If you are thinking about earning a degree in order to pursue a career in human resources, an important question has probably crossed your mind: Can I earn a human resource degree online? By reviewing the information below, you can obtain an answer to this question and several others pertaining to the field of human resources.
Human Resources-A Brief Overview
Although broadly defined, human resources is basically a field that involves developing and administering programs that will increase a business’s efficacy as an employer-including aspects of its functioning such as pay, hiring processes, benefits, and human resource policies. In short, the field of human resources involves the effective creation and management of the employee-employer relationship.
Can You Earn A Human Resource Degree Online?
If you are interested in earning a human resource degree online, you should know that doing so is entirely possible. To begin the process, you can conduct an internet search for online schools that offer the degree. Although each program will have its own unique curriculum and coursework, some of the classes that you can expect to take will include:
1. Management for Organizations
2. Human Resources Management
3. Organizational Behavior
4. Principles of Microeconomics
5. Organizational Change
6. Principles of Accounting I
7. Business Law I
8. Principles of Marketing
9. Organizational Development
10.Employee & Labor Relations
How Do Employers View Online Degrees?
If you are thinking about obtaining your human resources degree online, you may be interested in learning how this form of education is viewed in the eyes of prospective employers. In the past several years, there has been much concern amongst the educational community regarding the fact that many employers viewed online degrees with a great deal of skepticism. This skepticism could be problematic for individuals who earned a degree online only to find that employers would prefer to hire a job candidate who had obtained their degree in the traditional classroom setting. Despite this concern, research on the issue now reveals that when three conditions are present, employers view online degrees as essentially equivalent to those earned in the traditional manner. According to an infographic detailing the issue, the three conditions are:
1. Accreditation.
A Zogby International Survey regarding the value of online learning revealed that amongst executives who viewed a degree earned through distance learning as equivalent to one obtained in a traditional classroom, accreditation was a critical factor that made the online degrees seem more credible.
2. Traditional Campus.
Amongst those surveyed, hiring managers asked to demonstrate their favorability towards online colleges preferred those that featured a traditional campus. For example, if the online school had no campus, the favorability ranking was a mere 42%. On the other hand, if the online school had a physical campus, the favorability ranking rose to 92%.
3. Established Brand.
The HR directors and CEOs surveyed found that they preferred online degrees from learning institutions that were well-known. In short, name recognition and school reputation were found to play an integral role in determining whether an online degree was viewed favorably by employers.
Conclusion
If you are thinking about earning a degree in human resources via distance learning, you should know that doing so can be both personally and professionally advantageous. In recognizing that you can obtain a human resource degree online, you can begin researching online learning institutions to determine which school has the curriculum that would be most advantageous and appropriate for you.
