What are good colleges for me to go to if i want to become a Human resource person?

Hi Terrell,

I recently started a career in Human Resources about three months ago. So bare in mind that I'm pretty new to the field. I agree with what Robert said above, with the idea that there are many different functions of HR.
I work in the talent acquisition and recruiting department of HR. This means that I'm involved with the hiring for people in our office across the nation - from scheduling interviews, to conducting phone screens, to meeting people in person and assessing whether or not they are a good fit for the company. I chose this specific field within HR because I like interacting with people and like improving my conversational skills. I would recommend looking more into the different fields to see what you might be interested in and what department you think you might succeed in.

I don't think it matters as much where you go to college - I started college with plans to become a teacher, but decided to go a different direction. It's more of what you make of it. I don't have any advice as far as what specific schools to go to, but I would recommend majoring in a subject that places emphasis on human interactions - such as (but not limited to) education, sociology, psychology....
Hope this helps!

Hey Terrell,

I have been in HR for going on 20 years, and my major in college was Creative Writing. Where you go to school is not that critical. You can find a school that offers coursework in HR Management, and other specialized disciplines, but I am going to share some advice my HR Mentors gave me. Go vertical in one or two disciplines. The broad HR Generalis/HR Business Partner paths are difficult to drop into directly, and you will find that most people who are in those roles, or HR Manager/Leadership roles, have gone vertical in one or two other areas before they took on these leadership functions. I went vertical in recruiting and training, and worked my way into the more generalist functions after spending a few years working in those areas first.

As for college, I recommend you choose a major that interests you, but anything that can help with your communication abilities (reasoning, speaking, writing, listening) is going to be useful. Psychology and English are always solid.

While you are in school, try getting part time or internship work in a HR department. Learn about HR administration, and don't be afraid of jobs where you are maintaining employee files or HR paperwork, because that is a wonderful place to learn about the foundations of HR.

Good luck!

I’d recommend you get familiar with what functions a CHRO (Chief Human Resource Officer) manages. Then target a specialization in one of those areas:
Skills (Training Services)
Efficiencies (Human Capital Management)
Rules (Policies both corporate and govt like DOL)
Social Dynamics (i.e. Diversity)
HR Partner (i.e. coaching)

Hope this helps,
-rbt

Here are some good colleges for undergrad and grad students looking into Human Resources:

Brigham Young University
Michigan State University
University of Minnesota
Cornell University

Bellevue College in Bellevue, Washington offers a Human Resources Certificate through the Continuing Education Department. It will prepare you for an entry level position in Human Resources and includes a "capstone" which is a real world project each student completes to demonstrate their core competencies in the field of Human Resources. Doing an internship as part of your certificate studies is also a very good idea in order to land an entry level position following completion of your certificate.

There are many factors to consider when selecting a college, not just the career pathway you are interested in. The size, location, what the college offers in clubs and other activities, internships available, research opportunities, college climate, diversity, cost, your specific interests and talents, and so much more. If you are interested in Human Resources, there are many types of jobs/positions within HR that you may be suited for or that you may like, depending upon your personality and goals. Are you seeking a four year or six year degree, and are you interested in a specialty within Human Resources? Below is a link of 25 colleges for a Bachelor's Degrees in Human Resources. All of them vary by specialty, location, and have something different to offer. It is just a starting point, not exhaustive, and does not eliminate what many other college may have to offer. Happy researching and best of luck. Select the best fit for you and your personality, and what the college will be able to provide you.

I would recommend that you get as much information as possible, and search out college and university programs offering the major. From that you can look into the location, cost, program detail, and get a contact name and phone number of their representative to get further information. You not only want to know the program details, but if the college has a career center and how long, and in what capacity, they will help you in your career search once your classes are completed.
Also, look into an organization like SHRM, and contact them to see if they have a list of recommended programs.
Think about whether your goals and personality would work best with an online or a regular, campus program. An online program would allow you to do the class work at home, but you would have the possibility of connections by going to a campus-based program.
A few schools that come to mind are UMUC in Maryland, Capella, and the University of Phoenix. Good luck!

College Name
Programme Name
Duration
Location
Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI)
Postgraduate Programme in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations
2 Years
Jamshedpur
Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)
M.A. in Human Resources Management and Labour Relations (HRM & LR)
2 Years
Mumbai
Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM)
Master in Business Administration
2 Years
Pune
Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development (SCMHRD)
Post Graduate Diploma in HR
2 Year
Pune
Management Development Institute (MDI)
Post-Graduate Programme in HR
2 Years
Gurgaon
Institute of Management Technology (IMT)
PGDM HR
1 Year
Ghaziabad
Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi
Master of Human Resource and Organisational Development (MHROD)
2 Years
New Delhi
University Business School (UBS), Punjab University
Master of Business Administration (Human Resource)
2 Years
Chandigarh, Punjab
Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS)
Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management
2 Years
Ranchi, Jharkhand
Indian Institute of Management- Calcutta
Executive MBA in HR
10 Months
Calcutta

I would highly recommend King's College located in Wilkes-Barre, PA. I earned my BSBA in Business Administration with a focus in Human Resources. It was a great college to go to especially if you are looking for smaller class rooms, professor who are passionate and have a great knowledge in the career field great internship opportunities, study abroad program (which is what I did for my business degree). I am less than two years out of college and already had plenty of job offers and great job experiences thanks to King's college.