Explore how a BSBA in Human Resource Management builds business and people-focused skills, from talent strategy and compliance to compensation and workforce analytics.
Human resource professionals wear many hats, and over time these roles have evolved to influence strategy, culture, compliance and analytics.
HR professionals help people find jobs, train new hires, resource teams, develop new leaders, champion culture, analyze data, predict future needs and promote wellness. HR is often the first and last impression of every organization, embodying the brand and heart behind every employee’s work.
Good employers value people who are committed to learning and persistent through organizational change. A bachelor’s degree demonstrates your commitment to personal and professional growth in a field that needs to adapt to shifting policies, laws, technologies and trends. Your degree can also boost your visibility, both as an applicant and as an employee with specialized knowledge.
What Will You Learn as a Human Resource Management Major?
A Broad Understanding of Business Administration
Programs like ODU’s Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with a major in Human Resource Management have two blocks of core courses: business administration and HR. Business courses help you broadly understand business functions, including accounting, economics, information technology, business policy and strategy, marketing and operations management—knowledge that can help you build better HR policies and processes for all of your teams.
Talent Acquisition and Workforce Planning
From employment law to HR staffing strategies, you can choose elective courses that deepen your understanding of the regulations and processes that impact how your organization hires and retains employees.
Approaches for Managing Compensation and Benefits
Select courses that dive into developing, evaluating and redesigning compensation systems, including pay structure, incentive plans, benefit programs and more.
Compliance with Employment Law
Understand how federal and state governments regulate the employer-employee relationship, from labor relations to equal employment opportunity. You’ll build knowledge to protect your organization and stay on top of change.
Analyzing Data to Optimize HR Processes
Learn to use technologies and techniques to collect and analyze data. You’ll build skills to help you model employee turnover, improve training, evaluate recruitment strategies, and identify pay inequity.
Leading and Communicating Effectively
Graduate with stronger communication, conflict resolution and leadership skills, transforming you into an HR professional that stands out.
Five Reasons to Earn an HR Management Degree
- Gain a competitive advantage in the job market. Whether you’re seeking a promotion at your current employer or setting yourself up to change jobs, a bachelor’s degree helps you qualify for the jobs you want and differentiate yourself with relevant industry knowledge. Your credentials will also help your resume rise to the top.
- Increase your earning potential. Human resources specialists had a median pay of $72,910 per year in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The HR specialist job market is projected to grow faster than average over the next ten years, and when you combine your degree with professional industry certifications, you’ll be positioned to advance into leadership roles with even greater earning potential.
- Build credibility with an educational foundation that will prepare you for industry change. Learn about the way the industry is evolving and develop skills that will help you step into new roles and technologies in human resources like AI and analytics tools. Even when the industry is growing more complex, you’ll be a lifelong learner ready to adapt.
- Stand out with employers that value education and training. Industry certifications can help you gain traction in certain areas of HR (e.g., benefits, payroll, or talent development). Years of experience will benefit your job search, but employers that emphasize education will likely require a degree for more advanced roles. Higher education demonstrates you’ve built analytical skills and knowledge across multiple areas of HR with the grit to stick it out for an entire degree program.
- Develop a network of other professionals through your learning experiences. Students can build valuable connections for their career through internships, faculty members, and even other students. These connections can refer you to jobs, provide interview tips, share expertise and experience, and offer personal support and empathy well beyond your program.
The BSBA in Human Resource Management offered through ODUGlobal is a fully online degree program designed to help you complete your bachelor’s degree and advance your career. With ODU, you can choose electives to customize your HR Management major based on your areas of interest, build relevant skills for real-world work, and receive personalized support from professors with expertise. Most courses are offered in an accelerated 8-week format without requiring you to log in at a specific time, so you have the flexibility to earn your degree on your time, even while you’re working.
ODUGlobal is ready to help you take the next step toward long-term career growth at online.odu.edu.
