Course List - Master of Professional Studies in Human Resources and Employment Relations
The master of professional studies in human resources and employment relations (HRER) consists of eight required courses (24 credits) and three elective courses (9 credits). Two of your elective courses (6 of the 9 credits) will determine your area of concentration for the HRER master's degree.
While the program is designed to be a part-time program that can be finished over two to four years, it may be possible to complete the program in less time by carefully planning your progress.
It is the intention of the program to offer all courses every semester. You may speak with your adviser about how the course offerings each semester can best match your individual schedule.
This program is an Approved Provider of the HR Certification Institute. All of the courses listed below can grant you 45 credits toward your PHR, SPHR, or GPHR recertifications.
| Required Courses (24 credits) | ||
| HRER 501 | Labor and Employment Law Legal context of employment in the United States. |
3 credits |
| HRER 504 | Seminar in Employment Relations Theory, process, and issues of industrial relations, including collective bargaining and contract administration. |
3 credits |
| HRER 505 | Seminar in Human Resources Current human resource topics in the context of organizational strategy, planning, and responsibility. |
3 credits |
| HRER 800 | International and Comparative Employment Relations This course examines employment relations systems in the world today and the influence of globalization on employment relations practice. |
3 credits |
| HRER 802 | Organizations in the Workplace This course provides students with an overview of selected managerial behavior and career topics in modern organizations. |
3 credits |
| HRER 816 | Labor Market Analysis Neoclassical economic and institutional theoretical perspectives on labor supply, demand for labor, internal labor markets, wage determination and labor policies. |
3 credits |
| HRER 836 | Diversity in the Workplace This course examines workplace diversity, gender, and race challenges facing employers and employees, and the skills for managing diversity. |
3 credits |
| HRER 894 | Research Project Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis. |
3 credits |
| Elective Courses (select 9 credits, 6 of which correspond to an area of concentration) | ||
| LER 401 | The Law of Labor-Management Relations Development of Anglo-American law regulating collective bargaining, with emphasis on American labor-management relations under Wagner, Taft-Hartley, and other acts. |
3 credits |
| LER 424 | Employment Compensation Development and management of employee compensation systems. |
3 credits |
| LER 425 | Employee Benefits The examination of employee benefits programs used by employers to meet the welfare needs of employees and their families. |
3 credits |
| LER 426 | Staffing and Training This course focuses on the theory and practice of human resource staffing and training in organizations. |
3 credits |
| LER 435 | Labor Relations in the Public Sector Analysis of labor relations problems within different areas of public employment. |
3 credits |
| LER 437 | Workplace Dispute Resolution This course examines dispute resolution procedures in unionized and nonunion workplaces. |
3 credits |
| LER 444 | Workplace Safety and Health: Principles and Practices This course focuses on the roles of employees, unions, employers, and government in addressing work-related safety and health issues. |
3 credits |
| LER 460 | Ethics Seminar Critical investigation of philosophical problems in ethics and viability of historical and contemporary ethical positions; course content varies with instructor. |
3 credits |
| LER 472 | Work-Life Practices and Policies This course addresses the reasons this field developed, relevant theoretical perspectives regarding the issues, and related problems as well as proposed solutions at both the public and private sector levels. |
3 credits |
| HRER 811 | Labor and Employment Law II Acquire practical knowledge that HR practitioners need to deal with governmental regulation of the U.S. workplace. Prerequisite: HRER 501 |
3 credits |
| WF ED 573 | Needs Assessment for Industrial Trainers Acquire skills to identify training and development needs, distinguish problems with management versus training solutions, develop and evaluate training solutions. |
3 credits |
Areas of concentration (student must complete one):
Benefits and Compensation
HRER 505 — Seminar in Human Resources
LER 424 — Employment Compensation
LER 425 — Employment Benefits
HRER 894 — Research Project
Labor and Collective Bargaining
HRER 504 — Seminar in Industrial Relations
LER 401 — Law of Labor-Management Relations
LER 435 — Labor Relations in the Public Sector
HRER 894 — Research Project
Employment and Labor Law
HRER 501 — Labor and Employment Law
LER 401 — Law of Labor-Management Relations
HRER 811 — Labor and Employment Law II
HRER 894 — Research Project
Staffing, Training, and Development
HRER 505 — Seminar in Human Resources
LER 426 — Staffing and Training
WF ED 573 — Needs Assessment for Industrial Trainers
HRER 894 — Research Project