Associates Degree in Human Resources

Earn your human resource associate degree today from a top HR school. When plotting out the essential elements of a successful company, some of the same components of business come to people's minds: production, services, customers, sales, revenue, management, accounting, and so on. Start your human resource Associates degree today! One of the areas that individuals initially overlook is that of human resources. Just like cars depend upon the resource of oil to get them to where they want to go, and just like homes depend on natural gas to keep them warm during cold times, so too do businesses depend on the greatest resource of all humans to carry the business forward and keep the environment hospitable and efficient. See all HR associate degree schools below.

As you're considering avenues in the business world, you might find that you're warm, caring personality, and your incredible ability to ascertain individuals' strengths and weaknesses, can go a long way in serving in a human resources department. While others have strengths with numbers, and others have strengths with sales, your unique gifts might be best employed inside of a department that's allows you to focus on the resource of people. It's time to develop these skills and acquire your Associates Degree in human resources training so that you can be ready to jump into this ideal career position.

Those who pursue a career in human resources often describe themselves as highly motivated, organized, caring, and good communicators. The unique aspect of human resources departments inside of businesses is that they exist outside of the bounds of general management. This means that these individuals control and organize the institution in ways that diverge from the general management tactics of the profit-seeking leaders. Generally, managers have external concerns namely, revenue that they use their internal resources to procure. Human resources is a department of leadership that has an internal focus directly on the management and wellbeing of the employees that make the enterprise possible.

 

Human Resource Schools

 

A degree in human resources will transform you from a caring person into a caring person who is highly knowledgeable in areas of law, psychology, recruitment, organization, administration, and compensation. In the same day you might find yourself playing counselor, leader, and disciplinarian. In fact, there are many hats of responsibility that the human resources employee wears, and your education and experience will enable you to adeptly take on all necessary responsibilities to ensure a positive, effective working environment.

If you're hired by a smaller organization, it is likely that you will manage nearly all of the tasks required by that company for the human resource role. However, when hired by a larger company that possesses a large human resources department, you might find yourself in a specialized role, such as a generalist, a coordinator, or a recruiter. Each of these roles has unique challenges and rewards for you and the employees you're serving. And an Associate's Degree in Human Resources equips you with the knowledge and experience needed to successful fulfill the elements of these roles. You might additional find yourself responsible for staff training and development, management, benefits, and problem resolution.

While human resources is renowned for being the department with the contracts to sign and the paperwork to complete, it is ultimately the heart of any thriving organization. You, the individual with the caring heart, are going to become a powerful force in the lives of your fellow employees when you complete your Associate's Degree. Once your education encompasses all of the components of the human resource career, you will discover that you yourself are an incredible resource for many other people at your particular company. So begin on this incredible journey today and become the fuel that transforms a company into a hospitable and efficient force in the business world. You can also find human resource degrees online for those who are busy.

 

Areas Covered in your Human Resource Training

During your Associate’s degree in HR you’ll take courses that cover many of the below topics.
- HR Management
- Staffing Needs
- Training of Staff
- Employee Benefits - Including insurance, 401 k
- Communications
- Organizational Behavior
- Computer Applications - Including payroll
- Legal – Issues in HR

 

Different Types of Human Resource Certifications

Professionals in HR Certification (PHR) – You’ll need 1 year of HR experience before you can be eligible to take the exam. The exam is multiple choice and takes approx. 3 hours to complete. The certification is valid for up to 3 years.

Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) – You need a minimum of 4 years as a human resource professional with a Master’s degree or higher or 7 years of experience if you only have a bachelor’s degree. The exam is the same length as the PHR and has 175 multiple choice questions. The cost of the certification exam is currently $525

 

Finding a Top Human Resources College

Most of the HR schools you’ll find will offer a Business Administration program that focuses on human resources. This type of Associate’s degree will be prefect for those just entering into the market looking for an entry level position in HR. Be sure to research the following areas when looking into any school you are considering enrolling in.

Tuition Cost – Tuition can range from $2500 to over $15,000 depending on the program.

Accreditation – You should only enroll in a college that is either nationally or regionally accredited.

Scholarships – Be sure to ask if they offer any specific HR or business scholarships before you enroll. If the school you want to attend doesn’t you can always check online for other scholarships that can be applied to your school.
Once you graduate with your Associate’s degree in human resource management you’ll be able to start applying for careers in the following fields:

- Human Resource Assistant
- Recruiter (for both large or small corporations)
- Employee Relations Assistant
- Corporate Employee Benefits Manager
- Human Resource Contractor or Consultant

HR Resources
National Human Resources Association - Updated Feb 1, 2019
International Public Management Association for Human Resources - Last Visited January 22, 2019