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Whether you’re newer to the field of human resources or looking to upskill in your career, choosing the right graduate program for your goals is essential.
Why a graduate program? Because it proves to employers that you’ve invested time, energy, and resources into honing your craft and improving your practical skills. Additionally, it prepares you for HR leadership, equipping you with the confidence needed to effectively collaborate with business teams as a strategic partner in their work.
This resource elaborates on the most important qualities to look for in a program and gives you some possible careers you can pursue upon graduation. Plus, we’ll take a look at what Purdue’s graduate degrees in human resources have to offer.
As long as there are people in the workforce, there will be a need for human resource professionals. However, the rise of AI and automation is causing some people to question the need for dedicated, human professionals in human resources. With all that AI can do to increase productivity and automate specific administrative tasks, it cannot replace the strategic work that HR managers provide to their teams.
The COVID-19 pandemic helped people gain a better understanding of the HR field and its scope. As employees transitioned to remote work, they leaned more on their human resource colleagues for guidance through the new working landscape. They may have even met with HR to discuss concerns about work-from-home policies or return-to-office orders. Amid uncertainty and upheaval, HR managers provided much-needed stability for employees.
Even with this awareness, many misconceptions about the HR industry persist.
While human resources professionals are often associated with hiring, firing, and payroll, their role extends far beyond administrative tasks. HR professionals collaborate with leaders across organizations to support business growth by empowering employees and contributing to overall success, not just serving as operational gatekeepers.
Human resources isn't only there to enforce rules or handle issues when they arise. While compliance is part of the job, effective HR professionals are deeply involved in daily operations, building relationships, supporting team development, and helping shape the organizations long-term strategy.
HR managers may handle tasks that can be automated, but their real value lies in strategic insight and the ability to help a business grow. Their understanding of company needs, resource allocation, and team strengths depends on the kind of personal connection and judgment that only strong human relationships can provide.
The future of HR management belongs to those who position themselves as strategic partners in businesses, not just as people who enforce the rules in a workplace.
To become a leader in HR management, not just a follower of a rulebook, pursue a master’s in human resources management. With a quality degree grounded in business principles, you can develop into an HR leader that future workplaces need.
When selecting a master’s program, look for the following qualities to ensure it provides a comprehensive education and experience to set you up for career success.
Choosing an accredited program ensures that the institution meets established standards for effectively and accurately teaching human resource management. One key accreditation to look for is recognition by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
An HR master’s program that lacks real-world experience and insight into the field only gives students part of the education they need to succeed. HR principles are fairly easy to grasp, but even more difficult to apply. Experiential learning bridges the gap for students, taking their textbook knowledge and applying it to real-world situations.
A well-rounded HR program doesn't just include HR classes; it also immerses you in relevant business courses. Having formal business training provides students with the context and practical skills they need to become savvy and strategic partners in any company they join. These business courses should include data-driven insights and courses, such as HR analytics and other relevant skill sets. They should also familiarize you with leading HR tech, so you can make the most of every tool at your disposal.
The right master’s in human resource management program will connect you with professionals in the industry to position you for success upon graduation. Hearing from professionals working in the field as you complete your program can give you insight into specializations and the current state of HR. An ideal program will also have practitioner-professors who have worked in the industry and bring their experience to the classroom.
Purdue University’s Mitch Daniels School of Business is leading the charge in forming effective, strategic human resources professionals. With our proud legacy of enhancing the field of human resources, we offer specialized, targeted instruction in human resources management. As a top Master of Science in Human Resource Management in the United States, Purdue University’s HR management programs develop HR-focused, business-savvy professionals equipped to shape organizational change, develop talent, and lead from within.
With both a residential and online program, our Master of Science in Human Resource Management prepares professionals at various stages in their careers to meet the evolving challenges faced by human resource professionals.
Students in the residential Master of Science in Human Resource Management program learn through data-driven courses that instill business acumen and the skills to integrate AI and new technologies. Through statistics and analytics classes, students gain a deeper understanding of accounting and finance, as well as how their roles as HR professionals can contribute to the company’s strategic future.
Many HR programs focus on the strategic versus administrative side of HR management, but Purdue takes it a step further into the business-savvy territory, teaching HR analytics and other competencies so students become well-versed in the most relevant technologies and strategies in HR today.
Our program addresses pressing HR issues, including integrating technology and AI, and navigating the evolving workplace to enhance employee wellbeing in both remote and in-person work environments. The degree blends theory and application, so you’re not just learning about what to do in a given situation, you’re getting the chance to apply best practices to your work.
This application requires more business acumen credit hours for students to take than at other universities, allowing for more experiential learning opportunities.
The MSHRM at Purdue aligns with the Society for Human Resource Management’s guidelines, ensuring that students receive training in best practices from the outset.
This course serves as an overview of the major topics in Human Resource (HR) strategy. HRM is a fundamental component of the competitiveness, effectiveness, and sustainability of any organization, as it influences who is hired, how they are trained, evaluated, and compensated, and what steps are taken to retain them. In turn, HRM plays a critical role in predicting employees’ behavior, attitudes, and performance. This course also introduces students to a strategic view of HR and the need to adopt a systems approach while considering multiple stakeholders. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the many forces that shape an organization’s approach to managing its human capital and the positioning of HR as a strategic partner.
Students in this course work in a team setting to gain real-life experience consulting with an organization to solve a real business problem. The course focuses on human capital or human resource-related issues. Students will work with a client to define their scope of engagement, identify their needs, and conduct external research to develop solutions and identify key deliverables. The course’s project culminates in an executive summary presentation, where students provide tangible recommendations to the client’s senior leadership, preparing them to serve as an HR business partner..
Students in the MSHRM program can select an HR analytics package of courses, providing them with a deeper understanding of the essential human resource competencies.
The courses include:
For HR professionals currently working in the field, Purdue’s Online Master of Science in Human Resource Management (MSHRM) offers a flexible way to enhance their analytical and strategic skills, enabling them to thrive in a growing field. This program is entirely online, allowing for flexible pacing and sequencing of courses to help busy professionals fit their classes in with their careers and other responsibilities.
The online MSHRM program features a strong core of HR content in areas like HR Strategy, Talent Acquisition, and more.
This course focuses on the effective management of talent flow within and through organizations. It encompasses workforce planning, recruiting, selection, career transitions, and other workforce management activities. Students learn how to recruit and select the best talent to help drive organizational strategy. Students will also learn how to design a process and framework for final individual or group selection, as well as several methods to orient and successfully onboard new employees.
The Change Management course provides students with the essential tools and concepts necessary to create and sustain the change required in their personal and professional lives, within their work teams, and organizations. This course is taught in an executive style format, intended for future managers with an emphasis on knowledge application and experiential learning.
Both the online and in-residence Master of Science in Human Resource Management programs prepare HR professionals to be the strategic partners that businesses need going forward, from their understanding of holistic company health to their people skills in implementing initiatives.
Experiential learning serves as a cornerstone for both the on-campus and online Master of Science in Human Resource Management programs at the Mitch Daniels School of Business. In the MSHRM program, professional development begins on day one, giving our students business knowledge and HR-specific leadership skills through networking, consulting, conferences, and certifications.
Through case competitions to working with real businesses, students gain experience solving human resource problems before they graduate. Purdue University places a greater emphasis on experiential learning than other universities may, as we know that experiential learning is the difference between living by the textbook and making a real, strategic impact on your organization.
Here’s a closer look at each facet of our experiential learning for in-residence students:
Experiential learning is essential for maximizing the benefits of your degree and making a meaningful impact in your career.
At its core, the MSHRM program is not about choosing the correct answer on an exam or copying and pasting a solution to different problems. It’s about gaining the necessary context and wisdom to find the best solution for each problem, taking it as a new challenge that requires a fresh approach.
Purdue University believes so deeply in experiential learning that the program budgets monies for each student to complete experiential learning activities throughout their program.
In these annual academic competitions hosted by Purdue University, students come together to solve a presented HR case or issue. Gathering participants from schools around the country, teams utilize critical thinking and organizational skills to formulate a recommendation that they present to judges or company sponsors.
The experiential learning gained from these case competitions provides students with the opportunity to work on real-world business challenges and stretch their strategic muscles to present actionable solutions. Past winners have represented schools like Cornell, BYU, Indiana University, Ohio State University and more.
Fitting with Purdue University’s tripartite mission of learning, discovery, and engagement, the Purdue Center for Working Well (CWW) aims to be a cutting-edge center at the forefront of challenges facing modern workforces and employees’ desire to “work well.” Students in the MSHRM program benefit from the CWW’s core mission: to develop a robust understanding of what “working well” means to employees and organizations.
This program provides students with the opportunity to engage in a 45-60 minute virtual career conversation with an HR professional who holds a master’s degree or higher and is currently active in the field. Alumni volunteers share insights into their career journeys, industry experiences, and professional advice, helping students build career awareness and develop essential communication skills.
Through the Human Capital Consulting Industry Practicum, students gain real-life experience consulting with an organization to solve a real business problem. By focusing on human capital and human resource-related problems, students work with a client to define the scope of their engagement and develop solutions to real problems. Current and past capital consulting project sponsors include Schneider Electric, American Eagle Outfitters, GE, and The Heritage Group.
Attending conferences is one of the most effective ways to network with other HR professionals and gain valuable insights from those in different branches of human resources. Purdue students are encouraged to attend conferences in addition to their coursework.
Purdue University also hosts a conference alongside the HR case competition, the Working Well Conference. This conference aligns with HR management best practices, instructing attendees on how they can effectively use their strategy skills and passion for fostering human capital. Themes change each year, but the commitment to instructing students in becoming the best HR professionals possible remains the same.
The Society for Human Resource Management shapes leaders and charts the course for how human resource professionals meet a changing industry. We know that students in our MSHRM program are here for their careers, and thus, we want to provide as much practical experience as possible while they’re studying with us. One way we provide that experience is through connecting them to the largest HR professional organization. We believe this connection and the experience gained through it are so important that we pay for students’ first year of membership in the organization.
Additionally, the University offers reimbursement for students’ exam fees and provides resources for exam preparation. Student membership in Purdue’s SHRM chapter provides access to a global community of over 325,000 professionals. SHRM membership offers expert support to help them develop practical, ethical solutions to any HR issue.
This dynamic course follows the principles of Experiential Learning Education and is designed to engage students with real-life touchpoints within Human Resources, providing invaluable opportunities for hands-on experiences. Through interactive activities and applied scenarios, you will learn by doing while reflecting on your journey to deepen your understanding, generate connections between experiences and enhance your professional skills meaningfully. Prepare to embark on an exciting adventure that blends theory with practice and paves the way for a successful career in HR!
For online students in the Master of Science in Human Resource Management program, experiential learning takes a slightly different form. Many of our online students are already well-versed in the HR industry and apply best practices in their day-to-day work.
Since they’re already working in the field, they bring their experiences to class, and the experiential learning comes from what they and their professors share over the course. By sharing the wisdom and lessons learned in their real-life roles in class, students in online courses benefit from hearing from their peers in similar stages of their careers.
As strategic partners in business operations, human resource professionals can apply their skills to various roles within an organization. From analyzing employee performance to guiding company-wide initiatives, HR managers can change the trajectory of a business for the better.
Below are just a few of the roles one can pursue with a degree in human resource management.
An HR Business Partner plays an integral role in company successes, identifying key areas where employee management can impact strategy.
Their work can:
An HR business partner's knowledge of the day-to-day operations and the overall health of the company is vital to maintaining organizational growth.
An HR Analyst specializes in enhancnig workforce productivity through the effective use of data.
In their role, an HR Analyst:
This career is well-suited for individuals who enjoy analyzing data and drawing actionable insights from it.
An HR Generalist manages daily operations in human resources departments.
This includes:
This role differs from that of an HR Specialist, who typically has a deeper knowledge and skill set within a specific facet of human resources, such as compensation or compliance.
If you’re interested in starting or elevating your career in human resource management, consider joining Purdue University’s Mitch Daniels School of Business and pursuing one of our Master of Science in Human Resource Management programs.
There are many different paths to take in human resources. Choosing Purdue will give you the foundation needed to determine your niche in the field and where you fit within the industry. To learn more about our programs and the student experience, request more information. You can also connect with us directly by scheduling a meeting. If you’re ready to take the next step today, apply now!
