Program: Business Administration, Human Resources Management Major, B.S. - Oakland University

Jul 14, 2025

2011-2012 Undergraduate Catalog

Requirements for the major in human resources management

Major adviser: Karen Markel

The major in human resources management develops the skills needed to administer the personnel functions of organizations. It is designed primarily for students who intend to pursue careers in administration, personnel management, labor relations or wherever the management of people at work is a central concern.

Emphasis is placed on developing an intensive understanding of the concepts and techniques needed to acquire, develop and utilize an organization’s human resources. The program includes broad coverage of such topics as personnel psychology, personnel administration and labor/management relations, in addition to providing basic knowledge of organizational behavior.

To fulfill requirements for the human resources management major, students must be admitted to major standing in human resources management, complete the core program and earn at least 25 credits as specified below, with a grade of 2.0 or better in each major course A grade of 2.0 or better must be achieved in each prerequisite for a human resources management course before a HRM major, or any Oakland University student, may begin work in that human resources management course.

Required in the core – 6 credits

Required major courses – 12 credits

ORG 399 - Achieve III - Human Resource Management (0)
ORG 430 - Organizational Research Methods (4)
ORG 434 - Advanced Human Resources Management (4)
ORG 460 - Compensation and Benefits (4)

Electives — Choose two courses, at least one of which must be a 400-level ORG course – 7-8 credits

ORG 431 - Leadership and Group Performance (4)
ORG 432 - Motivation and Work Behavior (4)
ORG 433 - Labor/Management Relations (4)
ORG 470 - International Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Management (4)
ORG 480 - Topics in Organizational Management (4)
MGT 480 - Seminar: Current Business Topics (4)
ECN 338 - Economics of Human Resources (3)
PS 454 - Public Sector Human Resource Management (4)

25-26 total credits

Additional Information:

In addition to the course requirements listed above, students wishing to earn a human resources management (HRM) major must also complete the Human Resources Management Experience (HRME) requirement. The options for this requirement are described below:

Internship
1. HRME contract -
  - Student must receive HRM faculty adviser approval prior to beginning the work experience.
  - For students wishing to substitute their current or recent work experience, the student must complete the contract for the appropriate job and schedule a meeting with the HRME faculty adviser for approval and subsequent exit interview. You may have to provide additional support when using previous experience for this requirement.
  - The student’s work experience must meet the minimum contact hours requirement (280 hours).
2. Mid-term hours and job duties verification -
  - After 140 contact hours, the student must submit documentation of the hours worked, anticipated completion date and job duties. The HRME supervisor’s signature is required on this document.
3. Exit interview -
  - Upon completion of the internship, the student must schedule an exit interview with the faculty internship coordinator.
  - This interview should be scheduled upon completion of the student’s application for a degree.
  - If the student is using a previous or current work experience, the student must schedule the exit interview upon verification of the work hours of this employment relationship.
  - Upon completion of the exit interview, written documentation of the completion of the requirement will be provided to the student and the undergraduate advising office within two weeks.
Capstone Project
Several options are available for this project. The requirements are available through the major adviser. The project is intended to integrate and apply the major course materials. The project will be designed and evaluated under the advisement of a Human Resources Management faculty member. Project examples include: research projects, service learning assignments, development of an organizational Human Resource case study or completion of HR-related tasks. Each of these options involve a 280 hour commitment. Once the Project is completed and submitted to the coordinating faculty member, written documentation of the completion of the requirement will be provided to the student and the undergraduate advising office within two weeks.

Passing the new SHRM Assessment Exam
Information concerning this Assessment Exam is available from the HRME Coordinator. Once the student submits verification of their passing score to the HRME Coordinator, written documentation of the completion of the requirement will be provided to the student and the undergraduate advising office within two weeks.