Earn Your Human Resources Degree

A human resources degree can be an excellent stepping stone for anyone who wants to start a successful and rewarding career in the field of human resources. A pivotal part of any high functioning company or organization, human resources is the foundation of work force productivity. Those employed in this field play a key role in implementing strategies within the work place that will capitalize on work force potential and help facilitate a healthy and communicative relationship between the company or organization and their employees.

Those who excel in this career have strong communication and interpersonal skills, allowing them to work effectively with employees and company or organizational representatives. To begin a career, one might consider earning a human resources degree. A human resources degree, while not always required, will set you apart from other applicants in the job market. A degree will also give you the tools to begin your career ready to hit the ground running as you will be equipped with the latest industry standards.

Degrees for Every Fit

No matter what you career expectations in human resources, there is a degree that can accommodate your goals and aspirations. A human resources degree can be completed in as little as one year or up to 8 years, depending on the level of mastery you wish to accomplish. Below are few of the degrees commonly earned in human resources:

  • Associate’s Degree: An Associate’s human resources degree can be perfect for someone who doesn’t have a lot of time to spend earning their degree but would like to have a competitive advantage and a specialized skill set to bring to the work force. This degree can be earned in approximately 1-2 years. An associate’s degree will teach you the basic principles of human resources and some of the general practices in the industry.
  • Bachelor’s Degree: A Bachelor’s human resources degree will usually take about 4 years to complete from a traditional school, but it can be completed in more or less time depending on where and how you earn the degree. If you have already completed an Associate’ degree, you can likely transfer these credits towards your Bachelor’s degree, greatly reducing the amount of time you have left on the degree. A Bachelor’s degree program will allow students to select courses that offer an in-depth look at specific subjects within human resources.
  • MBA or Master’s Degree: If you are interested in working in the field of business or in a specific type of human resources, such as education, you can achieve a higher level of specialization by choosing an MBA or Master’s human resources degree program. These degrees will provide students the ability to select a unique concentration within human resources that can give them expertise in different aspects of the field.
  • Doctorate Degree: The highest degree level one can earn in human resources is the doctor degree. This degree requires a Bachelor’s degree and, in some cases, a master’s degree before you can apply. It can take a total of 3 additional years of education to complete a Doctorate Degree. While this degree can be time consuming and requires a great deal of dedication, it can also be one of the most lucrative degrees available. Only a small pool of people in human resources has obtained this apex of human resources education and it can make for an incredibly valuable asset to any employer.

Certification

In addition or in lieu of getting your human resources degree, there is the option of getting a human resources certification. It typically requires two years of human resources experience before you can be eligible to sit for the exam, but certification can be just as valuable as a degree to many employers.