UMass Global student Alex Meyers tells her experience in a self-paced degree program.

People Are The Purpose

Human resources is the heart of every organization. HR professionals work to support employees to ensure companies run smoothly, ethically and continue to grow. If you are drawn to help others and want to play a critical role in business, a career in human resources could be your calling.

Whether you're looking for entry-level human resources jobs, or want to advance your current HR career, UMass Global can help you get where you want to be. We offer bachelor's and master's in human resources degrees online, including a dedicated Master of Science in HR or as an emphasis option for an MBA degree. Plus, check out our certificate programs, including both undergraduate and graduate options to round out your skill set.

You may even consider a self-paced program like the one UMass Global student Alex Meyers pursued to achieve her goal of becoming an HR generalist. Experience her success in this short video.

No matter which path you choose, UMass Global can help you put your passions to work.

UMass Global student Alex Meyers tells her experience in a self-paced degree program.

Accredited Quality

WASC Senior College and University Commission

University of Massachusetts Global is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)

Competency-Based Education Network

UMass Global is a member of C-BEN. C-BEN recognizes that today, competency-based education is still an emerging field with a small number of people and institutions understanding enough to describe it or implement it. C-BEN’s efforts focus on three main priorities: growing demand, building capacity, and removing barriers.

What's the main role of human resources?

What are the key functions of HR?

Depending on the size of the company, an HR professional might be involved in one or several of the following activities:

  • Recruiting, hiring and retaining talent
  • Employee engagement
  • Performance management
  • Compensation and benefits
  • Development and training
  • Risk management
  • Audits and legal compliance

Explore each in detail


What's the main role of human resources?

Testimonials

kristina d

The flexibility of this program made it possible to balance work, family, and academics, even when it felt overwhelming. The guidance and encouragement along the way helped to make this milestone possible.

Kristina D.
MS in Human Resources

From the moment I applied, my admissions counselor was such a huge support.

Alison C.
Human Resources, BBA

When I first began the course, I knew only the bare minimum concerning HR. Though I worked in the field, terms and regulations were foreign to me. Now, I am able to properly relate to what is being stated at the table of discussion and can participate at an expert level.

Lynette A.
PHR Certification Exam Preparation Course
Fort Washington Medical Center
3 Steps to becoming a human resource manager

How to become an HR manager

A career in human resources management could allow you to combine your business savvy with your passion for helping people. Although these professionals tend to work behind the scenes at an organization, they have a sizable impact on their company’s daily operations and outcomes.

  • What does a human resource manager do?
  • How do you become an HR manager?
  • What education and experience is required for the job?

Get the Answers


12 HR Metrics your company should be focused on.

How to measure HR success

Translating human resources efforts into tangible numbers can help you and your company improve results. Use these metrics to assess and establish benchmarks for attracting, developing and retaining top talent.

Explore how to calculate things like time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, training participation rate and average happiness of your workers with this helpful graphic.

View Infographic


12 HR Metrics your company should be focused on.

Flexible Ways to Learn

At UMass Global, we recognize that every student is unique and can learn in different ways. Some are completely self-driven and can work on their own; others prefer the more traditional instructor-led approach. That’s why we offer two approaches for our online curriculum in our School of Business & Professional Studies — instructor-led/session-based degrees and competency-based, self-paced degrees (UMass Global MyPath). Which works better for you?

Self-Paced vs. Instructor-Led: Select the option that meets your needs!
  SELF-PACED INSTRUCTOR-LED
100% online
 

 
Pace controlled by Student Instructor
Textbooks and course materials included
 

 
Start at Any time 6 convenient times per year
Tuition charged per Flat rate per session Unit per class
Ability to take breaks
 

 
Programs offered 9 Business & IT Programs 55+ programs, credentials, and certificates
Interact with classmates
 

 
How grading works Mastery of competencies (B or better) Traditional grading system
 
*Additional fees apply if student fails 1st attempt at final assessment **Expectations are to take 12 units per 24-month period
 

Earn Your Degree in HR

Have questions about enrollment, degree programs or financial aid? A UMass Global enrollment coach can help.

Degree Type
Ways to Learn

Programs Offered

2.4 CEU
Exam Prep
Human Resources

aPHR Exam Prep, Course

Our self-paced online course fully prepares you for the Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR™) exam. It offers practice questions with detailed explanations of the correct answers and a full-length practice test with 125 questions.
$349

aPHR Exam Prep, Course

2.4 CEU
Exam Prep
Our self-paced online course fully prepares you for the Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR™) exam. It offers practice questions with detailed explanations of the correct answers and a full-length practice test with 125 questions.
Certificates & Courses
Online
UsersGroup
Extended Education
BulletedList
2.4 CEUs
Coins
$349
Instructor-Led
Human Resources

Business Admin (Human Resources), BBA

Earn your business degree with an emphasis on the people driving every organization. Beyond your business core, this Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources prepares you for a role involving areas such as recruitment, compensation, benefits, and labor relations.
Aug 25, 2025

Business Admin (Human Resources), BBA

Instructor-Led
Earn your business degree with an emphasis on the people driving every organization. Beyond your business core, this Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources prepares you for a role involving areas such as recruitment, compensation, benefits, and labor relations.
Bachelor's
Online
UsersGroup
Online
Coins
120 Credits
Calendar
Next Start Date
Fall I (Aug 25, 2025)
08/25/2025
Instructor-Led
Human Resources

Business Administration (Human Resources), MBA

Elevate your expertise in managing any organization’s most valuable asset — its people — with this MBA in Human Resources. Expanding upon our core graduate-level business curriculum, this MBA in HR will prepare you for management positions in human resources.
Aug 25, 2025

Business Administration (Human Resources), MBA

Instructor-Led
Elevate your expertise in managing any organization’s most valuable asset — its people — with this MBA in Human Resources. Expanding upon our core graduate-level business curriculum, this MBA in HR will prepare you for management positions in human resources.
Master's
Online
UsersGroup
Online
Coins
36 Credits
Calendar
Next Start Date
Fall I (Aug 25, 2025)
08/25/2025

HR Cert Exam Prep PHR SPHR

Certificates & Courses
Online
UsersGroup
Extended Education
BulletedList
3.6 CEUs
Coins
$640

Frequently Asked Questions

HR is critical for all businesses, regardless of their size. It provides the building blocks for success by maintaining culture, business communications, staffing efficiencies and ensuring the organization is following regulatory requirements for a positive work environment.

HR serves the interests of employees and employers alike. While these professionals work to ensure the organization is staffed appropriately and running smoothly, they also contribute to and measure the happiness of its workers. After all, a business is only as successful as its people.

To enter this field, you can complete your bachelor's degree in HR or even a related field like finance, management, education or information technology. Once achieved, you may want to look into master’s or certification for professional development to gain a competitive edge. Find your program at UMass Global.

One primary benefit of hiring from within is saving both money and time since internal employees already have the institutional knowledge and need less training. This lends itself to less risk of turnover as well as improving retention and motivation for top talent and rising stars. Explore more benefits.

Human resources, or HR, is the department within an organization that helps manage the people who make the business possible. They may work with leaders and individuals to ensure staffing needs are met, workers are satisfied and track efficiencies of their contributions across the company.

Depending on the size of the company, an HR professional might be involved in one or several of the following activities:

  1. Recruiting, hiring and retaining talent
  2. Employee engagement
  3. Performance management
  4. Compensation and benefits
  5. Development and training
  6. Risk management
  7. Audits and legal compliance

Ideally, you’ll want to earn a bachelor’s degree in human resources or a related field first. Some higher-level positions may require a master’s degree. The next step is to acquire work experience, then finally you may want to consider pursing an industry certification to gain a competitive advantage. Read more.

Creating a positive work environment involves many factors, but they all wrap up into creating a positive culture. Expert tips include:

  1. Identify your organization’s core values
  2. Establish trust by representing those values
  3. Maintain clear and consistent expectations
  4. Ensure your employees feel valued

Find out more.

Professional development provides employees with opportunities to maintain and obtain the skills required for their current jobs, as well as next steps in their careers. Although it has many benefits, the primary importance is to minimize turnover since employees who do not see a clear path to advancement are at risk of leaving.

A primary contributing factor to improving retention is to develop strong professional development opportunities for employees. By offering pathways for growth, including educational benefits, organizations keep employees engaged and invested in the company, making success a mutually beneficial outcome. Learn more from business leaders.

Turnover rate is the rate at which all employees, not just new hires, are leaving the company. This satisfaction metric is calculated by dividing the voluntary departures in a given period by the average number of employees during that same period, then multiplying by 100. See more HR calculations.