Online MBA Programs in Human Resource Management (HRM)

Featured Online MBA Programs with Human Resource Management Specializations

The John E. Simon School of Business at Maryville University prides itself on taking a different approach to the MBA by creating a program where professors are dedicated to teaching students about the reality of the business world rather than focused on furthering their research.

Students can choose from nine different concentrations, including HR management. They will take eight core courses, four concentration courses (or three for the general MBA track), and one three-credit capstone. Core courses include business ethics, organizational behavior and development, and strategic marketing. In contrast, the HR concentration courses cover HR management, workforce management, employment law and compliance, and compensation and benefits.

The school has partnerships with global companies worldwide across all business sectors, from Boeing to Rawlins to Scottrade. Students are not required to submit test scores or have business experience to apply. Instead, students can complete the 24-credit program entirely online to fit into each student’s schedules and career goals.

This online MBA in HR management prepares students to lead in HR management across all companies. They will learn how to resolve complex business problems, leverage the new economy, design compensation, and benefits programs, and create organizational change within the workplace.

The program consists of nine core courses and three HR courses. However, additional foundational classes are available to those with non-business backgrounds. The core courses provide a foundation in traditional business administration topics such as accounting, finance, leadership, marketing, economics, operations, internet technology, and HR.

The HR courses focus on recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, benefits, HR information systems, and other HR issues, including how they impact both organizations and employees. Specialized courses include strategic HR management, total rewards, and leading change.

Purdue Global offers an array of online MBA programs, including a concentration in human resources. To apply for this program, candidates must submit proof of a bachelor’s degree with a 2.5 GPA. No GRE or GMAT scores are required for this unique program.

The online MBA in human resources does not require any in-person immersions. The core courses for the MBA include business perspectives; business communications; business analytics; financial accounting principles and analysis; measurement and decision-making; strategic human resource management; marketing management; economics for global decision-makers; financial management; designing, improving, and implementing processes; managing the value chain; strategic management; ethics in business and society; leadership strategies for a changing world; and an MBA capstone.

In addition, HR concentration courses include employment law; training and development; strategic reward systems; and recruitment and selection. Notably, there’s also an accelerated MBA program option for students who have earned a BBA and have completed course prerequisites.

Capella University offers an online MBA program in human resource management in GuidedPath and FlexPath. GuidedPath is a more traditional format with set deadlines, peer interactions, and grades. FlexPath, by contrast, is for self-starters and billed per session; students complete as many courses as they can each session. The former requires applicants to have at least a 2.3 GPA, while the latter requires at least a 2.8.

Capella University’s online MBA programs provide instruction in marketing management; MBA leadership; accounting methods for leaders; applied managerial finance; business strategy; applied business analytics; and operations management for leaders.

Strayer University provides an online MBA program in human resource management. Candidates for admission must provide official transcripts from a bachelor’s degree program with at least a 2.5 GPA. This school has a unique focus on resources for students, providing a student services coach, technical support, and vibrant student and alumni networks.

Strayer’s online MBA in HRM includes foundational courses such as financial accounting for managers; leadership and organizational behavior; strategic management; business communications; managerial economics and globalization; financial management; business statistics; law, ethics, and corporate governance; and marketing management. Furthermore, the concentration courses in the HRM track include human resource management foundations; strategic human resource management; and managing organizational change.

The Arthur J. Kania School of Management offers an online MBA program with a specialization in HR, which promises to help students take a leading role in companies and focus on the human element of business. Students will learn about best practices in decision-making and planning through the lens of the HR industry so that they can re-enter the workforce with an understanding of how to improve individual and organizational performance.

The 36-credit flexible curriculum requires that students complete a cornerstone and capstone course (each three credits) and offers them the flexibility to take four to seven core courses and three to six electives depending on their strengths, interests, and preexisting knowledge. The cornerstone course is called responsibility, sustainability, and justice, and the capstone focuses on business policy. In the HR specialization, students will learn about recruitment and staffing, workplace learning and performance, total rewards, and employee and labor relations. Students are not required to submit test scores with their applications.

Located in Evansville, Indiana, the University of Southern Indiana offers a fully online MBA program. This 30-credit program offers eight concentrations, including human resources. This online program features highly-interactive instruction that emphasizes critical thinking and creative thinking in the corporate world.

The GMAT can be waived for admission if students meet minimum GPA and work experience requirements. Students can choose from flexible or accelerated timelines and complete this program in as few as 11 months.

Located in Miami, Florida, St. Thomas University offers a fully online MBA program that students can complete in 12 months. The human resources management path features six unique concentrations of knowledge in development, training, planning, and staffing. The curriculum includes 36 credits of courses in labor-management relations, organizational design and theory, and human resource development.

Located in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Carlow University offers a 36-credit MBA program with five concentrations, including human resources. Students in this fully online program can choose from three start dates throughout the year. Carlow University was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1929 and is a private Catholic institution with a curriculum and partnerships that emphasize social justice, ethical forward-thinking, responsible leadership, and community service.

Located in Livingston, Alabama, the University of West Alabama offers an online MBA in human resources management. This 33-credit program has three start dates throughout the year, and students can complete their degree in one year. The GMAT/GRE is not required for admission. Coursework includes strategic management, economics, and business policy. Graduates from this program pursue careers in human resource management, financial, and marketing management.

Located in Campbellsville, Kentucky, Campbellsville University offers an online MBA with 11 concentrations, including human resources management. This 36-credit program emphasizes managing a modern workforce, trends in hiring, onboarding and labor regulations, and online human resource management.

Once admitted, students can choose from six start dates and complete their MBA degree in two years. The GMAT/GRE is not required for admission, nor is prior work experience.

St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, offers a 100 percent online MBA program that students can complete in 14 months. Students in this program must complete a concentration in leadership, human resource management, marketing management, and general business.

This human resources management concentration includes instruction in labor-management partnerships; strategic staffing; career management; compensation and benefits management; training and benefits; contemporary employee relationships and dispute resolution; conflict and negotiation; and performance management systems. The GMAT is not required for admission.

Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, offers a 100 percent online MBA program. Students learn innovative leadership skills to prepare them for senior-level leadership positions specializing in human resources. This 33-credit program features employee training and development courses, employment and labor law, compensation and benefits, workforce staffing, and human resources management analytics. Applicants to this program do not need to take the GRE/GMAT and can transfer up to nine credits of coursework.

The USM’s online MBA program with a concentration in HR management emphasizes ethics and corporate responsibility. The program is designed for those with initial experience in HR who want to progress into more influential positions in HR. In addition, students will graduate with an in-depth awareness of how to facilitate productivity, collaboration, and conflict resolution within the workplace.

A total of 36 credits is required for this degree, including nine core courses and three concentration courses in conflict management and negotiation, organizational change and development, and training and development. The flexible program allows students to work full-time while enrolled as students can complete the courses anytime online; there is no on-campus requirement.

The UMass Global MBA prepares students to plan, direct, and lead business operations. Graduates will learn how to apply best practices in business and HR to drive change within organizations. Students take 24 to 36 credits of core courses depending on their professional expertise and 24 credits focusing on HR. The HR emphasis courses include workforce planning; talent management; strategic business concepts and HR; total rewards; career management; labor relations and collective bargaining; conflict and negotiation; and HR information systems.

The program is taught online or as a hybrid of on-campus and online. Applicants must meet one of four of the school’s qualifying options to be accepted: a 3.0 GPA, a 2.5 GPA with GRE or GMAT test scores, a master’s degree, or a portfolio providing adequate preparation for graduate studies. Applicants must also be working at least part-time to enroll in this program.

UHCL’s online MBA program allows students to learn about all business-related disciplines, including finance, international business, general management, human resources, marketing, operations management, quality management, and more. They will take foundational courses in business principles, core classes in accounting, global environment, management science, operations, economics, corporate finance, organizational behavior, and marketing.

For the HR management concentration, which is only available online, students will take classes on HR management processes, the legal environment of human resource management, compensation and benefits, training and development, and labor relations. This program offers an accelerated curriculum for students taking two courses per eight-week session across fall, spring, and summer semesters.

The UNT’s business college offers a self-described flexible, affordable, and respected online MBA program for professionals interested in advancing their careers. The 36-credit MBA program can be completed in as few as 14 months, with students taking 12 courses across 8-week sessions. In addition, the accelerated and specialized HR management curriculum will help propel HR professionals into managerial positions and reinforce their expertise in the field.

Students in the HR track will take 18 credits of core courses in accounting, finance, marketing, and organizational behavior, 15 credits of concentration courses in HR, labor relations, leadership research, compensation, motivation, organizational design, and change management, and one three-credit elective that focuses on entrepreneurship and venture, international, or strategic management.

The George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology created a joint program for students completing an undergraduate program at Webster (and those who have completed one in the last five years) to obtain their MBA in a shorter amount of time.

The school offers two tracks for those interested in HR. The MBA in HR development includes courses in training and development, group development and change, career management, and research and assessment methods in HR development, among others. The MBA in HR management covers employment law, staffing, compensation, and labor-management relations. Regardless of track, students will complete core courses in accounting, economics, finance, marketing, production operations, and strategic management.

The program also has an international component as it can be completed online, at the St. Louis campus, and at select U.S. and international campuses.

The B. I. Moody III College of Business Administration at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette offers an online MBA with nine specializations, including human resources management. This 33-credit program is presented in a fast-track format and can be completed in just 15 months.

Courses in this program include personnel development, training, development, and planning for short- and long-term hiring. Graduates from this program often pursue work in upper-level management positions.