track builds on the foundational and required course MGT 591: Fundamentals of People Analytics. The job description for human resource analysts from the Society for Human Resource Management describes the need to understand HR metrics, analyze data on recruitment, staffing, and other practices, create reports based on analytical results, work with databases, and make recommendations for policies and activities. To support students interested in developing knowledge and skills pertaining to people analytics, and thus, become more competitive for such positions, this career track and certificate is recommended.
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MGT 550 | CRITICAL THINKING AND APPLIED ANALYTICS | 4 |
| or MGT 588 | DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS | |
| MGT 586 | DATA VISUALIZATION | 4 |
| MGT 592 | ADVANCED PEOPLE ANALYTICS | 4 |
Degree Requirements
- Satisfactory completion of the college residency requirement.
- Satisfactory completion of 12 courses (six HR core courses, three HR related electives, and three Business electives).
- All courses for credit toward the degree must be completed with satisfactory grades within six calendar years after the candidate’s first term of enrollment in the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. After a lapse of six years, a course is expired. An expired course is not acceptable for the purpose of satisfaction of degree requirements and is not applicable to the degree.