Curriculum
The M.S. in Human Resources can be pursued full-time or part-time. Students with three years of human resources experience take 12 classes. Students without experience take an internship class (HRER 415) in addition to the 12 classes.
Students must complete 3 electives. Up to 1 elective may be non-HRER graduate business courses.
This course examines wage and salary policies and programs in private and public organizations. Legislative and social issues affecting pay decisions, and the alignment of pay policies with the business strategy and other human resource programs are covered
Outcome: Students will learn how to design and implement compensation policies and programs that will give their employers a competitive advantage; resolve compensation problems from both a human resource professional and managerial perspective; and create pay policies that are perceived as just and equitable. Students will improve their team leadership, analytical and writing skills
This course will introduce students, by a combination of statutory case law analysis and readings, to the substantive case law in the area of employee-employer relations law. The statutes and case law encompass the following: National Labor Relations Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Civil Rights Act of 1991, Illinois Human Rights Act, and Illinois Employment Law Statutes and Regulations.
Learning Outcomes
The primary purpose of this course is to introduce graduate students to a practical examination of the principles of "employee-employer" relations law, also called human resources law or personnel law. Students will be exposed to the principle theories, policies and literature concerning the relevant federal and state (Illinois) court case law and government regulations of the employee-employer relationship in primarily the private sector.
This course examines the critical roles of Human Resource professionals throughout the strategic globalization process, as well as the cross-cultural issues that affect organizational dynamics and behaviors central to Human Resource processes, such as staffing, training, motivation, negotiation, team-building, and communication.
Learning Outcomes
- To survey the three types of topics covered by the field of Global HRM:
- management of human resources in global corporations
- management of expatriate employees
- comparison of HRM practices in a variety of different countries.
- To consider special topics at the forefront of global HR, such as effects of NAFTA and the European Union, global ethics, and critiques of globalization.
This course examines how organizations develop employees with the appropriate technical, interpersonal and leadership skills to be effective in their jobs.
Learning Outcomes
Students will learn how to conduct a training needs assessment, set learning objectives, establish evaluation criteria, select the best instructional methods, and to evaluate the impact of the program on the employee and organization. In addition to conducting formal training programs, students will learn how to use career planning, job rotation and performance feedback to develop employees and themselves. Students will improve their presentation, team leadership, analytical and writing skills
This course examines critical labor laws in the United States and the structure and function of our employment relations system.
Learning Outcomes br />Students will demonstrate understanding of basic case law in the field of labor relations and how unions, management representatives, and government dynamically interact to provide employee representation, balance group interests, and ideally avoid disruptive workplace conflict
This course provides an overview of staffing processes in organizations, with an emphasis on recruitment and selection procedures. Other topics of discussion include legal and strategic issues in staffing, and relevant statistical concepts.
Learning Outcomes
Students will become comfortable with the entire staffing process, and be able to design and implement cutting-edge staffing systems, with an emphasis on business strategy.
This course is designed as an introductory graduate level course in analytical problem solving, another name for research methods, and design. A basic understanding of - and general familiarity with fundamentals of statistical concepts is assumed. However, where necessary, we will revisit these concepts briefly. Of course, this is not a course in statistics.
An internship provides the student with direct exposure to human resources and/or industrial relations functions as they are practiced in the real world.
Outcome: Students will learn to practically apply the concepts and theories learned in the classroom to a real organizational work environment.
MGMT 441:
This course examines the ethical aspects of individual and corporate decision making in business and provides resources for making ethical decisions within the context of managerial practice.
Outcome: Students will be acquainted with the concepts and principles of ethical reasoning that have been developed in ethical theory; be aware of the specific ethical issues that arise in management and of the ways in which these issues are commonly analyzed; and be able to make sound ethical and managerial decisions and to implement those decisions within the context of an organization in a competitive marketplace.
MGMT 446:
This is an advanced business ethics course that addresses the ethical issues that arise in the global business environment, including the standards for the operation of multinational corporations and the ethical perspectives of managers in different countries.
Outcome: Students will understand the specific ethical problems of international business and of different ethical perspectives; develop skills for personal decision making and for developing and implementing ethical corporate policies in international business; and learn how to work toward more effective background institutions and forms of international business regulation.
Designed to provide both current and future managers an in-depth understanding of performance appraisals and related issues, this course also emphasizes on goal-setting, feedback and the rating process.
Learning Outcomes
Students will learn to apply the various techniques used to conduct effective performance appraisal processes and design comprehensive performance management systems for their organizations
Electives for SHRM Certification:
Students interested in sitting for the Society for Human Resource Management certification exams are advised to choose the following electives:
This course examines incentive pay and employee benefit programs in private and public organizations. Program design and the alignment of incentive pay and benefit programs with business strategy and human resource programs are covered.
Learning Outcomes
Students will learn to design and implement incentive pay and employee benefit programs that will give their employers a competitive advantage and be perceived as equitable among employees. Students will improve their team leadership, analytical and writing skills.
The primary purpose of this seminar is to introduce graduate students to the principle theories and literature in the area of employment discrimination law and the role of the law.
Learning Outcomes
Students will become familiar through case analysis to the substantive case law arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Civil Rights Act of 1991 (CRA 1991); the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA); and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
The course primarily explores the structure and function of human behavior in organizations. Students will be introduced to the principles of theory of perception, motivation, decision-making, job and organizational design as they relate to organizational realities such as power, politics and change.
Learning Outcomes
Students will gain a better understanding of both individual and group behavior in organizational settings and will be able to view organizational change through globalization, diversity, technology and ethics.
This course examines how the effectiveness and the quality of life in organizations can be increased using collaborative methods.
Learning Outcomes
Students will learn to apply concepts from team building, employee involvement, work design, and large group interventions to organizational settings. In addition, students will increase their overall knowledge and effectiveness about leadership, organization development, training and human resource management.
This course focuses on major concepts of group development and group dynamics. Other topics of discussion include communication patterns, authority relations, leadership, norms, stages of group behaviors, paradoxes of group life, and self-awareness within group settings.
Learning Outcomes:
Students learn the various tools and techniques of process consultation and also gain knowledge and competence for working with groups. The course combines cognitive and conceptual materials with experienced-based learning.
This course engages students in a chosen Special Topic in HRER.
Outcomes: In-depth understanding of a special topic in the area of HRER.
This course introduces students to different employment relations systems in advanced industrial economies in North America, Europe, and Asia and to formats for resolving new types of labor problems that have merged in a global economy.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to identify critical differentiating aspects of employment relations systems in the developed world and common pro and con arguments regarding proposed solutions to substandard working conditions in the developing world.