HUMAN RESOURCES (BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION)

Business Administration Emphasis

OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM:

The latest global and national economic challenges have clearly demonstrated that human resources (HR) are a vital component of business success. Integrity, a devotion to aligning HR principles with organizational strategies, and mastery of the challenges of finding, hiring, rewarding, retaining, and developing the right people for a specific business are key components of a successful execution of the HR function in modern organizations. New legislative developments add to the challenge of achieving legal compliance and to maintain a positive and productive work environment. Demographic and generational changes require organizations to develop innovative ways to organize and reward work, and to monitor ethical standards in organizations. All of these processes increase the complexity of managing human resources. Additionally, driven by powerful changes in the business environment, organizations of all types, from start-ups to multinationals, are demanding strategic leadership from HR professionals. Therefore, it has become evident that people that make up an organization are the most important source of competitive advantage.

TIPS FROM THE PROFS:

(from Dr. Bernd Kupka, Dr. David Radosevich, Ernie Johnson, & Larry McGregor)

THINK SHRM. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the largest HR organization in the world connecting thousands of HR professionals and students in local, regional, and national chapters. This is your gateway to a career in HR! Become a member of SHRM here at UWGB!!! Become an active participant in shaping HR education at your university! Meet professionals, network, form bonds that will help you short and long term!
THINK SHRM CERTIFICATE. SHRM runs an advanced educational HR program that certifies your level of experience and knowledge. A SHRM membership will help you to get a job in HR. A SHRM certificate will get you an advanced job in HR.
THINK INTERNSHIP. Employers prefer graduates who already have relevant work experience. SHRM connections will help you obtain great internship opportunities!
THINK MOBILE. Today’s economy requires flexibility. Be willing to move to enhance your career goals.

WHO SHOULD HAVE THIS EMPHASIS:

STRATEGY. Are you looking for a field where you can strategically influence what people work in your organization, how they contribute to the business, how they can be developed short and long term, and where you can make a difference in the corporate bottom line? Then choose HR!
DETAIL. Are you able, willing, and interested in paying attention to detail? Advising an employee on their benefits plan requires intricate knowledge of the details that will influence the life of that employee and his/her family! You better pay attention and explain all the details to the employee. If that’s you, choose HR!
PEOPLE. Are you interested and willing to help others, are eager to deal with and help solve their problems, willing to assist in the education and training of others, and you want to work with a diverse group of people? Then choose HR!

WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT THIS EMPHASIS AT UWGB:

YOU. The main focus of HR professors is to help YOU! We want to give you a chance to become the best possible student you can be. We will challenge you, we will push you, we will advise you, we will be there for you, and we will reward you! You will need to contribute actively to our classroom discussions, you will need to share your ideas and concerns, you will need to critically analyze current events, and you will need to make connections to other fields of management. You and your brain are our focus of attention!
APPLICATION. Knowledge acquired from books, journal articles, and newspaper clips is important and the foundation of any good education. However, practical experience is just as essential to your success on the job market. Our courses include a practical project component, offering the opportunity to apply the problem-solving theories and concepts learned in the classroom to real situations. You will get a chance to apply your knowledge and skills in real-world, local organizations. Your project can make a difference for these organizations! Your work, attention to detail, strategic thinking, and dedication can become valuable input to a local company – your ideas count!
SHRM. We follow the SHRM Human Resource Curriculum Guidebook and Templates as closely as possible in order to prepare you for the real world, to help you be successful in your future job, and to allow you to become an influential member of the local, regional, and even national HR and business community. Your success is our goal!

SKILLS & ABILITIES GAINED WITH THIS EMPHASIS:

CRITICAL THINKING. You will be challenged to critically analyze current HR practices and laws as well as their implications.
STRATEGIC THINKING. You will be challenged to think about the long-term implications of HR practices in organizations as well as your ideas and your suggested project solutions.
COMPLEX THINKING. You will be challenged to connect HR issues with corporate finance, marketing, and management aspects.
PEOPLE THINKING. You will be challenged to apply your knowledge of organizational behavior in order to understand people. This includes knowing how to motivate others, how to teach and train, and understanding different leadership styles and how different people respond to them.
TEAM THINKING. You will be challenged in your project work to cooperate successfully with others within a team setting.
TOOLS YOU NEED FOR SUCCESS. The program provides considerable exposure to the liberal arts and develops problem solving, interpersonal, communication, quantitative and computer skills needed by graduates to successfully serve as leaders within modern organizations.

WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THIS EMPHASIS:

The following list represents just a few of the kinds of career titles for those emphasizing in HR. Use it as an idea list, and remember that it represents some, but certainly not all, of the careers you might consider in Management.

Human Resource Assistant, Personnel Manager, Benefits Specialist, Compensation Manager, Wellness Officer, Training Director, Development Officer, HR Generalist, HR Consultant, HR Business Partner, Workforce Analyst, Labor Market Analyst, HR Advisor, …

The following list represents a few of the kinds of businesses and institutions that employ those emphasizing in Management:

Small and medium-sized businesses, Manufacturing firms, Hospitals, Service firms, Financial institutions, Hotels, Motels, and Hospitality organizations, Government agencies, Retail & Wholesale Trade, Restaurants, Advertising & Marketing, Computer Technology, Communications, Non-Profit Organizations, Insurance & Real Estate, Publishing, Entertainment & Recreation, Construction…

Want to know more about the nature of the work, working conditions, earnings, training, and job outlook? Then check out the Occupational Outlook Handbook @ http://www.bls.gov/oco/pdf/ocos021.pdf

LINKS TO GRAD & SHRM PROGRAMS:

For information on accredited programs in business, contact: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Homepage @ http://www.aacsb.edu
Official MBA Guide. Search the Official MBA Guide database to find vital information on MBA programs or business schools that best meet your graduate education needs, and rank programs on criteria you consider important. http://unicorn.us.com/guide/
Graduate School Guide. The comprehensive on-line guide to doctoral, masters, and professional programs. http://www.schoolguides.com
Gradschools.com. The most comprehensive online source of Graduate School Information. http://www.gradschools.com/
Peterson’s.com. The most comprehensive and heavily traveled education resource on the web. http://www.petersons.com/
Or you can try any of the following search engine sites for information on the graduate school program of your choice! http://www.yahoo.com, http://www.infoseek.com, or http://www.snap.com
SHRM Certification Program. Get started to set yourself apart via SHRM certification program! http://www.shrm.org/Education/educationalproducts/learning/Pages/default.aspx

LINKS TO WEB SITES FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). A very large site with information on all things related to Human Resources! http://www.shrm.org
Green Bay SHRM Chapter. Our local professional partner: http://www.gbshrm.org/
Wisconsin SHRM Chapter. Specialist information on Wisconsin HR issues: http://www.wishrm.org/
U.S. Department of Labor. Find all the HR laws, info, and material you need. http://www.dol.gov/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. A great government resource for information on the economy, workforce, and much more! http://stats.bls.gov/
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Get the latest material on the history, laws, regulations, and developments in EEO. http://www.eeoc.gov/index.html
American Society for Training & Development (ASTD). The world’s largest professional association dedicated to the training and development field: http://www.astd.org/
Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD).AHRD is a global organization made up of, governed by, and created for the Human Resource Development (HRD) scholarly community of academics and reflective practitioners: http://www.ahrd.org/
Academy of Management. http://www.aom.pace.edu
American Management Association. http://www.amanet.org/
Workforce Management. A great weekly online magazine, FREE: http://www.workforce.com/
HR Executive. A great weekly online magazine, partially FREE: http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/
Wolters Kluwer HRM Issues and Answer Library: http://hr.cch.com/issues-answers/library.asp

LINKS FOR MORE HELP:

For course listings and descriptions for HR and other disciplines, check out UW-Green Bay’s Programs of Study page: http://www.uwgb.edu/catalog/undrgrad/programs.htm
Career Services. SS 1600, 465-2163. http://www.uwgb.edu/careers
Academic Advising. SS 1600, 465-2362. http://www.uwgb.edu/advising
UW HELP On-Line. This service provides in-depth information on the programs of the UW System. You can find them at http://www.uwhelp.wisconsin.edu

Revised 9/09