Be involved in every part of the business.
With a master's degree in Human Resource Leadership, you'll learn about organizational priorities and challenges, while being involved in finding workable solutions. It's about creating a culture that fosters growth and innovation. With this degree, you'll have a direct impact on a company's future.
Human Resource Leadership is the field of study that focuses on the strategic management of human capital within an organization. As an HR leader, you will be responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs that impact the people who work for your organization.
Offered by the John Chambers College of Business and Economics, the M.S. in Human Resource Leadership plan of study requires 30 credit hours of graduate coursework. The program is designed for working professionals with varying educational and professional backgrounds. Students may enter the M.S. in Human Resource Leadership program at the start of the fall semester, completing the program in 12 or 24-months.
Invest in your future
By focusing on developing advanced professional knowledge, data-driven decision-making skills, and leadership capabilities, our M.S. in Human Resource Leadership graduates will be positioned to complete in a growing market and to see continued upward movement along their career path.
Our graduates will be subject matter experts with the ability to make data-driven managerial decisions and will graduate with the skills to assume leadership roles within their organizations. Students will possess both the technical Human Resource Leadership skills in demand by national employers, as well as the "soft" or "people" skills frequently absent from on-the-job training.
Our students will be educated in how to understand business practice and strategy from an integrated perspective that is not limited to a functional "silo." Students will apply their learning to improve the performance of organizations in local, state, and federal contexts by leveraging the diverse talents of human capital.
Academic Alignment
As of July 23, 2023, West Virginia University aligned its M.S. in Human Resource Leadership with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates. Throughout the world, more than 500 programs in approximately 425 educational institutions have been acknowledged by SHRM as being in alignment with its suggested guides and templates. The HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates were developed by SHRM to define the minimum HR content areas that should be studied by HR students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The guidelines--created in 2006 and revalidated in 2010, 2013 and 2017--are part of SHRM’s Academic Initiative to define HR education standards taught in university business schools and help universities develop degree programs that follow these standards.
Attend a Virtual Information Session
Thank you for your interest in the Human Resource Leadership program at West Virginia University! Attend a Virtual Information Session and learn more about the Human Resource Leadership M.S. program.