New Human Resources Degree Begins Fall 2020

Businesses change, evolve, and grow stronger - and human resources play a key role in that cycle of success.

Beginning in Fall 2020, St. Ambrose University undergraduate students can choose Human Resource Management as a major in the College of Business.

This bachelor's degree program will prepare students to join the HR industry at an entry level.

And because SAU students have a background in the liberal arts, a career in Human Resources means putting to work the skills they learned such as problem solving, ethics, and compassion for workers.

"A degree in Human Resources is meaningful for today's students because the way people work changes so rapidly," said Management Associate Professor Jason Senjem, PhD. "We will need HR professionals who not only can navigate labor laws, assist with conflict management, and develop training programs but also do all of that by thinking critically and nimbly."

Just like other College of Business programs, HR students will be required to complete an internship in their senior year.

"In the HRM major, students gain a number of skills including how to communicate, analyze data, and collaborate," Senjem said. "But experience outside the classroom is necessary in order to practice those skills. That's why an internship is so important."

As part of the personal Ambrose experience, faculty help HR majors find an appropriate internship based on the student's strengths and interests.

"I recently talked to a graduating student whose HR internship has now turned into a career in HR," Senjem said, "and that's what we always want for our students."

For more information on the Bachelor of Arts in Human Resource Management at St. Ambrose, visit the program website.