Human Resource Management Degree – Wayne State College Nebraska

Explore the Human Resource Management degree program

Do you have an interest in maximizing employee performance within an organization? Do you want to hire the right people for a position? Do you want to help people have fulfilling careers within an organization? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you should consider the Human Resource Management degree program at Wayne State College.

The HR management degree program provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to improve efficiency and effectiveness through the management of people within organizations. The concentration focuses on the necessary human resource management practices that support the organization’s business strategy: training and development, recruitment and selection, employee compensation and benefits, labor law and employee relations, performance, and motivation. With a business degree, you’ll be ready to take on a career in any company or organization.

View program courses Download program fact sheet (PDF)

Fast facts

Degree options:

B.A. or B.S. in Business Administration/Human Resource Management
Minor in Business Administration

Delivery format: On campus (Wayne) or online

Program credit hours: 69

Business foundation (21 credit hours)
Business core (27 credit hours)
Human resource management concentration (21 credit hours)

Note: Students must also take 30 credit hours of General Studies courses. A total of 120 credit hours are needed to graduate from WSC. Additional majors or minors can be added to help meet graduation requirements.

School: Business and Technology

Department: Business and Economics

Prepare for your future

Opportunities and outcomes

Human resource management topics covered

Workforce planning, recruitment, and job design
Employment laws and regulations
Human resource information systems
Conflict management and resolution
Legal and ethical standards of business

Student learning outcomes

Demonstrate an understanding of the core areas of business, which includes accounting, economics, management, quantitative business, finance, marketing, legal environment, information systems, and international
Demonstrate effective skills in written and oral communication in business settings
Work effectively in a team environment
Apply ethical frameworks to formulate management decision alternatives

Career Scholars Program

Students majoring in Human Resource Management are eligible to take part in the Career Scholars Program. The Career Scholars Program offers a generous scholarship package while you embark on a unique cooperative education journey starting your freshman year at Wayne State. During your time here, you’ll participate in career readiness activities, job site visits, job shadowing, and more - all while learning the fundamentals of professional practice. After three years on campus, you’ll complete your senior year by working at a paid job in your chosen field. Job locations include Norfolk or Grand Island, Neb., where you'll live in community housing with fellow Career Scholars students.

Career Scholars Program

Human resource management internships

Our outstanding Career Services Office is available to help you find human resource management internships and career opportunities. Students recently completed internships at the following locations:

Associated Wholesale Grocers
Case Industries, LLC.
Columbus Motor Company
Michael Foods
Shyft Group

Career services and internships

Graduates of the Human Resource Management degree program work in their chosen field using the skills they learned while at Wayne State College. Each year, eager employers welcome WSC graduates into their organizations.

Jobs of recent graduates:

Chief Operating Officer – Aventure Staffing (Sioux City, Iowa)
Healthcare Placement Consultant – Alliance Medical Staffing (Omaha, Neb.)
HR Generalist – Nebraska Department of Administrative Services (Lincoln, Neb.)
Human Resources Assistant – Providence Medical Center (Wayne, Neb.)
Human Resources Director – Antelope Memorial Hospital (Neligh, Neb.)
Human Resources Manager – Bauer Underground (Norfolk, Neb.)
HR Recruiter – Behlen Manufacturing (Columbus, Neb.)
Skills Training Specialist – Employment Works, Inc. (Norfolk, Neb.)
Talent Acquisition Coordinator – Blue Cross Blue Shield (Omaha, Neb.)

Public disclosure of student achievement

job or grad school placement rate
within six months of graduation
Data based on most recent
employment outcomes survey

After graduating from Wayne State College, recent grads pursued advanced degrees at the following schools:

Business Administration (MBA) – Wayne State College (Wayne, Neb.)
Human Resource Management (MBA) – Wayne State College (Wayne, Neb.)
Law (J.D.) – University of Nebraska-College of Law (Lincoln, Neb.)

Cost of attendance

Most Affordable College in Nebraska

- College Affordability Guide, 2024

Wayne State is considered the most affordable four-year college or university in Nebraska. With same rates for in- and out-of-state students, our tuition guarantee, and our generous scholarship packages, it is clear to see how WSC earned the title. In fact, the average remaining annual cost of attendance for 2024-25 is $2,268 for undergraduate students after financial aid and scholarships.

Credits: 3
Description: Development of critical communication skills used in business and industry. Emphasis on assisting Business students to become more effective and efficient writers. Includes instructions, reports, memos, and letters.
Prerequisite: ENG 102 Composition Skills
Credits: 3
Description: Introduction to the study of law, the law of contracts, agency and employment, negotiable instruments, personal property and bailments, and the laws governing the sale of goods.
Credits: 3
Description: A study of the following statistical tools as applied to the business and economic milieu: collection and presentation of data, distributional measurements, probability and sampling, statistical inferences, linear regression and correlation, analysis of variance, and selected nonparametric statistics.
Prerequisite: MAT 105 Intermediate Algebra, or General Studies math requirement
Credits: 3
Description: A study of the role of accounting in the business environment. Emphasis is on applying basic terminology, concepts, processes, and outputs of the modern accounting system; development of an understanding of the nature and purpose of the major financial statements; and development of the ability to evaluate financial accounting information in problem-solving and decision making.
Credits: 3
Description: Continuation of BUS 240 Accounting I. Emphasis is on further study of items reported within major financial statements and development of the ability to evaluate managerial accounting information in problem-solving and decision making.
Prerequisite: BUS 240 Accounting I
Credits: 3
Description: In this course, the principal macroeconomic measurements of national production; unemployment and inflation will be introduced. Theories of how these measures interact and how they are influenced by activity in households, businesses, the federal government, and the Federal Reserve System, as well as the impact of international trade, will also be studied.
Credits: 3
Description: In this course, the principal microeconomic market model of supply and demand will be studied. Additional topics introduced to add to our understanding of the basic model will include resource allocation concepts, production and cost theory, consumer theory, and market structure conditions.

Business core courses (27 credits)

Credits: 3
Description: Develops the management art and science of planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling through people to make ideas materialize within economic constraints of a business enterprise. Develops ability to construct policy, to make scientifically sound decisions within that policy, and to establish ethical procedures to insure organized productive effort to intended objectives. Develops a management attitude, outlook, and ability.
Credits: 3
Description: Survey of the problems and opportunities involved in conducting business operations across national boundaries. Analysis of the concepts, tools, institutions, and environmental factors controlling international flows of money, personnel, information, goods, and services.
Credits: 3
Description: This course facilitates students in conquering the essential concepts of product, price, promotion, distribution, segmentation, ethics, and social responsibility, while addressing the evolving digital and social media influences. The fundamentals will be stressed allowing for useful decision processes by managers while encouraging the development of the marketing specialist as one of the key decision makers in a firm. Marketing is critical to implementing strategy, gaining competitive advantages, and ensuring positive organizational results.
Credits: 3
Description: A study of the financial function within a business enterprise. Areas addressed include financial analysis, working capital management, capital budgeting, sources and forms of long-term financing, financial structure, and cost of capital.
Prerequisites: BUS 226 Business Statistics, and BUS 241 Accounting II or BUS 142 Survey of Accounting
Credits: 3
Description: Successfully managing operations is vital to the long-term viability of every type of organization. This course provides a broad overview of issues in operations and supply chain management emphasizing a strategic orientation toward design and improvement issues. Specific topics include competitiveness; operations strategy; quality management; statistical process control; design of products, services, processes, and facilities; forecasting; supply chain management; logistics; project management; inventory management; lean production; and scheduling.
Credits: 3
Description: This course will examine theoretical structures that shape or influence Western thought and review specific professional codes of ethics relevant to business majors. Students will learn a decision-making framework for examining and articulating well-reasoned positions on ethical issues in business.
Credits: 3
Description: This course focuses on public, administrative, and regulatory law, and the relationship of business to the legal structure. Topics include employee and consumer protection, environmental regulation, labor law, monopolies, price-fixing, and the regulation of domestic and international trade.
Credits: 3
Description: Involves analysis of cases in which knowledge from basic courses in marketing, accounting, finance, management, and economics is integrated and applied. Demonstrated interrelationship between the functions of business, complexities of business problems, and strategic management models are addressed.
Prerequisites: BUS 270 Principles of Marketing, BUS 322 Managerial Finance, BUS 352 Operations and Supply Chain Management, or instructor approval; and completion of 105 semester credit hours
Credits: 0
Description: This course requires students to demonstrate or report their level of achievement of the student learning objectives developed for the Business Administration major foundation, core, and concentration courses. Various assessment measures such as surveys, comprehensive exams, and capstone projects will be used to gather student data. Completion of this course is a graduation requirement. Graded S/N.
Prerequisite: Completion of 100 semester credit hours
Credits: 3
Description: Emphasis is on providing breadth of knowledge in the organizational concepts and considerations surrounding the use of information systems technologies such as computer systems and communications systems. Topics include role of information systems in managerial functions, general systems theory, design and implementation of Management Information Systems (MIS), decision support systems, expert systems, and artificial intelligence.

Human resource management concentration courses (21 credit hours)

Credits: 3
Description: This course identifies the foundations of human resources in an organizational setting. The course introduces students to the history of human resource management and its role, and provides an overview of human resource management including: workforce planning and employment; employee recruitment, selection, orientation, performance appraisals; human resource development; job analysis and design; compensation and benefits; employee relations; and Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS).
Credits: 3
Description: This course focuses on developing and implementing programs and processes directed toward organizational performance improvement, learning, and change; employee training and development; and addressing the unique needs of a diverse workforce. Students will utilize tools for assessment, analysis and evaluation for the purpose of identifying and establishing priorities and measuring the results of human resource development activities.
Credits: 3
Description: This course focuses on the development and implementation of recruitment, selection, on boarding, succession planning, retention, and organizational exit programs necessary to achieve organizational objectives. Students will apply techniques such as Markov analysis to assess labor (internal and external) supply and demand; and metrics to evaluate recruitment sources and retention strategies, such as return on investment, cost per hire, and time to fill. Further, students will incorporate technology through the application of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS).
Credits: 3
Description: This course focuses on the design and management of total compensation programs. The course will examine the internal consistency and external competitiveness of wage structures and how organizations assign pay rates to various jobs. Students will apply procedures to conduct job evaluation, and tie pay plans to employee performance and skill development. Further, they will assess and recommend benefits plans, such as health care insurance, pensions, and legally mandated benefits; and other incentives, such as tuition reimbursement, flexible schedules.
Credits: 3
Description: This course focuses on the workplace relationship between employer and employee. Students will explore activities that maintain relationships and working conditions that balance employer and employee needs and rights. Further, students will identify plans and policies which provide a safe and secure working environment and protect the organization from liability.
Credits: 3
Description: This course examines the role of human resource management practitioners and leaders as a strategic partner to business unit leaders. Students will be able to demonstrate how strategic human resource management influences, contributes to and supports the organization’s mission, values, and strategic objectives. Further, students will apply tools, such as a human resource management scorecard, and processes to formulate policies, conduct cost/benefit analysis for human resource management interventions, and measure human resource management’s contributions to organizational effectiveness. Class fee of $25 is required.
Prerequisites: BUS 367 Foundations of Human Resource Management, and senior standing or instructor approval
Choose one of the following courses:
- BUS 350 Managing Behavior in Organizations (3 credits) – This course prepares students to lead and manage organizations in a highly competitive environment. Students will understand and identify methods for improving and maintaining aspects of individual and organizational performance. The course includes an examination of management and the applied behavioral sciences; organizational goals, training and performance; organizational culture; motivation and behavior; building effective relationships; planning and implementing change; leadership strategies; and integrating situational leadership.
- BUS 356 Conflict Management (3 credits) – This course will introduce students to an analysis of conflict. Students will explore questions such as: What is conflict? How do different people respond to conflict? What are the costs of conflict in a person’s life and in the workplace? When is conflict constructive and when is it destructive? Further, students will learn the best tools for resolving conflict in community, corporate, organizational, legal, and interpersonal settings.
- BUS 357 Negotiations (3 credits) – Students in this course will learn about conflict, conflict resolution and negotiations. Students will learn and exercise tactics to become better negotiators. During the course students will study the concepts, engage in exercises, and participate in simulated negotiations.
- CIS 477 Project Management (3 credits) – This course provides an introduction to the management of projects. Emphasis is placed on both the technical aspects of the project management process and the management of the human behavioral/situational aspects of projects. The nature of projects is explored. The techniques and tools of project management are introduced. Operational, tactical, and strategic implications of project management approaches are considered. The use of current project management software is incorporated. Students are also provided with an understanding of the many environmental and behavioral issues surrounding project management, and approaches to dealing with these issues. Graduate students in these courses have additional requirements beyond those for the undergraduate students.
- ECO 320 Labor Economics (3 credits) – A study of the labor market focusing on demand for labor, supply of labor, wage determination and occupational wage differential, investment in human capital, discrimination and labor market outcomes, collective bargaining, industrial relations, labor laws, employment, unemployment, and related public policy issues. Prerequisite: ECO 203 Principles of Microeconomics

Popular pairings

Many students at Wayne State will add a second major or a minor to complement their program of study or to focus their studies on a specific topic. Students who recently majored in Human Resource Management at Wayne State also paired this major with one or more of the following programs:

Management (major)
Pre-Law (minor)
Psychology (major or minor)
Spanish (major or minor)

View all majors and minors

Related programs

Students interested in the Human Resource Management program may also be interested in:

Business Management (B.A. or B.S.)
Organizational Leadership and Public Relations (B.A. or B.S.)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Meet the professors

Business and Economics Department faculty

Henry Akaeze, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Mwata Chisha, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Laura Dendinger, J.D.

Professor

Joseph Faello, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Trisha Kolterman, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Michelle Laughlin, Ed.D.

Assistant Professor

Kelly Legler, MBA

Instructor

Pat Lutt, Ph.D.

Professor

Lindsay McLaughlin, Ed.D.

Assistant Professor

Jeryl Nelson, Ph.D.

Professor

Charles Parker, Ph.D.

Professor

Student clubs for business and human resource management majors

Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (CEO) - Develop an entrepreneurial mindset through networking opportunities
Delta Sigma Pi - A coed professional organization for business, computing, sport management, fashion merchandising, and industrial management majors
National Society of Leadership and Success - The nation's largest leadership honor society
Sigma Beta Delta - International honor society for business
Society for Human Resource Management - Student chapter of the national SHRM organization