Want to move up? Enroll in online master’s in HR management at UHCL

June 19, 2018 | Jim Townsend

Are you a problem-solver? Decision-maker? Change manager? Consider sharpening those skills and learning new ones by earning a master’s degree in human resource management from University of Houston-Clear Lake’s College of Business.

Tailored to both HR professionals and managers in other disciplines who seek to advance their careers, the Human Resource Management program can be completed fully online in as few as 36 credit hours, yet comprehensively covers all practical HR management topics. UH-Clear Lake’s program is recognized by the Society of Human Resource Management as meeting its standards for content and coverage.

“Our Human Resource Management Master of Arts program offers students a flexible, convenient, and comprehensive program to prepare students for a successful human resources career,” said Ed Waller, professor of finance and business and dean of the College of Business.

“All of the program’s full-time faculty have doctoral degrees,” Waller said. “All faculty – including adjunct faculty – have practical workplace experience.”

While most of the students in the degree program already work in the HR field, UHCL also offers internships with local employers and hands-on learning opportunities for students just beginning HR careers.

“Our program attracts a diverse student body with backgrounds in fields including business, psychology, health care, criminal justice, and education,” said Alix Valenti, the program’s director and professor of legal studies and management. “Courses in the program cover all the major functions of human resources, which is important to students whether they want a career as a generalist or to specialize in a specific area.”

The field of human resource management is projected to grow by about 9 percent between 2016 and 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. The bureau added that in 2017, median pay was about $110,000 per year for HR managers whose average work experience is five or more years and whose average entry-level education is a bachelor’s degree.

“As new companies form and organizations expand their operations, they will need human resources managers to oversee and administer their programs and to ensure that firms adhere to changing and complex employment laws,” the BLS said. “Strong competition can be expected for most positions.”

In the face of strong competition, a master’s degree can become a necessary advantage.

UHCL’s human resource management master’s degree “provides the opportunity to develop and use people skills, analytical skills, as well as general business capabilities,” said Kevin Wooten, faculty chair and professor of management and business.

The degree utilizes a five-factor competency model, Wooten said: core HRM processes, general business management, strategic decision making and problem solving, change management, and personal mastery and influence. “This includes the use of a student portfolio to ensure that all 84 discrete competencies (published in the Journal of Management Education) are covered,” he said.

Besides a career in HR management, graduates are qualified for careers in industrial relations, labor relations, training and development, HR specialist and more.

For more information, visit www.uhcl.edu/academics/degrees/human-resource-management-ma.