Build a solid foundation in human resources, labor, and employment relations while focusing on humanities and social sciences. This online degree program is designed for students who want to pursue careers in organizational culture, workforce diversity, labor relations, and other HR areas.
Globalization, growing workforce diversity, and the changing role of unions are just some of the challenges facing employees and employers in the dynamic field of human resources. An education in labor and human resources can help you understand all aspects of the employment relationship in order to help your organization value its most important asset — its workforce.
The Bachelor of Arts in Labor and Human Resources is designed for students who want to concentrate on the roles of various relationships in the human resources and employment relations environments. Graduates can prepare for positions in human resources, labor relations, training, employment law, and occupational analysis. Others may continue their education and work toward a master's or doctoral degree.
In this program, you will have the opportunity to study with highly regarded faculty from the School of Labor and Employment Relations, part of the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts, one of the premier liberal arts institutions in the world. The School of Labor and Employment Relations has offered undergraduate degree programs since its founding in 1942, including one of the largest undergraduate programs for labor and human resources in the United States. Our faculty has an extensive range of expertise in fields such as employment and labor law, international human resources and employment relations, organizational behavior, and workforce diversity and can help you gain the comprehensive knowledge you need to address today’s most important employment issues.
Both degree programs are excellent pre-law majors and can also prepare you to pursue a graduate degree in human resources management, industrial and labor relations, social sciences, or public administration. One such graduate degree opportunity is the Master of Professional Studies in Human Resources and Employment Relations that is also offered online through Penn State World Campus and can help you advance your career into top management positions.
The bachelor's degrees in labor and human resources are designed for people who are currently working in human resources or labor relations or who are interested in pursuing a career in these areas.
Most of our graduates pursue a career in human resources working with private companies, health care facilities, educational institutions, or other nonprofit organizations. Others may choose instead to work with government agencies such as the Department of Labor or the National Labor Relations Board to administer and enforce labor and employment laws. Still others have used their new skills in dispute resolution to pursue careers as arbitrators or mediators or in labor unions as representatives of the interests of employees in the workplace.
As a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts in Labor and Human Resources program, you can prepare for positions such as:
If you would like to speak to a graduate of the program, complete this form to be connected with an Alumni Ambassador. These alumni have offered to answer specific questions about the student experience and discuss any concerns you may be having before you apply.