Associates Degree in Human Resources

"You may want to look into human resources programs if you enjoy working with people. The term Human Resource refers to employees working in an organization. Employees are the most valuable assets in any business. Their satisfaction translates into better productivity and more competitiveness for the company.

What do human resource professionals do in general?

The following list is meant to give you a general overview of what human resource (HR) professional do. The following tasks may differ depending upon your actual job designation or title.

• Recruit, interview, and hire new employees
• Help set company’s HR policies
• Train and develop existing workforce
• Develop workforce and management relations
• Manage compensation and benefit schemes
• Consult with top executives on HR strategy planning

If this is what you would like to do, then the shortest way to achieving your professional goals is by enrolling in an associate’s degree program in HR.

Is a 2-year degree in human resources worth the effort?

The answer is yes for one reason; not everyone has the time or finances to pursue a bachelor’s degree in human resources. An associate degree, therefore, is one of the best ways to get your foot in the door, gaining work experience and ultimately working your way towards becoming a human resource manager or a similar position is definitely worth it.

Admission Requirements

These may not be too stringent as the degree is mostly offered by community colleges, technical schools, and online institutes (this however does not mean that completing the degree will be a walk in the park).

General admission requirements are:

• Online application
• High school diploma or its equivalent
• Minimum age requirements
• TOEFL (for international applicants)

Program Structure and Coursework

An Associate of human resources degree may enable you to find a variety of jobs. These programs teach students the processes and procedures relevant to those employed by a business.

The curriculum of an Associate of human resources degree includes subjects such as compensation and benefits, labor laws, workforce planning, training and safety. Basic functions of the field such as advertising jobs, carrying out interviews, evaluating employees, tracking hours worked and managing salaries are some of the topics that are covered.

The courses may vary depending on the university that you enroll in. However look through the following list of courses to get a general idea of what you’ll study in an associate degree in Human Resources.

• Human Resource Management
• Mathematics for Business and Finance
• Training Concepts
• Interpersonal Communication
• Business Statistics
• Applied Research Skills
• Compensation Management
• Employee Benefits

Career options

So what can you do with 2 years of studies in human resources? The following is not an exhaustive list of positions that you may qualify for after completing your degree.

• Human Resources Specialists – They screen, interview and recruit the workforce. They may also place workers in their respective departments. More specifically they perform the following:

• Prepare and maintain record on the workforce like their date of hiring, leaves, promotions, transfers and terminations. For this purpose they may use human resource management software.
• Shortlist applicants and recommend them for interviewing and hiring.
•  Develop and implement HR policies in consultation with the top management.
• Conduct new employee training and orientation workshops.

O* NET Online reports them earning a median yearly salary of $56,630 in 2013. Their job growth is expected to be at least 8% to 14% from 2012 to 2022.

• Human Resources Assistants – They compile and keep personal records on the work force.  These include absences, weekly earnings, addresses, supervisory reports, amount of sales, etc. More specifically they perform the following duties:

• Advertise for job vacancies
• Process and review employment applications
• Run background checks on shortlisted applicants
• Answer questions regarding eligibility, benefits, salaries, etc
• Explain the company’s HR policies to applicants, and employees

O* NET Online reports these professionals earning a median yearly salary of $37,680 in 2013.
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