SHRM Aligned Human Resources Degrees in Colorado
SHRM aligned human resources degrees in Colorado are the best way for today’s students to get a well-rounded education that combines business management with unique coursework in human resources. At the conclusion of these programs, whether they’re undergraduate degrees or graduate-level offerings, students will be able to ease into a role managing complex human resources tasks including hiring, discipline, benefits, financial packages, and much more. The programs below are Colorado students’ best bet for a rewarding education in this growing field.
Colorado Mesa University
Business Department
Though relatively small in size, Colorado Mesa University is becoming a leading public institution for students with an interest in business or human resource management. The Business Department oversees a concentration in human resources. In the classroom, professors with both doctoral and master’s degrees in management use their own practical experience in the industry to give students essential insight into their future occupation. The department also encourages undergraduate internships and regularly hosts networking events and professional lectures on-campus that can help students get ahead in the field as they near graduation.
B.B.A. with a concentration in Human Resource Management
First and foremost, the degree obtained by students interested in human resource management is a business administration degree. That means the primary components of the program include strategic organization, interpersonal communication, accounting, marketing, finance, and economics. A significant quantitative component accompanies the program as well. Students will also need to satisfy the general education core of all degrees obtained from Mesa. The human resources management track produces outcomes ranging form proficiency in human resources information systems, to an understanding of benefits administration, human resource budgeting, employee organization and ethical decision-making in a corporate context.
Accreditations: Society for Human Resource Management, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Colorado Mesa University
Business Department
1100 North Ave.
Grand Junction, CO 81501
Phone: (970) 248-1020
Program Website
Colorado State University – Fort Collins
College of Business
As the flagship university of the Colorado State University System of higher education, students who enroll at the Fort Collins campus will be treated to one of the most rigorous and prestigious business programs in the country. The school’s faculty is primarily doctoral, though some adjuncts are used for foundations courses in the business and human resources fields. Faculty members are heavily involved in research, which often makes its way to the classroom throughout the undergraduate experience. With a number of honors societies and student-professional organizations under the direct oversight of the department, students have a number of great opportunities to land internships and entry-level positions during their time at CSU.
B.B.A., Organization and Innovation Management
Interestingly, the human resources management track at CSU is known as “Organization and Innovation Management.” Recently renamed, the track now focuses on two intersecting areas of the human resources world: Employee organization and the unique, high-tech tools that are being deployed to manage everything from benefits to budgets, handbooks to hiring. Alongside courses that produce tech-minded human resources managers, students must complete the business administration core. This requires courses in finance and economics, accounting and management, mathematics and computer science. At the conclusion of this program, graduates will be adept managers in general, but skilled human resources professionals more specifically.
Accreditations: Society for Human Resource Management, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Colorado State University – Fort Collins
College of Business
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Phone: (970) 491-6909
Email: admissions@colostate.edu
Program Website
Colorado State University – Global Campus
College of Business
Human resources professionals, or those who aspire to enter the industry, will be well-served by Colorado State’s Global Campus. Based entirely online, enrollment is open to both Colorado residents and others from across the country. All classes are conducted electronically, with no campus visitation requirements. Students are taught by seasoned faculty members, many of them from within the broad Colorado State University system. They’ll further their learning through videoconferences, online discussion boards, student blogs, video lectures, podcasts, and numerous other, innovative methods. At the graduate level, students will benefit from faculty research and innovative internship opportunities across the country.
B.S. in Business Management – Human Resources and Organizational Development
All business management students who attend Colorado State’s Global Campus will take a common core of general education and business education courses. Ranging form things like English composition and the natural sciences to relevant coursework in management, finance, and accounting, these requirements produce well-rounded business leaders primed for success at all levels. Human resources classes follow next, teaching students the ethics and legal considerations of overseeing employee benefits and company guidelines. Students will learn how to use popular software applications for benefits administration, they’ll learn the basics of hiring and reprimanding employees, and they’ll learn how human resources departments fit into the corporate structure.
M.S. in Organizational Leadership – Human Resource Performance
Organizational leadership students will go one step further than their undergraduate counterparts, studying the fundamentals of human resource management at a more advanced level. Students will learn how to lead diverse teams, conduct proper research, and make complex decisions within their department. They’ll also be required to conduct scholarly research on their own, potentially leading to a master’s degree thesis by the conclusion of the online degree program. Students who wish not to complete this thesis can opt instead for a capstone course that involves a final, somewhat shorter research project. It’s worth noting that the M.S. in Organizational Leadership can be combined in a dual-degree program with the CSU Global M.S. in Management.
Accreditations: Society for Human Resource Management, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Colorado State University – Global Campus
College of Business
7800 East Orchard Road
Suite 200
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Phone: (800) 920-6723
Email: Admissions@CSUGlobal.edu
Program Website
Fort Hays State University
Virtual College
Though based in Kansas, Fort Hays State University maintains a thriving “Virtual College” that serves students across the country. Its purpose is primarily to serve members of the military who frequently move around the United States and even around the world. As such, the Virtual College maintains flexible and accelerated courses, a large number of start dates throughout the year, and an intensive military services operation that makes sure active duty and veteran service members are taken care of throughout their time in the undergraduate program. Professors primarily teach from the school’s campus in Kansas, though several online adjuncts or and doctoral faculty members teach remotely from areas across the United States.
Bachelor of Business Administration in Management – Concentration in Human Resources
Students who wish to enter the human resources field will first have to complete the university’s business administration core. As with most universities, this means students will have to complete courses in everything from accounting to management, economics to finance, taxation to business law and ethics. Once they have satisfied enough pre-requisites in this area, they can proceed to coursework that falls under their concentration in human resources. These classes teach students the basics of benefits administration, hiring employees, creating company guidelines, enforcing company policies, vendor negotiation, and information systems in an HR context.
Accreditations: Society for Human Resource Management, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Fort Hays State University
Virtual College
McCartney Hall 102A
600 Park Street
Hays, KS 67601
Phone: (785) 628-4381
Email: virtualcollege@fhsu.edu
Program Website
Regis University
College for Professional Studies
Regis University offers many of its degrees both online and on its Colorado campus, giving students the flexibility to take courses from home or attend classroom lectures if they wish to do so. No matter the venue, all courses offered are extremely rigorous and have been designed by an all-doctoral group of faculty members committed to producing the mist skilled managers in the industry. Students are encouraged to pursue an internship, for which they can receive academic credit at the undergraduate level. Online and offline student organizations, a management honors society, and on-campus job fairs each fall and spring, all help students maximize their post-graduation potential when they leave Regis.
B.S. in Human Resource Management
Regis University is one of the few in Colorado to offer a degree in pure human resource management. Like other degrees in the state, this one does require students to complete a common core of business classes prior to graduation. The primary difference, however, is that the number of requirements is more than halved at Regis. The emphasis here is on human resources, and that means students get a wider array of skills. They learn more about HR management in both large and small organizations, in medical settings and in schools. Students learn a great deal about current and future IT applications that are used by human resource professionals, and they’re given hands-on experience using those systems to administer benefits, negotiate contracts, hire employees, and more.
M.S. in Organizational Behavior Leadership, HRM Specialization
The M.S. in Organizational Leadership combines traditional organizational coursework with advanced studies in human resources. In addition to learning how to manage diverse teams, students will learn how to handle conflict in a human resources capacity. They’ll learn more about advanced employee mediation and workplace harmony, and they’ll come to better understand how human resources can prevent conflicts and contribute to good organization in a proactive manner. Research is encouraged but certainly not required. Students can opt for a capstone project in lieu of a thesis if they don’t wish to pursue a doctorate in this field.
Accreditations: Society for Human Resource Management, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Regis University
College for Professional Studies
3333 Regis Boulevard
Denver, Colorado 80221
Phone: (800) 388-2366
Email: studentservices@regis.edu
Program Website
University of Colorado – Denver
Center for International Business Education and Research
The urban UC Denver campus is home to the state’s largest array of human resource management programs. From bachelor’s degrees in the field to an MBA and a Master of Science, there really is something for students of all prerogatives at this major academic institution. Courses are taught by leading management and human resources professionals that still work in the Denver business community, giving students practical insight and unique networking opportunities that will work for them long after they’ve graduated from the University of Colorado’s Denver campus.
B.S. in Business Management, Human Resources Track
Undergraduates interested in human resources will need to declare themselves a Business Management major. The program focuses heavily on efficient leadership in corporate settings, as well as finances, economics, accounting, communication, and information systems. The human resources track exposes students to basic HR technology, theories of human resource management, and the fundamentals of employee hiring, developing and enforcing corporate employment policies, and administering benefits in a large, corporate setting.
M.S. in Management – Human Resources Management
Those who wish to further their studies can pursue the HRM track within the M.S. in Management. This track is slightly different from the MBA option, giving students more of a management mindset than a broad understanding of advanced business topics. Human resource classes focus extensively on senior management, ethical decision-making, benefits budgeting, employee dispute resolution. Strategic organization is another extensive topic of study in this program.
M.B.A., Human Resources Management Specialization
The CUS Denver MBA program is top-ranked nationally and offers a broad business education that builds on an undergraduate degree in the field. Alongside courses in advanced accounting, managerial decision-making, corporate finance, and advanced economics, students who choose to focus on human resources will enjoy enriching, advanced coursework. From ethical decision-making to employee dispute resolution and corporate policymaking, these classes are designed to give students a long-term view of their profession from a senior level.
Accreditations: Society for Human Resource Management, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
University of Colorado – Denver
Center for International Business Education and Research
1250 14th St.
Denver, CO 80217
Phone: (303) 556-2400
Email: Business@ucdenver.edu
Program Website
Walden University
Department of Human Resource Management
Based in Minnesota, Walden University is a leading provider of online and distance education to students at all levels. The school is particularly popular in Colorado due to the large number of military service members and their family members. Since the coursework is “portable,” there is no residency requirement and no requirement to attend courses on campus. Instructors are based nationwide and range from adjunct professors to fully doctoral faculty members. The online experience includes everything from blogging and videoconferencing to discussion groups and self-paced readings, making it easy for those with busy schedules to meet their academic obligations.
M.S. in Human Resource Management
Walden University offers its students the ability to choose one of three specializations within the human resources industry. These include organizational strategy, functional human resource management, and a specialization in integrating both functional and strategic HR management policies. Each specialization caters to a different type of manager and a different type of thinker, but they are all united by a common core. This core teaches ethical behavior, strategic organization, quantitative skills, and management concepts that transcend human resources work and give professionals the skills they need to advance in their field during the long course of their career in HR.
Accreditations: Society for Human Resource Management, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Contact
Walden University
Department of Human Resource Management
100 Washington Avenue South, Suite 900
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (866) 492-5336
Email: help@waldenu.edu
Program Website
Students looking to enter the lucrative field of human resource management have great options at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in Colorado. Whether it’s an on-campus program or one that is completed entirely online, the many SHRM aligned human resources degrees in Colorado will set students up for a lifetime of success in the industry.
Additional Resource: What Are Some Good Scholarships for Human Resource Management Majors?
