You have an eye for talent, a passion for fostering workplace excellence and the instincts of a strong leader. You know that an organization’s success relies on its people—and you want to develop and apply the systems that support employees to reach their potential.
In this program, you learn to attract, retain and develop top-tier talent. You focus on the human side of business by exploring the psychological and sociological aspects of diversity and inclusion, employee relations and meaningful communication. You also become an expert in areas such as employment law and legislation, compensation, benefits and human resources technology.
What to expect
In the first year of the program, you gain a broad understanding of business fundamentals and the general role of human resources (HR) within an organization. In the second year, you begin to focus more specifically on HR management topics, such as recruitment, employee relations, compensation and workplace dynamics.
You delve more deeply into these important topics in research and analytics courses in your third and fourth years, participating in hands-on, real-world case studies. In a capstone project, you apply what you’ve learned to an industry-based scenario and then present your findings to your classmates and professors.
Real-world leadership experience
Learn about the dynamic world of human resources and how to unlock employee potential through practicums, co-op placements, capstone projects and more.
Your future
With a human resources management major, you engage in internships and projects that allow you to step confidently into the workforce with the skills and experience employers value.
In this program, you learn to:
- Leverage HR technology
- Navigate a global workforce
- Promote diversity and inclusion
- Lead strategically
- Communicate clearly and compassionately
As well, you gain an in-depth understanding of:
- Compensation and benefits
- Union and employee relations
- Health, safety and wellness
- Recruitment and selection
- Legal issues in the workplace
- Strategic human resources
- Learning and development
- HR analytics and program evaluation
Career options for human resources management professionals include:
- Human resources manager
- Arbitrator/mediator
- Benefits manager
- Career development professional
- Compensation and benefits analyst/director
- Employee relations manager
- Occupational analyst
- Payroll processor
- Recruiter/recruitment officer
- Training and development specialist
- Careers and Experience: Career counselling and support from MacEwan career development specialists
- CPHR Alberta: Information on HR trends, career development and professional designations
- Mondaq: Articles about emerging legal and regulatory matters for HR and employment
The Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) hosts detailed occupational profiles, salary survey data, trend reports and assessment tools to help you choose and plan a career that matches your skills and interests.
CPHR accreditation
MacEwan University’s Human Resources Management program is accredited with the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of Alberta (CPHR), preparing graduates for success in their careers.
The learning outcomes for our human resources courses align with the content you are tested on in the CPHR Designation National Knowledge Exam (NKE), making you eligible to waive the exam portion of the designation.
To be eligible, you must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 in the program. In addition to the NKE portion of the CPHR designation, you need three to eight years of professional-level HR work experience to achieve the CPHR designation. Please consult the CPHR website for information on the exact number of years of experience required based on your educational background. You must pay the NKE exam fee when applying to waive the exam.
Program of study
MAJOR | BACHELOR OF COMMERCE
This program of study is open to students in the Bachelor of Commerce. Courses for your major are only one component of your degree. You must complete all courses and requirements outlined in the academic calendar for the year you declare or redeclare your major and minor or the year you are accepted into an Honours program.
