The Master of Science in Human Resources (MSHR) degree provides a graduate academic learning experience designed to prepare and advance students toward professional careers in Human Resource Management. The degree program combines the theoretical foundations of human behavior with the key technical aspects of human talent management deployment. The program places special emphasis on core business principles in order to position graduates to serve as strategic business partners with the rest of the organization. The strategic management of human capital presents one of the great challenges and opportunities to 21st century organizations. To meet this, the next generation of forward thinking HR professionals will need an expanding portfolio of awareness and skills. This degree program aims to fulfill these needs and is designed to meet all of the official curriculum requirements outlined by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Five learning objectives are central to the MSHR curriculum:
- Develop strong working knowledge of core human resource management principles and practices
- Develop a foundation of knowledge of the basic business disciplines
- Develop competency in managing people and teams
- Increase self-awareness and personal understanding.
- Increase multicultural competencies.
This 39-unit program, designed to be completed in five trimesters, originates from a rich tradition of applied behavioral science, integrated with targeted core business principles in order to expand HR theory and practice. Concepts from behavioral sciences include enhanced self-awareness, group dynamics, change management and organizational development. Additionally, students receive exposure to business principles like financial accounting and economic concepts. Students will gain mastery of a full range of human capital management approaches through courses on job design, compensation, talent and performance management, and HR-specific classes on strategy law, analytics and digital-information platforms.
Emphasis is placed on the application of these concepts to current and future issues facing HR managers, such as increasing the relative influence of the HR function, developing and sustaining strategic alignment with the overall business, and the development/implementation of processes that demonstrate empirical results in individual, team, and overall organizational performance.
The first session is a three-day intensive leadership and development workshop that helps socialize incoming students to our unique collaborative learning environment. Through the experiential nature of the workshop students build a cohesive learning team for the class group and explore the dynamics of interpersonal communication, personal ethics and values, and team development. The workshop is a residential experience, and participants are required to stay at the facility overnight. Each participant is responsible for the cost of room and board. This course is graded on a credit or no credit basis.
Courses are offered through evening, weekend, integrative workshops, and short residential modes that provide a highly interactive learning environment. This five trimester program is designed to be completed in 20 months. Courses are offered at the West Los Angeles graduate campus.
Standards and Measurements of Achievement for MSHR Students
Standards of achievement and methods of assessing student performance in each course are delineated in each course syllabus at the outset of the academic term. Through the duration of the MSHR Program, a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required to maintain satisfactory academic standing. Each course in the program curriculum must be passed with a grade of “C-” or better. Any course in which a grade lower than “C-” is earned must be retaken and completed with a passing grade. A course may only be repeated once; both the original and new grades will remain on the student’s transcript and be factored into the cumulative GPA.
Student academic performance is monitored by the Fully Employed Program Office at the end of each term, and any student falling below the 3.0 GPA minimum is subject to academic probation. Students placed on academic probation will be notified in writing and informed of the conditions applicable to the probationary status. Among these conditions is a reduction in academic unit load, limiting enrollment to four (4) units of coursework per trimester for the duration of the probationary period. The probationary status will not be cleared until the student has reached the minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
Students who fail to regain good standing within the time frame specified in the initial notification of probation will be subject to dismissal from the Program. Other circumstances that may lead to dismissal include:
- Cumulative GPA falling below 3.0 at any point in the Program
- Earning any grade lower than a “B” while on academic probation
- Earning a grade lower than a “B-” in more than two courses within the Program
- Earning a grade lower than “D” in any course
Access to Online Courses
On-ground students may, upon approval, complete up to one-third of their program unit requirements through the online course modality. Those who wish to enroll in an online course may submit a request for consideration on a space-available basis. Prior to the formal submission of the request, students should consult with their advisor to understand the potential impact of taking the desired on-ground course on their overall program completion plan and timeline. Requests are individually reviewed by the Program Office, and approval is not guaranteed.
Change in Program Modality
Students are generally expected to complete their program coursework in the same modality they had chosen upon program entrance. Under compelling and verifiable circumstances, a student may formally petition for a permanent change in program modality (i.e., from online to on-ground). Petitions should be directed to the Program Office, detailing the nature of the circumstances and providing relevant documentation.
Pathways to MSHR
Graduates of the BSM Program who meet the eligibility criteria outlined below can complete the MSHR degree with as few as 35 units.
Up to 4 units of MSHR coursework may be waived for students who have completed the BSM degree with a minimum Program GPA of 3.0 and earned a grade of “B” or higher in the following BSM courses:
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An expedited path to the MSHR degree is also available to FEMBA students or graduates, requiring as few as 31 units for completion. Up to 8 units of MSHR coursework may be waived for students who earned a grade of “B” or higher in the following FEMBA courses:
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(Note: BSCI 650 is required of all MSHR students.)
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