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The Bachelor of Science in Labor and Human Resources requires that you complete a minimum of 123 credits. To earn this degree, you must successfully complete:

  • 61–62 credits required for major
    • 18 prescribed course credits 
    • 13 additional course credits
    • 30–31 supporting and related area course credits
  • 45 general education course credits 
  • 17–27 elective course credits 

The prescribed courses for the bachelor of science degree focus on basic studies of labor and human resources methods. Additional course work includes a historical background. Other course options are available to fulfill the remainder of the degree requirements allowing you to customize the degree to meet your areas of interest or specific needs.

Course List - Bachelor of Science in Labor and Human Resources 

Requirements for the Major

Students must receive a grade of C or better in all courses required for the major. These include Prescribed Courses, Additional Courses, and Supporting Courses.

Prescribed Courses (18 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Introduction to Labor and Human Resources LER 100 I

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop an understanding of the role of work and the employment relationship in their lives from an individual, institutional, and global perspective.

 3 credits
Employment Relationship: Law and Policy LER 201

This course introduces students to landmark federal and state employment statutes, regulations, and cases. As students learn about workplace rights and obligations, they discuss the public policy issues underlying most debates.

 3 credits
Labor and Employment Relations Fundamentals LER 304

The course surveys the main elements of modern labor and employment relations systems in the U.S. and beyond.

 3 credits
Human Resource Fundamentals LER 305

This course will provide students with an opportunity to understand and apply important concepts concerning human resources in the workplace.

 3 credits
Research Methods in Labor and Employment Relations LER 312 Provides an understanding of social science research as employed in the field of human resources and employment relations. 3 credits
Human Resources Ethics LER 460

The course will explore ethics from both a normative and behavioral perspective.

Prerequisites: 7th Semester standing LER 304, LER 305

 3 credits
Additional Courses (13 credits)
Title Abbreviation    

Principles of Economics

or

Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy

or

Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy

 

ECON 014

or 

ECON 102

or

ECON 104

Introductory topics from both microeconomic and macroeconomics; including supply and demand, elasticity, and market efficiency. 

 

Methods of economic analysis and their use; price determination; theory of the firm; distribution.

 

Introduction to macroeconomic analysis and policy; economy-wide factors such as inflation, unemployment, and overall economic growth.

 

 3 credits

Understanding Employee Behavior

or

Introduction to Industrial Organizational Psychology

LER 202

or

 

PSYCH281

This course explores individual and group behavior at work. 

 

Personnel selection, training, accident prevention, morale, and organizational behavior.

 3 credits

Elementary Statistics

or

Introduction to Statistics for Business 

STAT 200
 

or

SCM 200

Descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, probability, binomial and normal distributions, statistical inference, linear regression, and correlation.

Prerequisite: Math placement into MATH 21 or higher

or

Topics include descriptive statistics, probability distributions, statistical inference, regression and correlation, and forecasting.

 4 credits

Race, Gender, and Employment

or

History of Work in America

LER/WMNST 136W

or

 

LER 458Y

To accomplish the goals of the course, students will participate in a variety of in-class and out-of-class exercises designed to expose them to issues of inequality generally, and more specifically, to inequalities relating to employment. Activities are designed to connect real world experiences to class readings and discussion.

or

    
A study of selected problems in the history of work in the United States, especially since 1877.

 3 credits

LER courses that are used in the Additional Courses category may not be double-counted to satisfy this requirement. Some courses in this category have prerequisites that are not included in the major.

 

General Education (45 credits**)
Description Credits
Arts – GA 6 credits
Humanities – GH 6 credits
Health and Wellness – GHW 3 credits
Natural Sciences – GN 9 credits
Social and Behavioral Sciences – GS 6 credits
Writing and Speaking – GWS* 9 credits
Quantification – GQ* 6 credits
Integrative Studies (6 credits)***

*A student enrolled in this course must receive a grade of C or better.

**3-10 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes 3-6 credits of GS courses; 4 credits of GQ courses.

***This requirement only applies to students starting in summer 2018 or later. Learn more about the Integrative Studies options and consult your academic advisor when choosing courses to fulfill these requirements. 

Electives (17–27 credits)

Please note: Among the above degree requirements, students should incorporate at least 3 credits in US cultures, 3 credits in international (IL) cultures, and 3 credits in writing across the curriculum courses. The above course list includes only courses offered by World Campus. An official degree audit or the recommended academic plan for this program may include additional course options and detailed requirements. All students are expected to complete at least 36 Penn State credits to earn this degree. Please consult an academic advisor for details.

Human Resources Option 30–31 credits

Human Resources Option Prescribed Courses (12 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
International Human Resource Studies LER 403 Course exploring human resource management from an international perspective.

Prerequisite: LER100		 3 credits
Staffing and Training Strategies in Organizations LER 426 This course focuses on the theory and practice of human resource staffing and training in organizations. 3 credits
Organizational Context for Human Resource Management and Employment Relations Professionals LER 427 This course examines human resource management (HRM) and employment relations (ER) from a strategic perspective embedded in a complex and evolving organizational system.  3 credits

Total Rewards

 LER 428

This course requires students to learn the link between company's strategy and compensation, and understand core policies necessary to develop effective compensation systems. 

Prerequisite: LER 100

 3 credits

Human Resources Option Supporting and Related courses (18–19 credits)

Note: Some courses in this category have prerequisites that are not included in the major.

Select 9–10 credits from the following list in consultation with an advisor:

ACCTG 211(4), AFAM 100 GS;US(3), AFAM 110 GH;US(3), BA 243(4), BLAW 243(3), CAS 203(3), CAS 352(3), ECON 342(3), HIST 155 GH;US(3), MGMT 100(3), MGMT 301(3), MGMT 321(3), OLEAD 100 GS(3), OLEAD 409(3), OLEAD 464(3), OLEAD 465(3), SOC 103 US(3), SOC 110 GS;US(3), SOC 119 GS;US(4), or take any 400-level AFAM, CAS, ECON, HIST, LTNST, MGMT, PHIL, PSYCH, SPAN, SOC, WMNST course.

Select 6 credits from any 400-level LER courses (only 3 credits of LA 495 or LA 496 may be used to satisfy this requirement.
 

 Labor and Employment Relations Option (30–31 credits)

Labor and Employment Relations Option Prescribed Courses (6 credits)
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Comparative Employment Relations System LER 400 Analysis of structure and elements of employment relations systems in developed and developing areas. 3 credits
The Law of Labor-Management Relations LER 401 Development of Anglo-American law regulating collective bargaining, with emphasis on American labor-management relations under Wagner, Taft-Hartley, and other acts. 3 credits
Labor and Employment Relations Option Additional Courses  - Choose 6 credits from the following list:
Title Abbreviation Description Credits
Total Rewards LER 428 This course requires students to learn the link between a company's strategy and compensation, and understand core policies necessary to develop effective compensation systems. 3 credits
Collective Bargaining and Contract Administration LER 434 Theory, practice, and economic impact of collective bargaining, including administration of the collective bargaining agreement.

Prerequisite: LER 100		 3 credits
Labor Relations in the Public Sector LER 435 Analysis of labor relations problems within different areas of public employment. 3 credits
Workplace Dispute Resolution LER 437 Dispute resolution practices and procedures used in the workplace and employment law settings. 3 credits
Workplace Safety and Health: Principles and Practices LER 444 The role of employees, unions, employers, and government in dealing with work-related safety and health issues. 3 credits
Collective Bargaining in Professional Sports LER 459 Students will learn how collective bargaining works in professional sports and how it compares to bargaining in other industries 3 credits
Labor Union Structure, Administration and Governance LER 466 This course provides a comprehensive description and analysis of the manner in which the American Labor Movement is structure, administered and governed as it pursues economic, social and political objectives. 3 credits
American Labor Unions LER 468 Students will examine, debate and gain a fundamental understanding of the current state of the American labor movement. 3 credits
Work-Life Practices and Policies LER 472 Explore the causes and consequences of conflicts between work, family, and other life commitments, and how these may be resolved. 3 credits
Labor in the Global Economy: U.S. and South African Perspectives LER 475 This course focuses on how the nature of work is changing in the global economy, and the implications for economic opportunity and inequality in both. 3 credits

Labor and Employment Relations Option Supporting and Related Courses (18–19 credits)

Note: Some courses in this category have prerequisites that are not included in the major.

Select 12–13 credits from the following list in consultation with an advisor:

ACCTG 211(4), AFAM 100 GS;US(3), AFAM 110 GH;US(3), BA 243(4), BLAW 243(3), CAS 203(3), CAS 352(3), ECON 342(3), HIST 155 GH;US(3), MGMT 100(3), MGMT 301(3), MGMT 321(3), OLEAD 100 GS(3), OLEAD 409(3), OLEAD 464(3), OLEAD 465(3), SOC 103 US(3), SOC 110 GS;US(3), SOC 119 GS;US(4), or take any 400-level AFAM, CAS, ECON, HIST, LTNST, MGMT, PHIL, PSYCH, SPAN, SOC, WMNST course (Sem: 5–8)

Select 6 credits from any 400-level LER courses (only 3 credits of LA 495 or LA 496 may be used to satisfy this requirement (Sem: 5–8)

Course Availability

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