Most Affordable Online Master’s in Human Resources Programs 2021

UT Tyler offers an online master's in human resources through the Soules College of Business. Most enrollees complete the 36-credit MS degree within two years. The curriculum includes six foundation credits, 24 credits of core coursework, and six elective credits. The core curriculum consists of classes in leadership and ethics in human resource development, conflict resolution, strategic human resources management, and performance consulting.

Applicants must submit GMAT scores or, in exceptional instances, GRE scores. Applicants with a 3.25 GPA in the last 60 credits of their undergraduate program can request for a waiver of the GMAT/GRE requirement. Applicants with extensive managerial experience can also request a GMAT/GRE waiver.

The MS program allows learners to transfer up to nine graduate-level credits from another accredited school. No course for which a student received a grade of C or below can count toward the degree.

The University of Texas at Tyler is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

WSC offers a master's in organizational management with a focus on human resources through the School of Business and Technology. The online MS degree comprises 36 credits. Students enroll in 18 credits of organizational management coursework, 12 human resources credits, and a six-credit culminating activity.

The program accepts applications from bachelor's degree-holders with a minimum undergraduate 2.75 GPA. Applicants with transferrable graduate-level credits with a 3.0 GPA or higher can also apply.

Three schools jointly administer the MS in organizational management program: WSC, Chadron State College, and Peru State College. Students can enroll in courses from any of these institutions. The core human resources curriculum includes coursework in workforce planning and employment, total compensation, employment law and labor relations, and human resources development. Students can choose to write a thesis, develop a scholarly project, or complete an internship experience as the program's culminating activity.

Wayne State College is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

NU's College of Professional Studies offers an online master's in human resources that consists of 54 quarter units (36 semester credits). The curriculum aligns with the guidelines developed by the Society for Human Resource Management for HR education. The MA program offers a concentration in organizational leadership.

The core curriculum includes coursework in workforce planning, development, and outsourcing; compensation and benefits; employee relations; and legal, ethical, and safety issues in human resources. Classes follow four-week delivery schedules with students enrolling in only one class each month. Students can transfer a maximum of 13.5 quarter units (nine semester credits) from another accredited graduate program as long as they did not use the credits to satisfy another degree's requirements.

Enrollees who pursue the organizational leadership concentration must enroll in the following classes: leadership in the 21st century, developing groups and teams, conflict and power dynamics, and leading change and adaptation. Students can either complete a capstone project or write a thesis as the program's culminating activity.

National University is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.

UMGC offers an online master's in human resources through the master of science in management program. Comprising 36 credits, the curriculum aligns with the guidelines for HR education developed by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Students enroll in 12 foundation courses, 21 HR credits, and a three-credit capstone course.

The MS program accepts a maximum of six graduate-level credits (earned within five years) from another accredited institution. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the program. Students must satisfy all degree requirements within five years of initial enrollment.

The HR courses cover subject areas such as employee and labor relations; job analysis, assessment, and compensation; organizational development and change; and current perspectives in training and development. The HR specialization prepares students for a variety of industry certification tests, including the SHRM-Certified Professional exam and the SHRM-Senior Certified Professional exam.

University of Maryland Global Campus is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

PSU's online master's in human resources consists of 31-34 credits and aligns with the guidelines for HR education established by the Society for Human Resource Management. The MS degree offers an emphasis in leadership and organization development and in learning and development.

Courses follow asynchronous delivery schedules. Students can enroll in as many as 12 courses each semester to finish the program in three semesters (including a summer term) or just one year. However, most students enroll in 6-7 credits per semester, earning the degree in a little over two years.

All MS candidates enroll in five core human resource development (HRD) courses: behavior analysis for HRD professionals, organizational development and change, HRD foundations and applications, strategies in the development of human resources, and planning and implementing a human resources development program. Students can choose to complete a research project or write a thesis as the program's culminating activity.

Pittsburg State University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Mercy's School of Business offers a 36-credit master's in human resources that students can complete online. The MS program requires applicants with a GPA lower than 2.5 to submit a resume and GMAT results. Applicants with a GPA between 2.5 and 3.0 complete an interview with the program director. Applicants with a 3.0 GPA or higher are exempt from the interview and GMAT requirement.

The curriculum includes coursework in accounting and finance, employment law, human resources in a changing workplace environment, and technology and tools for human resources management. Students may choose either a research project or a thesis as the culminating activity.

Degree-seekers must complete all courses with a 3.0 or higher to qualify for the degree. The school gives enrollees a maximum of five years from the time of their initial enrollment to graduate.

Mercy College is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

NLU offers a 36-credit online master's in human resources through the College of Professional Studies and Advancement. The MS program prepares graduates to sit for certification exams administered by the HR Certification Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management.

The core curriculum comprises 21 credits and includes courses in performance analysis and measurement, employment law, and regulations. Students can complete the MS in human resources management and development as part of a dual-degree concurrent enrollment program with the MS in industrial and organizational psychology.

Students with an industry certification or license can request to apply their certificate or license as credit toward the MS degree. The program allows a maximum transfer of six credits. Degree-seekers complete a capstone research project as the program's culminating activity.

National Louis University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

UW-Stout's online master's in human resources consists of 30 credits, which includes 24 professional core credits and six research preparation credits. The MS program allows students to enroll in five additional credits of electives. The core curriculum covers systematic training measurement and evaluation, learning technologies, organizational development, and psychology of the adult learner.

Applicants need an accredited bachelor's degree in a business or technical field or an area of study related to training and development. They also need a minimum undergraduate 3.0 GPA and a professional background in organizational leadership and training systems. Applicants who do not meet the admission requirements may be admitted on a probationary basis. Probationary students enroll in prerequisite courses prior to beginning the MS program. Candidates must maintain an overall 3.0 GPA throughout the program.

University of Wisconsin Stout is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Stony Brook offers a master's in human resources through the School of Professional Development. Students can complete the 30-credit program entirely online. The curriculum aligns with the educational standards developed by the Society for Human Resources Management.

Applicants need a bachelor's degree, which can be in a field outside human resources. Stony Brook does not require GRE scores. The MS program accepts full-time and part-time enrollees who typically earn the degree in one year and approximately 20 months, respectively. Students may transfer a maximum of 12 graduate-level credits from another accredited institution at the discretion of the program director.

Coursework covers subjects such as organizational development and change management, human relations and workforce planning, employment law and policy, and diversity and global issues in the workplace. Students can choose to complete a one-credit internship experience (45 hours). Candidates must complete a master's project to graduate.

Stony Brook University is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

WCU's College of Education and Allied Professions offers a 36-credit master's in human resources that students can complete entirely online. Enrollees with full-time jobs taking two classes per semester (including summers) usually graduate in two years.

The MS program welcomes applicants holding a bachelor's degree with a minimum undergraduate 3.0 GPA. Applicants must submit their most recent GRE scores. The program accepts a maximum of six graduate-level credits for transfer from an accredited school. Applicants must not have used them to satisfy another degree's requirements.

The curriculum includes core coursework in human resources research and evaluation methods, organization acumen for HR leaders, principles and practice in human resources, and advanced HR consulting. The MS program does not require a thesis or a comprehensive exam. Instead, candidates complete a capstone project prior to graduation.

Western Carolina University is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The 36-credit online master's in human resources at CSU-Global follows a curriculum that aligns with the standards established by the Society for Human Resource Management. Students can select a specialization from several areas, including organizational management and change leadership, finance, applied business management, and organizational learning and performance. Each specialization requires 12 credits.

Applicants need a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a minimum undergraduate 3.0 GPA. The MS program sometimes admits applicants with a lower GPA, but it requires them to enroll in an additional course in fundamental research and writing.

The curriculum includes courses in strategic labor relations, maximizing human capital, legal and human resource dimensions of business management, and staffing and talent development. The program requires students to undergo an internship prior to graduation. Candidates must also complete a comprehensive capstone project demonstrating their ability to apply advanced human resources theories to real-world challenges.

Colorado State University Global Campus is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

UA offers a 33-credit master's in human resources through the College of Education and Health Professions. The program runs entirely online and takes most students two years to complete.

Applicants need a minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 60 credits of their undergraduate program. They do not need to submit GRE scores. Accepted applicants must pass a master's-level statistics course prior to beginning their program. The course does not count toward the degree.

Coursework covers subjects such as organizational analysis, facilitating learning in the workplace, career transitions, and strategic human resource and workforce development education. Students may transfer up to six graduate-level credits, but the program will not include the grades for these classes in the student's final GPA. Candidates must pass a capstone course to graduate.

The University of Arkansas is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

The School of Labor and Employment Relations at Illinois offers a 48-credit online master's in human resources. The program follows a cohort model of education with courses delivered synchronously and asynchronously throughout each semester. Each four-credit class lasts eight weeks.

Applicants must submit their most recent GRE or GMAT scores. The program waives this requirement for applicants with at least three years of professional experience in the human resources field. Applicants with five years of managerial background in a related field may also request a GRE/GMAT waiver.

The curriculum distributes courses across four subject areas: human resource management and organizational behavior, labor markets and employment, international human resource management, and union management and labor relations policy. The program requires the satisfactory completion of an undergraduate course in statistics before students can enroll in the graduate-level statistics class.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Tennessee Tech's online master of professional studies (MPS) comprises 33 credits and offers a concentration in human resources leadership. Students enroll in nine credits of core requirements, 12 human resources credits, and nine elective credits. A three-credit professional project course completes the degree requirements.

The program accepts applications from bachelor's degree-holders with an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher. The program typically requires applicants to submit their most recent GRE scores. However, applicants with at least five years of professional experience may submit a portfolio instead of GRE scores. The portfolio must include an essay (500-600 words) providing the reason for wanting to pursue the MPS, recommendation letters, and professional recognitions and awards.

The 12-credit human resources core includes the following: statistical analysis, human resources management, diversity in the workplace, and employment and human resources law. Students must enroll in at least one leadership elective course.

Tennessee Technological University is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

CSU offers a 30-credit online master's in human resources through the College of Business. Students can earn the MS degree within 17-45 months, depending on their enrollment status and their academic and professional background. The curriculum aligns with Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) guidelines.

Applicants do not typically need to submit GMAT scores. However, the program director may request scores to make a final determination on an application under consideration. Applicants must submit an essay (300-500 words) describing their educational and career goals and how the degree can help them achieve both.

The curriculum includes coursework in human resource law and ethics, advanced organizational behavior, employee training and development, and business ethics from a Christian worldview. Students can complete an internship experience that counts as an elective course. The capstone course prepares students for SHRM certification.

Charleston Southern University is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.