Content Guidelines for an Undergraduate Human Resources Curriculum: Recommendations From Human Resources Professionals

Abstract

In this study, the authors surveyed 445 human resources (HR) professionals to determine their views regarding the HR curriculum content that will lead to graduates' success in entry-level (first-job) HR positions. Ninety-eight questionnaires (22%) were returned. Respondents identified five topics—equal employment opportunity/affirmative action (EEO/AA), employee rights and responsibilities, recruitment, selection, and compensation—as most important. They considered internship experience to be more valuable than professional human resource certification and indicated that HR curricula should reflect workplace and societal trends, general business understanding, and communication and teamwork skills. For HR curriculum development, the authors suggest a "niche" approach that provides in-depth training in some common HR functions, along with training in communication and teamwork skills.