View of the Chicago Skyline - Location of the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University

Colleges and Schools

Program Requirements

Complete a master of human resource management (MHRM) degree for comprehensive preparation in human resource management and organizational development. This degree is designed for individuals who wish to start or advance an HR career.

The MHRM is a 36-semester-hour degree, requiring 13 core courses and five electives. Each graduate course is two semester hours. You can complete the degree in just 21 months, but, on average, our students finish the program in two-and-a-half years.

Electives

Elective courses for all graduate business and nonprofit degrees can be chosen from the wide range of courses available in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management. The core courses listed below cannot count as electives. You may be able to complete a graduate business or nonprofit certificate through your elective credit.

View all graduate business and nonprofit courses.

Master of Human Resource Management Core Courses

Click on a course name below to read a description of the class.

 

This course develops an understanding of human behavior in changing organizations and the managerial awareness, tools and methods that increase effectiveness. The course explores principles and theories about individuals and groups at work, motivation and interactive drives and processes for satisfying needs, organization strategies for effectively utilizing people and creating the environment to achieve goals of people and companies. The course also examines ethical issues and the rational integration of ethical thinking and decision-making in competitive organizations. New models of teams, organization structure and organizational development practices are studied as the product of today's transforming organizations.


This course examines the importance of ethical leadership and decision-making to the success of high performance organizations. Ethical issues are examined from a variety of perspectives, analyzed utilizing multiple ethical issue typologies, and possible outcomes determined through the application of a number of decision-making formats. Frameworks for ethics and leadership are assessed and interpreted in light of the leadership behaviors in a number of ethically challenging situations. Finally, students will assess their own ethical leadership views and generate leadership development plans.


This course examines current theory and practice as it applies to the management of human resources within organizations. Specific focus is given on the effects of organizational mission and culture on human resource management. The processes of recruitment and selection, training and development, performance evaluation, compensation and motivation, and legal influences are examined. The course takes the viewpoint of human resource management as a key responsibility of every manager within the organization.


The course will cover a foundational introduction and in-depth review of the socio-historical context and the theoretical basis of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, (DEI). Key DEI concepts and their significance in today's world are explored. Participants will study and recognize the impact and importance of addressing discrimination, bias, microaggression, forms of exclusion, privilege, and oppression interplay with established identities and those around them. Additionally, participants will gain a better understanding of cultural sensitivity to strengthen awareness and deepen cross-cultural respect of all groups.


This course presents valuable tools and methods that assist with recruitment and retention of the most qualified people that are also a good fit with the organization. Exercises provide experience in selecting the right employees and in coaching and counseling for current and future performance improvement that emphasizes the capacity to provide feedback in a way that it will actually be heard. Finally the ethics of termination will be discussed together with looking when and under what circumstances termination should occur. Additionally, this course will assist with the construction of individualized career plans for each student.


This course is based on the premise that today's world increasingly depends upon collaboration for success. Teams are currently touted as the primary organizational unit in which the collaborative effort takes place. Students will investigate the arguments for and against teams and teamwork. Through exposure to theoretical knowledge and experiential learning technologies, the students will identify when teams are, and are not appropriate, as well as examine what is required to create a truly effective, high performing team.


This course assists students in becoming knowledgeable about the legal principles that affect employment law in the United States. The course examines various employment laws with which organizations must comply and the legal rights and responsibilities of employees and employers.


This course involves students in the application of compensation principles to organizational objectives. It includes the strategic use of compensation systems for attracting, motivating and retaining highly qualified employees. Both direct and indirect compensation are discussed in the context of organizations. The course offers an opportunity to develop competence in making informed and strategic compensation decisions.


This course provides an understanding of the essential elements of human resource planning processes in organizations and the implementation of those processes within the organization's overall staffing function.


This is the capstone course for the study of human resources. A final paper that integrates all human resource areas for a particular organization will be required. Quantitative as well as qualitative concepts, approaches, and techniques will be emphasized. Will include metrics for measuring outcomes and assessments as well as strategy.


Given the ever-increasing, complex interdependency between international economies, this course is intended to give business and nonprofit organizational leaders an understanding of how to better manage operations in the context of supply, demand, competition, economic and trade policies in a global marketplace. The course will focus on macroeconomic topics such as gross domestic product, income and employment and combine them with absolute and comparative advantage theories that drive the continuous need for international trade. Global economic topics, such as the IS-LM model, cultural comparisons and foreign trade policy will help form the fluidity of both domestic and international business interactions from both diverse and Christian ethical perspectives.


This course emphasizes the importance of communication for all management functions. Based on a foundation of the traditional model of communications, a variety of modes will be explored: written, oral, non-verbal, as well as other visual modes. The process of organizing, imparting, and receiving information will be explored. Students will apply the concepts studied by preparing a variety of written and spoken communications during the course of the class and having each critiqued by colleagues and the instructor.

Focusing on the interplay among the corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors, this course will address the issues and current trends in corporate social responsibility and sustainability. The triple bottom line of social, environmental, and economic results will be explored. Topics covered include: sustainability, public private partnerships, corporations' role in climate change, supply chain responsibility, stakeholder engagement, cause and social marketing, environmental responsibility, socially responsible investing, sustainability reporting, transparency, and human rights.