MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Effective fall 2021, Penn State Harrisburg will offer a new bachelor of science degree in human capital management.
The program will prepare students in the fundamental concepts and state-of-the art skills required by human resource professionals including onboarding, training and compensating employees, developing and managing performance systems, and addressing and resolving employee concerns and issues. The goal of the program is to educate professionals who can apply their skills, methods and tools to understand the dynamic and complex business environment and meet regulatory and legislative requirements. Students graduating with the degree will be positioned for careers in organizations across many sectors, including industry, government and education.
Interdisciplinary in nature, the human capital management major combines foundational coursework in mathematics, statistics and communication skills with specialized courses in selection, performance management and compensation. The major draws on courses already taught as part of business core courses, but also includes additional courses needed for graduates to succeed as generalists or specialists.
The program also will prepare students for national certification as a human resource professional such as the Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) or the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) Professional in Human Resources (PHR).
“This program was developed based upon input and support from business leaders, alumni, faculty and students,” said Ray Gibney, associate professor of management in the School of Business Administration and coordinator of the new program. “A distinctive and innovative aspect of the major is the opportunity for students to apply their knowledge in partnering organizations through internships.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 10-year growth rate for human resource managers of 7.1%, which is above the national average. Pennsylvania ranks in the top 10 nationally among states by the number of human resource professionals employed and for the median salary of HR professionals.
For more information about the human capital management program, contact Gibney at 717-948-6149 or rfg14@psu.edu.