Online human resources degree unlocks opportunities

Deciding to go back to school to finish your bachelor’s degree is a big moment, and you want to make it count. If you’re looking to go into or advance in a business field, getting a UW–Madison Online human resources degree can give you skills to make a splash and wide-ranging knowledge to thrive throughout your career.

Gain a holistic understanding of how businesses work

Human resources is all about the people that make up an organization. Without creative, innovative and hard-working people, the world’s top companies and nonprofits would crumble. But competing for those amazing employees is tough business, and organizations rely on HR specialists to attract and retain people who will drive a business’ mission forward.

Charlie Trevor, professor of management and human resources at the Wisconsin School of Business, believes HR is an essential part of business success.

“Companies thrive when they effectively manage human capital in the support of business strategy,” says Trevor. “Studying HR provides the basis for succeeding in this people management through establishing skills in relation to employee recruitment, selection, training and development, and compensation.”

As Trevor notes, HR specialists help take organizations’ strategies and put them into motion by hiring employees, nurturing the workforce and ensuring that people are supported so they can deliver on the organization’s goals.

“Essentially, HR professionals are experts in employee attraction, retention and motivation, with all viewed from legal, ethical and diversity-based perspectives,” says Trevor.

Develop skills for HR—with an online human resources degree

In the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s online human resources degree program, students learn the core principles of HR like strategic management, compensation and personnel staffing, but they also gain a well-rounded set of abilities in broader business areas like communication, economics, analytics, accounting and risk management – all high-demand skills in the workplace.

Graduates of the online HR program can work in HR roles in talent acquisition, employee development, technology, policies and procedures or project management. They can also take their wide-ranging skills and work in strategic roles outside of traditional HR in areas like operations or entrepreneurship.

An HR degree lets you see the inner workings of a business so you can support decision making in a variety of business situations.

Learn more about the UW–Madison Online HR degree. The program is designed for part-time students so you can keep career and family commitments.

For more information on UW–Madison Online, please see The Ultimate Guide to Online Business Degrees.