Undergraduate Major & Minor - Human Resources & Industrial Relations

Human resource management is critical to the successful functioning of an organization. As an HR major, you will learn how organizations use human resources management to create a competitive organization and to help employees achieve fulfilling work lives. Among many other important topics, you will learn to facilitate human resources practices to: 

  • Attract, recruit, select, reward and retain the best talent for your organization 
  • Provide employee feedback, coaching and developmental opportunities for employees
  • Design and evaluate training and development programs 
  • Determine fair and equitable pay structures
  • Improve employee engagement and organizational culture
  • Meet legal standards

Major Curriculum

View the full Human Resources and Industrial Relations Major catalog:

First-year students entering Fall 2022:

Human Resources and Industrial Relations Major Program Requirements and Course Descriptions

Students entering prior to Fall 2022 and transfer students entering prior to Fall 2023:

Prior to Fall 2022 Human Resources and Industrial Relations Major Program Requirements and Course Descriptions

 

Minor Curriculum

View the full Human Resources and Industrial Relations Minor catalog:

Human Resources and Industrial Relations Minor Program Requirements and Course Descriptions

Four-year Plan

Human Resources & Industrial Relations Major Sample Plan

The APAS is the official method for tracking the completion of your specific degree requirements. Please be aware that there are multiple ways for students to progress through this major. This is just one sample. Students should work with their advisor to develop their individual plan.

Italic: course pre-requisites and co-requisites (designated by &)

Bold: Liberal Ed requirement

Print Plan

Freshman Year

Fall Semester

  • Econ 1165 Business Economics (Soc Sci) (4cr)
  • BA 2551 Business Statistics in R (Math) (4cr)
  • BA 1011 Leading Self & Teams (2cr)
  • BA 1021 Design Your Life (1cr)
  • Writ 1301 First Year Writing (4cr)

15 credits

Spring Semester

  • Acct 2051 Financial Reporting (4cr)
  • BA 2051 Solving Business Scenarios in Excel (2cr)
  • BA 2062 Powerful Problem Solving (2cr)
  • Design Your Career (1cr)
  • BA 2005 Corporate Responsibility & Ethics (Civ) (3cr) 
  • Liberal Ed (3-4cr)

15-16 credits

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester

Maroon Block I-Core

  • Mktg 3001 Principles of Marketing (3cr)
  • IDSc 3001 Information Systems & Digital Transformation (3cr)
  • BA 3001 Race, Power, & Justice in Business (RPJ) (3cr)
  • Acct 3001 Strategic Management Accounting (3cr)
  • BA 3051 Data-Driven Business Decisions (BA 2551 & BA 2051) (3cr)

15 credits

Spring Semester

Gold Block I-Core

  • Fina 3001 Finance Fundamentals (Acct 2051 & BA 2551) (3cr)
  • Mgmt 3004 Strategic Management (3cr)
  • SCO 3001 Sustainable Supply Chain Management (3cr)
  • HRIR 3021 Human Capital Management (3cr)
  • BA 3062 Impact Lab Project (BA 2062) (2cr)

14 credits

Declare a major: 
z.umn.edu/CarlsonDeclare

Junior Year

Fall Semester

  • BA 3551 Business Analytics (BA 2551 & BA 2051) (3cr)
  • HRIR 3041 Organizational Behavior (HRIR 3021) (2cr)
  • HRIR elective (2cr)
  • Liberal Ed (4cr) 
  • Liberal Ed (3cr)
  • Elective (2cr)

16 credits

Spring Semester

  • BA 3033W Business Communication (3cr)
  • HRIR 3111 HR Analytics (HRIR 3021 & statistics)(2cr)
  • HRIR 3031 Staffing & Selection (HRIR 3021) (2cr)
  • HRIR 3071 Union Org & Labor Relations (HRIR 3021) (2cr)
  • HRIR elective (2cr)
  • Liberal Ed (4cr)

15 credits

Senior Year

Fall Semester

  • HRIR 3051 Compensation Theory & Practice (HRIR 3021) (2cr)
  • HRIR elective (2cr)
  • HRIR elective (2cr)
  • Liberal Ed (3cr)
  • Liberal Ed (3cr)
  • Elective (3cr)

15 credits

Spring Semester

  • HRIR 4801W Senior Capstone: Personal & Organizational Leadership (3021, senior status & majority of major completed) (4cr)
  • Liberal Ed (3cr)
  • Elective (4cr)
  • Elective (3cr)

14 credits

Total Credits Needed for Degree: 120

Note: Students must complete an international experience as part of the program requirements. Short-term programs or semester-length programs may be used to meet this requirement. Explore your options: z.umn.edu/CarlsonIE

  • The Major Core Curriculum is 22 credits for students entering Fall 2020 and later.
  • HRIR 3021 is a prerequisite for all HRIR courses.

Human resources professionals are strategic partners with business leaders at all levels of the organization and provide consultation on a wide range of employment issues, each of which are critical to the success of the enterprise:

  • HR professionals align people management practices with organizational goals while maintaining the ethical integrity of the workplace.
  • HR professionals actively oversee the analysis and design of work, talent acquisition, training and development, compensation and benefits packages, and the promotion of a high-performance culture.
  • Successful and effective HR professionals are highly analytical and business-minded, and understand the role and interplay of multiple company functions, including finance, accounting, operations, sales, marketing, and information technology.
  • To facilitate better decision making, HR professionals collect and analyze complex workplace data to understand trends, behaviors, and predict future HR program needs.
  • HR professionals oversee and promote ethical behavior and an inclusive, safe workplace. As employee advocates, they serve to create a work environment that fosters employee well-being and resolves workplace conflict. Issuing guidance on employment laws and regulations, as well as working with labor unions, are additional key components of human resource management.

Sample careers for Human Resources and Industrial Relations majors:

  • Recruiter
  • Human Resources Specialist 
  • Diversity and Inclusion Partner 
  • Project Management Associate 
  • Associate Talent Management Specialist 

Companies/Orgs that hire Human Resources and Industrial Management students: 

  • Ecolab
  • RSM 
  • Target 
  • T- Mobile 

FIND MORE HUMAN RESOURCES AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS KEY CAREER INFO

Contact Undergraduate Program