Human Resource Management major earns Society for Human Resource Management academic alignment renewal

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has recognized Elon’s Human Resource Management major for fully aligning with the SHRM HR Curriculum Guidebook.

The global professional association’s academic standards are based on extensive research and revalidated every three to five years. Over time, the SHRM HR Curriculum Guidebook increasingly integrates the HR Competency Model components most relevant to early-career HR professionals.

The Human Resource Management (HRM) major is offered by the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. The major was originally recognized by SHRM in 2017 and recently received academic alignment renewal in December 2020.

“Having our HRM curriculum aligned with SHRM standards shows that our program properly prepares HRM graduates for HR-related careers,” said Brian Lyons, associate professor of management.

In addition to accumulating knowledge and skills in the B.S. in Business Administration core curriculum, Elon’s HRM majors gain greater understanding of:

• The effects of external factors and organizational strategy on HR practices;
• Government legislation impacting HR practices;
• The impact of staffing on organizational performance;
• Developing effective training modules and evaluating their outcomes;
• The impact of various compensation and benefits plans on employee recruitment and retention;
• The importance of designing effective performance management systems to drive organizational performance;
• Using HR analytics to evaluate HR practices; and
• Creating and delivering HR products to clients.

Since the program is recognized by SHRM, HRM majors have the opportunity to take the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) exam in their final year of study.

“Research has shown that employers frequently prefer or require HR certification in their HR openings,” Lyons said. “We are grateful to offer this opportunity to our students.”

“Being SHRM certified before even graduating will make me feel so much more confident going into the professional world,” shared Alyssa Keller ’21, president of Elon’s SHRM student chapter, who plans to take the exam this spring. “The qualification shows employers that Elon students are not only already knowledgeable, but also want to keep bettering themselves.”

For more information on Elon’s HRM major, contact Lyons at blyons4@elon.edu.