What is a Bachelor of Arts in Human Resources Management?

Human resources has evolved to become an essential component of modern business, and today’s employers are competing to attract HR professionals with the problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills to take their companies to the next level. Prepare for a career in this exciting field with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Resources Management from the Forbes School of Business and Technology® at the University of Arizona Global Campus.

Accelerated 5- to 6-week courses
Transfer approved college credits toward your bachelor’s program at UAGC
1 course at a time
$0 Application Fee

Awards and Affiliations

SHRM Academically Aligned

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This IACBE-accredited degree demonstrates your knowledge and understanding of the human resources function within modern, complex organizations. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has acknowledged that the University of Arizona Global Campus Bachelor of Arts in Human Resources Management (BAHRM) in the Forbes School of Business and Technology® fully aligns with SHRM’s HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates, which define the HR content areas and competencies that should be studied by HR students at the undergraduate level. Students enrolled in good academic standing are eligible to apply for the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP®) examination in their final year of study.

SHRM Recertification Provider

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UAGC is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®.

SHRM Affiliate

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All students are welcome to join the UAGC Forbes School of Business and Technology® Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Chapter. Statistics show that networking is the highest-rated activity in career advancement. The UAGC Forbes School of Business and Technology® SHRM Chapter is an affiliate of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and offers free membership to students as well as the opportunity to gain valuable experience as a volunteer chapter leader.

ATD Recertification Provider

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The University of Arizona Global Campus has been pre-approved by the ATD Certification Institute to offer educational programs that can be used towards initial eligibility and recertification of the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials.

Leadership Excellence and Development Award

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HR.com, an online resource promoting education, career development, and compliance in the HR field, awarded this program with a Leadership Excellence and Development (LEAD) Award for 2018. The program was cited as one of the top 15 degree programs with an emphasis on human resources.

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Learn more about how to get started in your degree program.

Degree Completion Journey

In this curriculum, you will learn the business, ethical, legal, and social factors that shape organizations, with courses that focus on recruitment, training, labor laws, compensation, and benefits. You will take one course at a time as you complete your human resources online degree, with subjects that include economics, accounting, and management.

1

Freshman Year

  • In this foundational course, students explore the principles necessary for achieving personal and career success. GEN 101 serves as a road map, guiding students as they begin their academic journey. Through self-discovery, surveying available resources, connecting with UAGC groups, and engaging with Career Services, students learn the essential skills of planning and goal setting. Students apply their personal strengths, skills, and lifelong learning strategies to develop essential career competencies. By making these meaningful connections students gain a deeper understanding of how their education relates to their desired career path.  Congratulations on embarking on this college journey filled with growth, exploration, and endless possibilities! This course is not available for non-degree seeking students and is not available as an elective.

  • This course offers an overview of digital fluency as it applies to personal, academic, financial, and professional success. Students will analyze the impact of digital technology on personal, social, and diversity issues and will develop digital skills that will assist in achieving academic, personal, and career goals. An overview of digital media is introduced with practical strategies for application in personal and professional life.

  • Learn and use key, practical skills that are applicable at home, at work, and in all UAGC courses! As UAGC students progress in their academic journey, strategies for personal, professional, and academic success continue to develop. This introductory course takes a two-pronged approach to setting students on a path to success. It merges fundamental informational literacy concepts with essential resources and skills that prepare students for college and career. Students learn how to identify, locate, evaluate, apply, and acknowledge information obtained through UAGC Library databases and internet search engines. By applying the research process, students sharpen critical thinking skills and learn to use information ethically. The final project is a practical and relevant opportunity for students to apply their learning in personally, professionally, and academically meaningful ways.

  • ENG 121 is designed to introduce students to the standards of writing in both academic and professional settings. The class will operate by first introducing, and then allowing students to practice, several written communication skills. Throughout, we will work to understand writing as a process, one that is strengthened through critical thinking, deepened by research, and built on a foundation of professional standards. Students will articulate a sense of their own skills and goals, and engage in collaborative conversations with peers and their instructor so as to be able to express their ideas more effectively. During the course, students will use the writing process to scrutinize their own perspectives while challenging them to embrace a wider conversation.

  • This course is designed to expand students’ appreciation of film and knowledge of how films are made. Through analysis of storytelling in a visual medium, students will examine the ways in which movies are shot, develop characters, evoke emotion, depict physical reality, reflect society, and have the power to influence it. Though the focus of the course is film itself, students will gain deeper intercultural fluency while growing their skills in critical thinking, written communication, and visual analysis.

  • This course is a study of correct and incorrect reasoning involved in everyday activities. The fundamentals of language and argument, deductive and inductive reasoning and other aspects of practical reasoning are examined. 

  • This course examines and evaluates theories and arguments concerning ethics and moral reasoning from a philosophical perspective. By engaging with historical and contemporary sources, students will analyze theories about the meaning, nature, and justification of ethical concepts; determine and assess how different forms of moral reasoning apply to contemporary moral issues; become more reflective and informed about their own moral beliefs; and develop their capacity for critical practical reasoning.

  • In this course, students will develop and hone academic and professional writing skills by employing those skills to communicate with range of audiences across a range of situations and contexts. To do that, students will receive instruction and practice in writing well-structured, logical, and effective academic essays while developing critical thinking skills and effective work habits. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENG 121 or equivalent with a grade of “C-” or better.

  • This course is designed to aid students in understanding the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. Verbal and nonverbal communication patterns among people in personal, social, academic, and professional settings will be examined, within and between cultures, including both face-to-face and technologically mediated channels.  The nature of these interactions will be evaluated using contemporary communication theory. The course will enable students to identify their interpersonal communication skills and behaviors and to more critically evaluate their own oral communication and that of others. The primary goals of the course are to improve the quality of students’ communication in their personal and professional relationships, to enhance students’ experience and. confidence with oral communication, and increase awareness of the importance of interpersonal communication that is inclusive and equitable.

  • This course surveys American history from 1877 to the present. Emphasis is placed on the multifaceted experiences within American society; political, economic, intercultural, and social trends; and the impact of the United States in world affairs. Prerequisite: ENG 122 or successful completion of the Written Communication Competency II requirement.

2

Sophomore Year

  • This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of social sciences and some of the disciplines that comprise this field, including anthropology, psychology, economics, sociology, political science, and history. In this course, students will learn important social science concepts and theoretical approaches, along with the research methods that social scientists use to study human behavior. They will also learn how research and findings from the social sciences can be applied broadly throughout society. Throughout the course and through a summative assignment, students will examine how social factors shape social behavior and some of the consequences of current social problems.

  • In this course, learners deepen their understanding of the importance of natural resources to mankind. Students explore physical, biological, and ecological principles, examine how human alterations affect the environment, and reflect on the controversies surrounding various approaches to addressing environmental problems and the steps some communities have taken to address these challenges.

  • In this course students will explore a wider range of Algebra topics beyond the introductory level. Topics will include polynomials, functions, rational expressions, systems of equations and inequalities, operations with radicals, and quadratic equations. Emphasis will be placed on developing an awareness of the use of mathematics as it exists in the world today.

  • The capstone serves as an opportunity to reflect upon, integrate, and showcase learning achievement. Through discussions and course-embedded assessments, students will demonstrate a mastery of essential general education competencies as they relate to their personal and professional lives and provide evidence of growth through application of competency related skills to real-world situations. A minimum grade of “C-“ is required to meet course requirements. Prerequisite: 75 completed credits or permission of the student’s college or dean.

  • This course presents an introduction to management theory and practice, including the inter-relatedness that the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling functions play in the multicultural, technology-driven, and global organizations of the 21st century. The emphasis is on the application of management theory to real-life situations in the workplace.

  • An introduction to the field of human resource management. Topics to be discussed include 
    communication, motivation, and management of personnel. The course will include a review of current standards and practices as well as the legal environment as it pertains to the human resource field.

  • This course is designed to develop the student’s skills in the understanding of factors that affect how individuals and groups act and interact with one another and with management. It also looks at how organizations manage their internal environment with the aim of improving productivity, efficiency, and communications among members. Prerequisite: BUS 201 or MGT 330.

  • ECO 204 is an introduction to the microeconomic principles of the market system and provides a general outline of the consumer and producer choice theories. The course also discusses other important microeconomic concepts like supply and demand, externality, elasticity, pricing and profitability. Other topics include various levels of firm and industry competition associated with different market structures. Recommended prerequisites: Fulfillment of the General Education Critical Thinking competency, Quantitative Reasoning Core competency, and Digital Literacy competency. (Equivalent to ECO 308).

  • In this course, students will study and apply alternative theories, models and strategies for creating and managing organizational change. The effectiveness of management tools in initiating problem solving and decision making to bring about change within organizations is evaluated.

  • Introduction to the principles and procedures of general financial accounting with an emphasis on reporting to individuals outside the organization. Development of accounting reports on an accrual basis.

3

Junior Year

  • Introduction to the legal environment of business in the United States. Examination of the Constitution, administrative law, contracts, agency, and the protection of competition, consumers, employees, investors, the environment, and international trade.

  • This course examines the evolution of the marketing philosophy. Subject matter expands on the steps marketers take to understand the customers, determine their needs and wants, and develop a marketing plan. In addition, an examination of external and internal environments impacting marketing decisions, the elements of a marketing program, and issues in ethics and social responsibility are discussed. (Equivalent to MGT 350).

  • The course overviews how, why, and when to integrate the behavioral sciences with human resources management principles to increase individual and organizational effectiveness. Students will also be introduced to many types of interpersonal, intra-group, inter-group, and organizational interventions that are used to effect comprehensive and lasting changes. Prerequisite: BUS 201,MGT 330 or HCA 459.

  • The course provides students with both the common and complex issues related to human behavior in the workplace as it relates to employee relations, and an examination of relationships among unions, workers, management, laws and government regulation. Prerequisite: BUS 303.

  • This course provides essential managerial-level comprehension of training theory and its practical applications in the business and management environment. Students learn the functions and duties of training: trainer/developer, the identification and assessment of training needs, program design and development, selection of delivery methods and means of instruction, the implementation of training programs, and evaluation. Prerequisite: BUS 303.

  • This course explores the impact of using technologies in serving HR by building an awareness of technological skills. The content investigates how information technology can be applied to strategic management, records and employee tracking for enhanced recruitment, selection, staffing, compensation, benefits administration, policies and procedures, performance evaluation, training and organizational development. Ethical and legal challenges regarding protection of human resource data are researched.

  • This course encompasses fundamental financial concepts and analysis. Students will learn to evaluate the financial performance of a company and analyze key financial ratios. The course will enable students to calculate the present and future value of assets using the concept of the time value of money. Additionally, the course will cover the value and risk of companies, the relationship between risk and return, and the meaning of the weighted average cost of capital. The course is designed to equip students with the technological and analytical tools they need to help businesses make sound financial decisions. Prerequisites: ACC 205 or ACC 208 or ACC 281 and fulfillment of the Quantitative Reasoning Core Competency. (Equivalent to BUS 320.)

  • This course reviews the fundamentals of wage and salary programs, including conducting salary surveys, defining compensable factors, adjusting pay structures, evaluating pay differentials, and relating pay to performance. Benefit programs and related employee incentive and service programs are also covered. Prerequisite: BUS 303.

  • This course provides a link between the traditional human resources functions (recruiting, staffing, training, performance appraisals, labor relations, and compensation and benefits), strategic planning, and meeting long-range organizational goals and objectives. Prerequisites: GEN 499. This course must be taken last in the program. 

4

Senior Year

Program Requirements
Credit Breakdowns
General Education
43
Credits
Major Credit Requirements
45
Credits
Electives
32
Credits
Total Credits
120
Credits

To earn your Bachelor of Arts in Human Resources Management, you must complete 120 credits. You will need to complete 30 upper-division credits, of which 18 credits must be from the major program. A total of 30 credits must be completed at the University of Arizona Global Campus to meet the residency requirement. You may be able to transfer approved credits from community colleges, other previous college coursework, or other life experiences such as military service or job training toward your degree.

Special Terms and Conditions

Successful completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Human Resources Management degree by itself does not provide licensure or certification in any state, regardless of concentration or specialization. Students seeking licensure or certification in a particular profession are strongly encouraged to carefully research the requirements prior to enrollment. Requirements may vary by state. Global Campus does not guarantee that any professional organization will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any exam for the purpose of professional certification.

Certain degree programs may not be available in all states.

While UAGC does not collect applicant criminal background, certain criminal histories may prevent students from obtaining licensure, certification or employment in their chosen field of study.

Quality Matters Certification

The Online Teaching Support Certification recognizes programs that require all online faculty to undergo training in best practices for online course delivery, provide faculty with ongoing pedagogical support, encourage faculty professional development to increase their knowledge and skill in online teaching, emphasize instructor availability and feedback to learners, and collect and use feedback from learners to improve online teaching. Learn More

The Online Learner Support Certification recognizes programs that provide all the critical student and academic services needed for learner success and use learner feedback to continuously improve those services.

Customize Your Bachelor of Arts in Human Resources Management with UAGC Emphases

An emphasis provides you with additional opportunities to broaden and enrich your education that is distinct from and enhances your major. It may be taken as a way to expand career options, to prepare for graduate study, or simply to explore in greater depth an area different from your major. An emphasis consists of 9 to 12 credits.
  • Do you have an interest in studying important questions like how a country builds wealth and what policies help economies grow? If so, the Business Economics emphasis may be for you! This emphasis provides the critical knowledge you need to understand the impact of the economy on businesses, individuals, and the global community. Learning economic concepts will assist you in understanding how to analyze scarce resources, how to structure effective consumer incentives, and how public policies may impact an economy. Finally, the Business Economics emphasis includes topics such as profit maximization, international trade, and how to solve contemporary business problems in a global environment. The following courses are a part of the emphasis:

    Undergraduate Business Economics Emphasis Courses

    ECO 320 International Economics

    3 Credits

    This course will focus on the global environment of firms with particular emphasis on economic variables such as GDP, inflation, interest rates, and exchange rates. Topics include international trade, international finance, and regional issues in the global economy.

    ECO 406 Business Cycles & Growth

    3 Credits

    Topics include analysis of economic fluctuations and their impact on corporations and consumers; different explanations for business cycles; monetary and fiscal policy for stabilizing economic fluctuations; effects of public debt, investment, employment and trade policy on economic growth. Prerequisite: ECO 203.

    ECO 408 Managerial Economics

    3 Credits

    This course will focus on the application of economic principles and analyses to contemporary business problems and managerial decision making. Emphasis will be given to price and production decision making for profit maximization, investment decision making for a new project, strategic decision making in various business situations, and decision making with risks and uncertainty. Prerequisite: ECO 204.

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  • The Cognitive Studies emphasis is designed to introduce you to the study of the brain and how we learn, solve problems, and make decisions. You will discover the unique needs of learners with cognitive delays, as well as programs to address those needs. You will also learn to identify changes in brain development over time and analyze their impact on cognitive functions.

    Undergraduate Cognitive Studies Emphasis Courses

    EDU 411 Reading & Cognition

    3 Credits

    The task of learning to read is a very complex process involving the application of perceptual, sensory, linguistic, and cognitive skills to making meaning of text. Exploration of the specific cognitive functions that are applied while reading and strategies supporting reading instruction and reading comprehension skills will be addressed. The implications of digital media on reading skills will also be explored in this course.

    PSY 317 Cognitive Functioning in the Elderly

    3 Credits

    This course will introduce changes both cognitively and physically, that occur in both healthy and pathological aging. This course will emphasize changes in functioning, learning, language-processing, decision-making, memory, and reasoning in older adults Prerequisite: PSY 101 or equivalent.

    PSY 323 Perception, Learning, & Cognition

    3 Credits

    Students will study research and theory about mental processes that go between experience and the human mind. Students will gather and interpret data for several simple experiments that demonstrate classic research findings in perception, learning, and cognition. Perception entails the mental processes involved in the organization and interpretation of sensory experience. Learning entails relatively permanent changes in behavior that result from experience. Cognition explains how the mind processes information, how we encode, store, and retrieve memories, and how we use information to form beliefs, make decisions, and solve problems. Prerequisite: PSY 101 or equivalent.

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  • Perhaps you want to be your own boss, or you enjoy out-of-the-box thinking, solving puzzles, resolving problems, and finding creative ways to address issues in the current business environment. The Entrepreneurship emphasis may be just what you are looking for. This emphasis can help you visualize and realize skills you will need to succeed in a global business environment. It enables you to craft a foundation of skills and essential knowledge to build a business from its inception and transform it into sustainable growth. You will learn how to analyze risk, address and analyze the impact of various environmental factors in the political and ethical realm, and learn to design and compile business plans. The following courses are part of the emphasis:

    Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Emphasis Courses

    BUS 362 Introduction to Entrepreneurship

    3 Credits

    This dynamic course is based on a unique model of entrepreneurial methodology developed by Forbes School of Business and Technology at the University of Arizona Global Campus. Entrepreneurship encompasses imagining the unknown, taking inspired action, and embracing uncertainty to create a new future. It involves the identification, evaluation, and exploitation of opportunities to address challenges and to solve problems. Students will learn how to use imagination, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship to bring new ideas to fruition that inspire others. Students will create a feasible blueprint for a venture opportunity idea of their own. This course will be the beginning of the journey to becoming an entrepreneur.

    BUS 433 New Business Strategy

    3 Credits

    This course is intended to provide prospective entrepreneurs with information and tools for evaluating opportunities for starting a new firm—how to choose markets for entry, when to enter, and what resources and capabilities it will take to enter and provide a platform for future growth. Prerequisite: BUS 362.

    BUS 437 Business Plan Development

    3 Credits

    BUS 437 students will use prior learning to create a comprehensive business plan for a new venture. The emphasis is on using a systematic four-step method to frame business plan development activities. Each week student teams will develop one segment of the team’s business plan and receive feedback from the instructor through a game simulation. Prerequisites: BUS 362.

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  • Do you have an interest in learning how to lead a healthier lifestyle, exploring the benefits of behavior change, and diving into how to better manage stress? If so, the Health and Wellness emphasis may be for you! The Health and Wellness emphasis examines the dimensions of wellness and the relationship of chronic conditions to preventive measures and treatment interventions. This emphasis can help you gain skills to promote health and wellness behaviors on an individual level by evaluating lifestyle factors and developing personalized wellness programs that utilize evidenced-based theories and strategies. The following courses are a part of the emphasis:

    Undergraduate Health and Wellness Emphasis Courses

    HWE 200 Introduction to Health & Wellness

    3 Credits

    This course provides students with a holistic overview of the multi-faceted dimensions of health and wellness across the lifespan. The seven dimensions of health: Physical, social, intellectual, emotional, occupational, spiritual, and environmental are explored within the context of a wellness lifestyle.

    HWE 340 Exercise & Physiology

    3 Credits

    This course introduces students to physiological responses to exercise in the human body. Students compare the major physiological systems (energy transfer, cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, etc.) at rest, explain the systemic adaptations that occur with acute and long-term exercise, and evaluate how these activities affect health and human performance. Students also analyze how nutrition and pharmacological aids impact athletic performance.

    HWE 415 Stress Management

    3 Credits

    This course provides students with a basic understanding of stress management concepts including causes and effects of acute and chronic stress as well as techniques used to manage stress. Students learn about the effects of stress, analyze the relationship between stress and health, apply stress management techniques, and develop stress management programs while considering various cultural backgrounds.

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  • In the Real Estate Studies emphasis you’ll learn the ins and outs of a fascinating industry and prepare for examining the markets and financing methods for residential and commercial properties. Discover the many trends that influence property valuations and learn the best practices to benefit and safeguard investors. These three courses comprise the Real Estate Studies emphasis:

    Undergraduate Real Estate Studies Emphasis Courses

    RES 301 Principles of Real Estate

    3 Credits

    This course introduces students to the general principles of real estate, to include industry terminology, ethics, deeds, listing and purchase agreements, agency, contracts, and property valuation decisions. Emphasis will also be on factors impacting local and national real estate markets.

    RES 325 Real Estate Practice

    3 Credits

    This course examines the basic job functions of real estate salespersons and brokers. Property listing, advertising, escrow, sales, and establishing a client base will be covered with practical applications for completing successful transactions.

    RES 345 Legal Aspects of Real Estate

    3 Credits

    This course is a study of the legal system and its impact on purchase, ownership, sale, and leasing of real estate. Topics to be covered include contracts, wills, zoning, and environmental law, as well as Constitutional issues in real estate

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  • Courses within the Supply Chain Management area of emphasis highlight effective management of supply chain processes and information flow in order to optimize activities and costs, and successfully serve their customers. You will study individual functions of supply chain and strategic relationships among these functions, which include: purchasing, inventory control, warehousing, quality, sustainability, financial controls; importing, exporting, trade agreements, contract negotiations, and transportation. You will learn to apply the core business knowledge to managing wider organizational processes. The following three courses comprise the Supply Chain Management area of emphasis:

    Undergraduate Supply Chain Management Emphasis Courses

    MGT 323 Principles of Supply Chain Management

    3 Credits

    This course introduces supply chain management, and the related costs. It provides a systematic overview and analysis of the elements of supply chain functions in widely varying types of industries and agencies, including handling, warehousing, inventory control, and financial controls. Prerequisite: MGT 330.

    MGT 370 International Supply Chain Management

    3 Credits

    Topics covered in this course include the government’s role in global logistics, the global logistics environment, ocean and air transportation, transportation to Canada, Mexico, and the European continent including intermediaries, documentation, insurance, exporting, and importing. Current trends in globalization will also be explored and evaluated. The role of logistics and transportation organizations in the global supply chain process will be discussed.

    MGT 400 Logistics Management

    3 Credits

    This course is an overview of logistics management in the modern business environment. It examines financial and economic aspects of logistics and highlights the value created by logistics activities. Students will evaluate transportation and warehousing management strategies. The course takes a practical approach to logistics and applies innovative logistics principles to business situations. The course examines contemporary topics, including the role of inventory, that support the organization’s strategic goals. Prerequisite: MGT 300.

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Careers in Human Resources Management

Human resources management is a growing field. Business leaders increasingly see experts in human resources with college degrees as their partners in building their organizations. Graduates who have earned a bachelor’s degree in HR management will be prepared for career opportunities such as:

 

  • Corporate Trainer
  • Training and Development Coordinators
  • Benefits Coordinator
  • Payroll Manager
  • Human Resource Specialists
  • Corporate Recruiter
  • Human Resource Analyst
  • Human Resource Coordinator
  • Recruiter
  • Human Resources Representative
  • Personnel Analyst

 

Discover more information about degree programs in business at the University of Arizona Global Campus.

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Other Degrees That May Interest You

The University of Arizona Global Campus offers a wide range of degree programs to prepare you for today’s most competitive industries. Explore these programs to find the right path for your life and career.

The Role of an HR Department

The human resources department plays an important role in maintaining employee well-being in many different business settings. Being able to solve problems that are impacting your fellow employees — while growing and developing others professionally and personally — is common in this field. You will be able to help employees solve issues and address internal staffing problems by balancing legal and ethical guidelines to keep your workforce happy and safe. Additional responsibilities can often include payroll, hiring, firing, training, and staying updated on the latest state and federal laws related to employees.

Scholarship Opportunities

Finding the necessary funds to obtain your human resources degree online can be a challenge. UAGC offers scholarship opportunities if you are pursuing one of the business-related degrees within the Forbes School of Business and Technology ®. Don’t let finances get in the way of pursuing your bachelor’s degree in human resources. Apply today and become an HR leader, skilled manager, or strategic thinker in your business.

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