Who Should Get an MBA in Human Resources?

The Master of Business Administration or MBA in Human Resources degree program is primarily designed for business professionals who want to increase their job opportunities beyond those offered to them at the human resources generalist or specialist levels.

These human resource professionals usually have experience in generalist jobs and in specialty areas that total more than five years as well as undergraduate degrees in human resources management.

Other professionals who pursue the Human Resources MBA may have degrees in other disciplines, but they work in specialized fields that are related to human resources. They can gain access to higher human resources management positions through the completion of Human Resources MBA programs. Specifically, those who want to pursue the positions that are described below are good candidates for MBA in Human Resources degree programs.

Human Resources Department Manager

The human resources department manager oversees all of the human resources related activities of an organization. They manage the daily operational tasks of generalists and specialists who work to interview new employees, conduct orientations and discuss benefits. These managers are also responsible for planning company wide, team building activities and training conferences. Human resource managers liaise with other department heads to find out more about the types of skills that are required for all types of open positions. Human resources personnel who hold the department manager role use nearly all of the training that was provided to them through their undergraduate and graduate level course work.

Training and Development Manager

Training and workforce development managers help employees to keep their skills up to date so that they can remain qualified for the positions that they hold. Depending on the company, employees are also knowledgeable about the skills and credentials that they will need to keep moving forward in their career paths. Workforce development managers put together training programs so that forward looking employees can reach their professional goals. Sometimes employees do not perform as expected due to a lack of training. Training managers help these employees and their supervisors to draft performance goals, enroll in formal training workshops and find relevant on the job training opportunities to reduce identified work deficiencies. These human resource managers usually work their way up to this role from the training and development specialist position, and they become more competitive for management jobs with advanced degrees in human resources.

Human Resources Information Systems Manager

Human resources personnel are responsible for large amounts of private information that is usually collected, processed and stored electronically. The information systems that support all human resource management functions are often complex and must be managed by someone who has a technical background. At the analyst level, these human resources information systems experts are usually required to have undergraduate degrees in computer science, information technology or management information systems. Many of these analysts also have professional specialty certifications like the Human Resource Information Professional that is administered through the International Association for Human Resource Information Management. When these professionals want to move into management roles, they usually earn a Human Resources MBA.

Conclusion

The basic levels of human resources jobs include human resource generalist or specialist, human resources manager and human resources director. To qualify for most manager and director positions, candidates must have a certain amount of education, training and experience. Completion of specialty certifications and MBA in Human Resources degree programs help them to get ready for these senior level human resources roles.