DePaul's Human Resources Graduate Degree Curriculum Earns Recognition from Society of Human Resource Management
March 1, 2007
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has named DePaul's Master's of Science in Human Resources degree program as the first program in the nation to fully align its curriculum with new academic guidelines established by SHRM.
The designation recognizes DePaul's program for its quality and thoroughness and signifies that graduates of the program are being taught the skills that employers emphasize when seeking human resources (HR) professionals.
"This stamp of approval from the preeminent human resources society shows that we offer a curriculum that is practical and relevant," said Daniel Koys, associate dean of the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, who founded the program.
The curriculum guidelines were issued in 2006 by SHRM, which worked with HR practitioners and academics to identify the standard set of skills that HR students need to succeed in the business world. The guidelines recommend 13 core course topics and 11 complementary elective subjects that a graduate human resource degree program should include, while encouraging flexibility, creativity and innovation in the teaching of these topics.
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the main business school accreditation body, supports the curriculum template, calling it a "significant effort to build a bridge between theory and practice." More than 120 human resource graduate degree programs are offered by universities across the country.
DePaul's HR master's degree was launched in 2001. It encompasses 12 courses that teach core business, public administration, strategic human resources, staffing, development and compensation topics, as well as HR-related areas, such as change management, negotiation and organizational psychology. The program enrolls 25 to 30 students each year. DePaul also offers HR courses to students in its Bahrain and Czech Republic MBA programs.
"The program produces graduates who are well versed in the functions and processes involved with leading an in-house or outsourced HR department," said Marty Martin, associate professor of management, who directs the program.
