Master of Science in Social Science : Human Resource Management
The Human Resource Management program prepares HR and other professionals for today’s technology-intensive environment. It provides the knowledge and techniques to deal with human resource issues and to achieve high quality innovation and productivity in often turbulent organizational settings. It offers the training needed to establish and implement policies consonant with HR best practices and the needs of the organization. Students are provided a solid theoretical, conceptual, and methodological foundation in the social sciences. The curriculum is designed to expand and strengthen field expertise by emphasizing the ability to think beyond functional boundaries, the ability to participate meaningfully in the development of and implementation of workplace strategies that deliver business results. The University of Atlanta’s graduate curriculum is mapped to the competencies identified by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in “The Competency Model for new HR.” Required course work includes: human resource planning, recruiting, selection, placement, compensation and benefits, performance management, career planning, training and organizational development, labour and employee relations, ethical/legal employment practices, HR information systems, HR strategy, statistical methods, and program evaluation. An intensive and comprehensive curriculum.
Program Objectives
- Develop and implement plans, policies and procedures for maximizing organizational performance.
- Establish and implement strategy-supportive staffing techniques, including employee recruitment, retention and training.
- Develop a significant knowledge of employment law and mandates relating to human resource functions in order to confirm compliance.
- Create processes for disciplinary action, grievances, performance appraisal and compensation.
- Research empowerment theories and advantages, and constraints to employee participation
- Evaluate the role of the National Labour Relations Board, collective bargaining, contract administration and union-management
- Apply total quality assurance and continual improvement to human resource processes, functions and programs
- Demonstrate proficiency in human resource management at the master's degree level
- Establish a significant, comprehensive understanding of ethical decision models and their applications within the arena of HR Administration.
- Apply both quantitative and qualitative analysis of Human Resource Management problems in the areas of policy-making, comparative analysis of policies, strategic analysis, cost analysis and other HR-related areas.
- Further hone communicative skills, which underpin the ability to conduct independent research and to formulate documents, reports, and publications that manifest mastery of content and execution.
Career Opportunities
This program prepares those who seek to pursue managerial-level positions in one or more areas of HR: in recruitment, in compensation, in benefits, in employee development, in labour relations and in other branches of human resource management. For those already in the field, the degree positions them well for significant professional advances.
