Human Resources and Employment Relations

Completing the certificate will put you in good company: Quinlan has a strong network of 3,000 MS in Human Resources alumni who work in nearly every major corporation in the Chicago metropolitan area.

This is an excellent specialization for students who are currently pursuing a Quinlan graduate degree, professionals with a business degree, or any professional who needs to understand employment processes and the legal implications of attracting, retaining, and motivating employees.

Successful certificate program students come from a variety of backgrounds and undergraduate degrees.

Upon completion of the program, students can leverage knowledge and skills to work as highly effective human resources management professionals or as managers who partner effectively with human resources departments to acquire, develop, and reward talented employees.

Graduates are expected to:

• Understand the theoretical and practical demands of HR professional career and human relations requirements of being an effective manager; both of which involve attracting, engaging, and retaining talented employees.
• Develop and administer human resource strategies, programs and policies in the specific functional areas including talent acquisition/staffing (including employment planning, recruitment, and selection), HR development and training, compensation and benefits, performance management, and employment relations.
• Understand how the practice of effective human resource management can positively impact the business and result in a competitive advantage to the organization.
• Utilize critical thinking skills which involve complex human behavior and motivation.
• Appreciate of the value and methods for sustaining employee diversity including a global perspective as it relates to human resources.
• Develop research, written, and oral communications skills by preparing in-depth case presentations and reports.
• Appreciate ethical perspectives and support sustainable outcomes with respect to all aspects of HR management.

Courses are scheduled to enable completion of the certificate in 9 to 12 months. Sessions meet once per week for ten weeks. Courses are offered at our Water Tower Campus in Chicago (weekday evenings or Saturdays), with some courses also available online.

Students should have three or more years of professional work experience, or have completed one HR course (graduate or undergraduate) within the last three years.

Prerequisite Course

HRER 417N: Managing and Motivating the Workplace
The course primarily explores the structure and function of human behavior in organizations. Students will be introduced to the principles of theory of perception, motivation, decision-making, job and organizational design as they relate to organizational realities such as power, politics and change.
Outcomes: Students will gain a better understanding of both individual and group behavior in organizational settings and will be able to view organizational change through globalization, diversity, technology and ethics.

Required Courses

HRER 413: Compensation
This course examines wage and salary policies and programs in private and public organizations. Legislative and social issues affecting pay decisions, and the alignment of pay policies with the business strategy and other human resource programs are covered.
Outcomes: Students will learn how to design and implement compensation policies and programs that will give their employers a competitive advantage; resolve compensation problems from both a human resource professional and managerial perspective; and create pay policies that are perceived as just and equitable. Students will improve their team leadership, analytical and writing skill

HRER 429: Human Resource Development
This course examines how organizations develop employees with the appropriate technical, interpersonal and leadership skills to be effective in their jobs.
Outcomes: Students will learn how to conduct a training needs assessment, set learning objectives, establish evaluation criteria, select the best instructional methods, and to evaluate the impact of the program on the employee and organization. In addition to conducting formal training programs, students will learn how to use career planning, job rotation and performance feedback to develop employees and themselves. Students will improve their presentation, team leadership, analytical and writing skills.

HRER 462: Employment Relations
This course examines critical labor laws in the United States and the structure and function of our employment relations system.
Outcomes: Students will demonstrate understanding of basic case law in the field of labor relations and how unions, management representatives, and government dynamically interact to provide employee representation, balance group interests, and ideally avoid disruptive workplace conflict.

HRER 463: Staffing
This course provides an overview of staffing processes in organizations, with an emphasis on recruitment and selection procedures. Other topics of discussion include legal and strategic issues in staffing, and relevant statistical concepts.
Outcomes: Students will become comfortable with the entire staffing process, and be able to design and implement cutting-edge staffing systems, with an emphasis on business strategy.

HRER 501: Performance Management
Designed to provide both current and future managers an in-depth understanding of performance appraisals and related issues, this course also emphasizes on goal-setting, feedback and the rating process.
Outcomes: Students will learn to apply the various techniques used to conduct effective performance appraisal processes and design comprehensive performance management systems for their organizations.

Below you will find both required materials and opportunities to strengthen your application when applying to the Quinlan School of Business. Additional information regarding the application process for international students can be found here.