Human Resource Management

Managing Human Resource (HR) functions has evolved into a crucial aspect of an organization's management process, and HR professionals have become active strategic business partners. It is widely recognized that a well-functioning HR group significantly contributes to an organization's overall success.

The Human Resource Management (HRM) major focuses on the systems and programs that effectively manage an organization's employees. The overall objective of HRM practitioners is to help make an organization an employer of choice through compensation, benefits, career development, training, staffing, and other functions that affect employees.

An undergraduate degree in Human Resource Management will prepare you to pursue an exciting career as an HR professionals. The degree will also prepare you for further graduate study or a certification. Students may opt to pursue either a Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management offered by The University of Akron or a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification offered by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).  


Akron Advantage

All College of Business programs are accredited at the highest level by AACSB International (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). The College is one of only 171 schools that has earned separate accounting accreditation. The College is consistently rated as one of the best business schools by National ranking organization.

Close ties to regional businesses provide many benefits for our students. Business executives share their expertise as mentors and guest lecturers in classes, and provide valuable advice on program and course content, helping to keep our curricula fresh, relevant and rigorous. Students gain valuable hands-on experiences through group projects to solve problems for local businesses and by participating in co-op and internship programs at regional companies.

We provide our students with training in cutting-edge technology as a result of our academic alliances with technology vendors such as SAP, Microsoft, and Oracle.

Active student organizations enable our students to enrich their college experiences providing opportunities to apply knowledge and skills gained in the classroom, and by opening doors to new friendships, networking, professional growth, and even job.  Many of our student organizations have excelled in regional and national competitions, against of the highly regarded colleges and universities across the country.

Real-World Experience

Business faculty regularly consult with local business people and our advisory board members to add new content and relevance in their classes. As part of the curriculum, students have to complete a senior project for a local firm as part of a consulting team. Our classes typically include guest speakers, site visits, case studies and team-based activities. Students also gain practical professional experience through paid internships or cooperative education experiences.   

Recent Placements Include

  • FirstEnergy Corp.
  • A Schulman
  • JoAnn Stores
  • PNC
  • Infocision
  • Summa Health Systems
  • The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
  • Applied Industrial Technologies
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • Sterling Jewelers

Human Resource Management Student Organizations

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is a national, professional organization of Human Resource practitioners, educators, and various professionals involved with Human Resources. UA-SHRM is a student chapter of the national Society for Human Resource Management. The University of Akron SHRM group consistently win gold and silver medals in the Ohio HR Games competing against teams from universities and colleges across Ohio the country.


Sample Curriculum


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For More Information:

HR Program Detail

Contact: Dr. Erin Makarius

Career Opportunities

Degrees and Preparation

Human resource management is a key component of an organization's management process. Human resource management professionals have evolved from their 20th century role as behind the scenes administrators to active involvement as strategic business partners. Senior management teams recognize the significant contributions of HR to an organization's bottom-line and overall success. 

A degree in Human Resource Management paves the way for several opportunities in organizations. Some of the positions offered to our recent graduates include:

  • Human Resource Representative – Compensation
  • Recruiter, Training and Organization Development Specialist
  • Human Resource Coordinator
  • Supervisor, Patient Services
  • Corporate College Recruiter
  • Manager, HRIS Strategy
  • Recruitment Manager

Career Outlook

There are numerous career opportunities in the field of human resources and industrial relations. HR managers are required in every organization – from nonprofits to businesses, consulting firms, government agencies and labor groups. Overall employment of HR, training and labor relations managers and specialists is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.  

The position of HR manager was voted as the fourth best job in America, according to surveys done by Money magazine and Salary.com. Annual earnings for human resources professionals vary according to occupation, level of experience, training, location and size of the firm. The median salary of HR professionals exceeds $80,000. 

Opportunities will continue to grow in the HR profession.   Historically, our students have received competitive job offers and our majors are highly sought after for paid internships during their junior year. Most internships lead to full-time employment.

Career Services

Career Services is located in Student Union 211, with another office in College of Arts and Sciences Building 126. Career Services provides career coaching and programming, and develops valuable relationships with employers and campus partners to provide students with many opportunities for experiential learning and career development.