Graduate Human Resources Certificates for the Business Professional

Earning a graduate human resource (HR) certificate can be very advantageous for those looking to advance to higher-level management positions.
 
A human resources certificate is especially beneficial for those who are looking to start out in the human resources field and have already obtained their bachelor’s degree, preferably an HR degree. If you are a recent graduate, jobs in human resources are easier to land if you have additional training that can put you above the competition.
 
A graduate human resources certificate is also an ideal next step for those who have a graduate degree in organizational development or human resources.

Earning a Human Resources Certificate

Many local colleges, accredited online universities and traditional universities offer graduate programs for human resources. The length of the program depends on the curriculum of the school.
 
In general, students will spend between three and five semesters earning a graduate human resources certificate if they are attending as a full-time student. While the cost of HR programs also depends on the institution the student chooses, graduate human resources programs tend to cost around the same amount as other graduate programs.

What You Will Learn

The graduate human resources certificate gives students an overview of many human resource responsibilities that may be encountered while on the job. Some of the topics covered include:
  • employment law and benefits
  • exit interviews
  • surveying employees.

Advanced Graduate Human Resources Certificate

An advanced human resources certificate is another option for business professionals who have already obtained a bachelor’s degree. The program differs in that it requires more credits than a regular graduate human resources certificate. These extra courses go more in-depth into the history and culture of human resources.
 
Earning a graduate human resources management certificate is also an option for those particularly interested in management.
 
Human resources professionals who are looking to further their career and possibly take on a management position should consider obtaining their human resources certifications.

Resources

Stony Brook University (2007). Human Resource Management. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from the Stony Brook University Web site: http://www.sunysb.edu/spd/graduate/hrm.html.

Suffolk University (2008). Graduate Certificate in Human Resources. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from the Suffolk Web site: http://www.suffolk.edu/college/12300.html.