SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE
CURRICULUM
GUIDEBOOK
Guidebook and Templates for
Undergraduate and Graduate Programs
PROJECT TEAM
Internal contributors: Alexander Alonso, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP
Demetrius Norman
Nancy A. Woolever, MAIS, SHRM-SCP
External contributors: Human Resource Research Organization (HumRRO®)
Copy editor: Pam Frasier
Graphic designer: Wilson Fonesca
Disclaimer: This guidebook is published by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
All content is for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as a guaranteed outcome.
SHRM cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or any liability resulting from the use
or misuse of any such information.
©2022 Society for Human Resource Management. All rights reserved.
22-1182
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 1
Foreword
Driven by powerful changes in the business environment, organizations of all types—from startups to
multinationals, not-for-profit to governmental, local to global—are demanding strategic leadership from human
resource (HR) professionals. Today, the breadth and depth of business knowledge, as well as the mastery of
management skills required of HR professionals, are unprecedented.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) believes that the HR student is best prepared for a
career in HR when HR is taught within the business context as embodied in the SHRM Body of Applied Skills
and Knowledge
TM
(SHRM BASK
TM
).
SHRM takes its role in aligning management education seriously, and therefore, the initiative to strengthen HR
degree programs is of enormous interest to SHRM. Since SHRM began this eort, accrediting bodies across
the globe who have a network of schools worldwide have been and continue to be equally dedicated to
advancing quality management education.
The guidebook and associated templates developed by SHRM are the result of a highly interactive, ongoing
process involving practitioner and academic communities. These guidelines are flexible and focused on
outcomes, with the goal to assist educators to realign curricula and courses, publicize their programs
and measure results. The goal of this guidebook is to strengthen business and HR education worldwide.
Furthermore, SHRM has led the way in guiding HR education and encourages colleges and universities to
use the guidebook and templates to develop and reformulate their HR degree programs.
Alexander Alonso, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP
Chief Knowledge Ocer
Society for Human Resource Management
2 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 3
Elevating the Quality of Education in Human Resource Management ........................................................... 4
2022 HR Content Areas at a Glance ......................................................................................................................... 4
SHRM Research on HR Education ............................................................................................................................. 6
Development of the SHRM HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates ......................................................... 6
State of HR Education (SOHRE) Longitudinal Study ............................................................................................... 7
SHRM Revalidation of the HR Curriculum Guidelines .......................................................................................... 8
Participation in Internships: Why Internships Are Important ............................................................................... 8
Development of the SHRM HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates ............................................................ 10
Evolution of the SHRM Competency Model to the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and
Knowledge (SHRM BASK) .........................................................................................................................................12
SHRM Certification Exams ......................................................................................................................................... 13
HR Curriculum 2022: The Changing Nature of HR Education ............................................................................14
Overarching Tenets of the SHRM Curriculum Guidelines ..................................................................................16
Important Elements of HR Curriculum ......................................................................................................................16
Key Results of the 2022 SHRM Curriculum Guidebook Revalidation Study ....................................................19
SHRM Competencies ..................................................................................................................................................... 19
Required HR Content Areas ........................................................................................................................................19
Secondary HR Content Areas .....................................................................................................................................19
Value Ratings of HR and Business Content Areas by Academicians and HR Professionals ............... 20
Curriculum Templates: Sample Course Outlines for Creating
or Modifying an HR Degree Program .....................................................................................................................22
Undergraduate Curriculum:
A Sample Template for Structuring a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
or Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with a Concentration in HRM .....................23
Graduate Curriculum:
A Sample Template for Structuring a Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Curriculum with a Concentration in HRM ................................................................................................................27
Graduate Curriculum:
A Sample Template for Structuring a Master of Science
or Master of Arts in Human Resource Management (Within a Business School) ......................................30
Analyzing Your University’s HR Degree Program for Alignment ....................................................................... 34
Appendix A: Required and Secondary HR Content Areas, and the SHRM Competencies ..........................35
Appendix B: Additional Skill Development and Competency Lists ..................................................................42
Appendix C: Useful SHRM Links ..............................................................................................................................44
Appendix D: Acknowledgments ..............................................................................................................................45
References ...................................................................................................................................................................46
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 3
INTRODUCTION
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has long held an interest in attracting the best
and the brightest talent to the HR profession. The competitive nature of today’s global marketplace and
the increasingly strategic nature of the profession demand a higher level of readiness. To become an HR
professional, one must be well-prepared.
Many choices will be made throughout the career progression of an HR professional. To advance the level of
preparedness necessary to enter the HR field, SHRM’s strategy regarding HR education focuses on a certain
path for students. Choosing to follow an HR career path requires a strong interest in—and dedication to—life-
long learning.
Once the decision is made to pursue HR as a career, SHRM believes that a critical first step is to receive
a formal, well-rounded, robust education in HR, including through HR internships and other HR-specific
experiential learning activities. After earning a degree and securing employment in the HR field, gaining
HR-related work experience leads to career progression. Throughout this process, a key goal is to earn
professional HR credentials. The SHRM certification exams oer an opportunity to gain certification and
pursue continued learning through the recertification process. As the nature and content of the profession
change and evolve, learning throughout one’s career is essential. In Figure 1:
ELEVATING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Figure 1: How to Pursue a Career in Human Resources: Six Simple Steps to Success
Step 1:
Become a SHRM
Student Member
& Grow Your
Network.
Step 2:
Select HR
as Your Major.
Step 3:
Gain Experience
& Competitive
Advantage with
HR Internships.
Step 4:
Earn Your
SHRM-CP in Your
Final Year of Study
to Complement
Your Degree in HR.
Step 5:
Graduate and
Upgrade to
Professional
SHRM
Membership.
Step 6:
Get Ready to
Advance Your
Career.
INTRODUCTION
4 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Anchored in extensive research, this guidebook focuses on why it is important to define the parameters
that should surround HR degree programs and sets out the framework for HR education. The majority of
this guidebook describes the history of SHRM’s academic initiative, the research that shaped it and the
current research on which the 2022 guidebook and templates are based. Table 1A summarizes the required
and secondary HR content areas to include in an HR degree program. The guidelines were revised in
2018 to complement the SHRM Competency Model, and the most current edition of the guidelines (2022)
continues to include the SHRM competencies as part of the requirement for the HR degree program to
qualify for alignment with the SHRM HR curriculum guidelines (please see Tables 1A and 1B). Note that the
2022 guidelines reflect the results of the revalidation research conducted in 2022 that reflects the evolution
of the HR profession on the last four years. It will remain in eect until the research is revalidated again in
approximately 2026.
2022 HR CONTENT AREAS AT A GLANCE
Table 1A: HR Content Areas from the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge (SHRM BASK)
HR Technical Expertise Competency
Required Content Areas Secondary Content Areas
Change Management Business Continuity/Disaster Planning
Corporate Social Responsibility Mergers and Acquisitions
Customer Service (Internal and External) Outsourcing
Downsizing/Rightsizing
Employee Engagement and Retention
Employee and Labor Relations
Employment Law
Ethical Decision Making
Fostering Equity and Inclusion
Global Workforce
HR Career Planning
HR’s Role in Organizations
Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)
Job Analysis and Job Design
Metrics and Measurement of HR
Organizational Development
Performance Management
Remote Workforce
Stang (Recruitment and Selection)
Strategic HR
Technology Management
Total Rewards (Compensation and Benefits)
Training and Development
Workforce Planning and Talent Management
Workplace Health, Safety and Security
INTRODUCTION
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 5
SHRM RESEARCH ON HR EDUCATION
Table 1B: SHRM Behavioral Competencies from the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge (SHRM BASK)
Required Behavioral Competency Areas
Analytical Aptitude
Business Acumen
Communication
Consultation
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Ethical Practice
Global Mindset
Leadership and Navigation
Relationship Management
6 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHRM HR CURRICULUM
GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES
The 2004 SHRM Symposium on the Future of HR
Education, which brought together HR academicians,
experienced practitioners and students, contributed
to the development of the HR Curriculum Guidebook
and Templates. A key finding was a strong consensus
that business and environmental changes would make
the HR role of the future more strategic, especially as
the nature of business becomes increasingly global.
Symposium attendees pointed to a lack of clear and
acceptable standards in HR education.
The 2005 SHRM Symposium on the Future of Strategic
HR also contributed to the development of the
guidebook and templates. Senior-level HR practice
leaders, academicians and consultants concluded that
not enough barriers were in place to prevent those who
were ill-prepared to practice HR from entering the field.
Since 2005, academic programs in HR have made great
strides and responded to the needs in the employment
marketplace. There is now broad and common
agreement on a defined set of HR content areas,
knowledge components and behavioral competencies
that HR graduates should possess to enter the HR
field. As more HR programs are oered in colleges
and universities, SHRM’s experience working with
universities shows that interest in HR as a profession—
and as a major area of study—has grown, with a greater
agreement between academicians and practitioners
regarding what an education in HR should cover.
Degree programs increasingly oer curriculum that
SHRM RESEARCH ON HR EDUCATION
In 2004 and 2005, SHRM undertook a series of studies designed to define parameters for universities to use
when creating or modifying a degree program in HR. The studies showed that organizations want to know
how to acquire, grow and retain HR professionals who hold a degree in HR. In addition, organizations seek HR
professionals who know how to execute competitive and strategic HR practices. Based on this work, in 2006,
SHRM created the HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates, focusing on how professional organizations and
academic programs educate students to prepare them for a career in HR.
The role of HR professionals in organizations has transitioned from transactional, technical and administrative, to
strategic for the development and accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives. Overall, due to the
changing nature of work—including knowledge-based industries and global competition for talent—human capital
is now viewed as a key asset in organizations. At the same time, there have been changes in the knowledge,
skills, abilities (KSAs) competencies and the behavioral competencies required of HR professionals. Reflective of
the changing nature and role of the HR function, HR education must prepare future HR professionals with both of
these essential competencies to meet the demands of the HR field. As seen later in the guidebook (sections “Key
Results of the 2022 Curriculum Guidelines Revalidation Study” and “Appendix A”), the one technical HR expertise
competency and the nine behavioral competencies continue to be a part of the requirements for an HR degree
program to align with the curriculum guidelines. These competencies are further defined in the SHRM Body of
Applied Skills and Knowledge (SHRM BASK) from which these curriculum guidelines are derived.
Degree programs are
increasingly oering curriculum
that better prepares future HR
professionals to join the
profession at the entry level and
make meaningful and valuable
contributions to an organization’s
success from day one.
SHRM RESEARCH ON HR EDUCATION
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 7
better prepares future HR professionals to join the profession at the entry level and make meaningful and
valuable contributions to an organization’s success from day one. Over the years, an emphasis on business
knowledge of HR professionals has become more prominent. To solicit perceptions from academicians,
students and practitioners of how well the curriculum prepared students for an HR career, in 2005, SHRM
conducted quantitative studies of graduate and undergraduate HR curricula. HR practitioners, many who
were in positions to hire new entrants to the HR field, overwhelmingly indicated the need for students
to develop business knowledge outside of HR. HR practitioners and academicians said that a degree in
business with a concentration in HR was more valuable than a degree in HR without the business emphasis.
The results of current research support the emphasis on studying HR within a business degree and show
that a business-based HR degree is increasingly important.
To ensure that new HR professionals enter the world of work equipped with adequate knowledge, skills and
competencies to succeed in the workplace, SHRM and universities have an obligation to attract students
to HR as a profession early in their career development. With an HR degree from a university that oers a
complete, robust and HR-specific educational curriculum—coupled with opportunities through internships
and other HR-specific work experiences—students are better prepared to meet the expectations of
employers and embark on the pathway that leads to lifelong learning in the discipline.
STATE OF HR EDUCATION (SOHRE) LONGITUDINAL STUDY
From 2009 to 2013, SHRM collaborated with the American Institutes for Research to conduct research on the
current state of HR education. The goal of this research was to supplement SHRM’s work that established
a baseline for its academic initiative. The State of HR Education (SOHRE) Longitudinal Study assessed
the experiences of recent students and graduates in HR and related fields in the classroom, internships
and initial work experiences. This current study replicates some of the research questions included in
the previous SOHRE studies to determine if thinking about and actions surrounding these elements have
changed over time.
The SOHRE study also examined the perceptions of HR from the perspective of HR students, graduates
and professionals in other business fields. In the last two years of the study, faculty were surveyed. To help
ensure an accurate assessment of member perceptions of HR education, the study sought to identify and
define parameters surrounding HR education regarding the following items: 1) undergraduate and graduate
degree course oerings and requirements; 2) experiential, or internship, components included with HR
programs; and 3) perceptions of the field of HR from HR and non-HR perspectives. Among the key findings
were the following:
• Across all years of the survey, findings indicated that course of study, accreditation, facilities and
resources, and job placement of graduates were top indicators of program quality among students.
• Most respondents who pursued, or received, graduate degrees in HR did so because a) it was part
of their career plan; b) they wanted to enter the field of HR; or c) they needed a graduate degree to
advance in their careers.
• Across all five years of the survey, more than half (64.1%) of students reported that a course in HR was
part of the core business school curriculum.
• The faculty study results indicated that in a majority of business programs, an HR course was required as
part of the business core curriculum.
Overall, these results suggest that a large portion of survey respondents learned about HR as a career track
through noneducational experiences (e.g., by working with HR representatives at a job).
SHRM RESEARCH ON HR EDUCATION
8 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
SHRM RESEARCH ON HR EDUCATION
SHRM REVALIDATION OF THE HR CURRICULUM GUIDELINES
SHRM continued its research on the topic of HR education in 2007-2010, 2012-13, 2017, and 2022. This
publication (the 2022 guidebook and templates) is the current, updated publication, based on the 2022
Curriculum Guidebook Revalidation Study, titled “Preparing to Enter the Field of Human Resources.” The
revalidation study was conducted among 1) academicians in HR degree programs and 2) HR professionals
employed by organizations operating in the United States. The survey instruments included questions
regarding the value of education in various HR and business content areas, the level of preparedness of new
HR professionals in various HR and business content areas, perceptions of the value of formal HR education,
and perceptions of the value of HR internships. Data from this research are highlighted throughout this
publication.
Particularly noteworthy from the 2022 Curriculum Guidebook Revalidation Study is input from HR
practitioners who hire recent graduates for entry-level work (see Figure 2). Of the employers surveyed,
76% indicate that at least six months of experience is needed for an entry-level position in HR. In particular,
40% of employers say 6 to 12 months of experience is required, 31% say one to two years of experience is
required and 6% prefer at least two years of experience for an entry-level position in HR.
PARTICIPATION IN INTERNSHIPS: WHY INTERNSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT
Any discussion of HR education would be incomplete without acknowledging the importance of internships.
SHRM strongly believes that internships, along with other HR-specific experiential learning activities, provide
excellent practical learning opportunities for students and will give new entrants into the field an advantage
over those who do not have an internship experience. SHRM strongly encourages practitioners to make
internships available and recommends that students take advantage of them, despite certain constraints.
These constraints include the limited number of paid internships (versus unpaid internships), geographic
constraints, limited number of formal internships for all students, and internships that do not provide a
Figure 2: Years of HR-Specific Work Experience Needed for Entry-Level HR Positions
14%
0 YEARS 1 YEAR 2 YEARS 3 YEARS 4 YEARS
5 OR
MORE YEARS
46%
27%
10%
1%
2%
n = 255
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 9
quality and meaningful internship experience. SHRM highly recommends internships and encourages
universities to require them for graduation. SHRM’s experience with and studies of its membership show that
HR professionals often enter the field from various other educational and work experience backgrounds.
Increasingly, emerging professionals with HR degrees but without HR work experience may be in the
same applicant pool with non-HR-degreed candidates who have HR work experience. Therefore, HR-
specific experiential learning activities—outside of formal internship programs— provide important learning
opportunities to gain relevant HR work experience. Internships are potentially the most valuable source
of experience for students and the reason SHRM strongly supports internships for students as well as
classroom and experiential learning. The 2022 survey of universities shows a wide spectrum in connecting
students to internships with companies. For example, 11% of schools note that it is very easy to connect
students with HR-related internships, whereas 12% find it to be very dicult (see Figure 3).
SHRM RESEARCH ON HR EDUCATION
Figure 3: Matching Students with Companies for HR-Focused Internships
48%
Somewhat easy
29%
Somewhat
dicult
12%
Very dicult
11%
Very easy
n = 128
10 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHRM HR CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHRM HR
CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND
TEMPLATES
To define a common set of parameters for HR education,
SHRM began with a series of studies in 2004 and
continued through 2022. These studies showed that
there are many educational programs oering HR-related
degrees; however, both academicians and practitioners
who participated in the original study admitted that
little consistency existed among the majority of HR
programs. A lack of industry standards and a lack of
minimum knowledge requirements showed that various
and divergent frameworks were used to create degree
programs, wide variation existed in curricula and degrees
oered, and diering skill levels were held by graduates
of both undergraduate and graduate degree programs
in HR. The 2004 SHRM Symposium on the Future of HR
Education and the 2005 SHRM Symposium on the Future
of Strategic HR led to the initial guidelines, published in
early 2006.
In 2006, SHRM began working with universities to raise
awareness of its HR curriculum guidebook and templates.
The guidebook defined the minimum HR content areas—
commonly agreed-upon by academicians, students
and HR practitioners, according to SHRM’s research
results—that should be included in an HR degree
program. Sixteen years after the initial eort started, the
complexion of today’s HR education continues to evolve.
It not only covers the basics for a traditional/transactional
HR role but acknowledges and teaches the importance
of HR’s strategic role in organizations. Whereas the 2005
studies showed students as ill-equipped for the more
strategic roles of the future, recent studies confirm that
survey respondents agree that degree programs and
their content have changed over time to keep pace with
the HR profession as it evolves.
Multiple focus groups, consisting of HR academicians
and practitioners (members and nonmembers of SHRM)
reviewed and provided very detailed comments on the
original HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates. Their
feedback was incorporated into the earlier versions of
this publication. HR academicians provided suggestions
as to ways that the templates should be designed to
increase the likelihood of faculty using them within their
programs. HR practitioners provided guidance on what
they considered to be minimum requirements for entering
the HR field.
The gap between what is
being taught and what HR
practitioners are looking for
from students entering the HR
field has narrowed significantly,
especially regarding the study
of HR within the context and
framework of business.
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 11
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHRM HR CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES
In addition, a select group of SHRM’s Special Expertise Panels provided further review and feedback (see
Appendix D for a list of panel members who participated in the review process). SHRM’s Special Expertise
Panels comprise a senior group of HR practice leaders, academicians and consultants selected to be
part of the panels by a rigorous screening process. They possess advanced HR knowledge and serve as
resources to SHRM by reporting emerging trends in specific HR topic areas, providing expert advice on
matters of professional significance and providing guidance on public policy issues.
An important shift has occurred in recent years. Many of the practitioners who participated in the original
studies believed that students were not adequately taught today’s business realities and real-world
problem-solving skills. In response, SHRM has sought to solve the lack of business acumen and savvy
among graduates of HR degree programs. The current research studies, however, show that the gap
between what is being taught and what HR practitioners are looking for from recent graduates entering
the HR field has narrowed significantly, especially regarding the study of HR within the context and
framework of business.
The 2022 research eorts focused on these issues as well. Both 2017 and 2022 studies found that
employers have specific expectations for new HR graduates and their experience when considering
HR candidates (see Figure 4). The top three experiences preferred by employers are 1) HR-related work
experience, part time or full time (noninternship/practicum); 2) HR undergraduate program internships;
and 3) directed HR work- or research-related projects.
Figure 4: What Employees Look for When Evaluating Entry-Level HR Candidates
Rank Experience
1st HR-related work experience, part time or full time (noninternship/practicum)
2nd HR undergraduate program internships
3rd Directed HR work- or research-related projects
4th HR graduate program internships
5th HR-related work-study assignments
6th Independent study/projects supervised by a faculty member or HR professional
7th HR-related volunteer role
12 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
EVOLUTION OF THE SHRM
COMPETENCY MODEL TO
THE SHRM BODY OF APPLIED
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
SHRM BASK
In June and August of 2008, SHRM convened
groups of HR practitioners, consultants and
academicians with subject matter expertise in
a variety of HR functional areas to identify the
knowledge, skills, abilities and attributes that are
most important for the role of the successful senior
HR leader. This eort yielded results that indicated a
more in-depth and universal approach was needed
to define HR competencies for practitioners at
various stages of an HR career, not just at the senior
level.
In 2011, SHRM began the SHRM HR Competency
Initiative. In keeping with its mission of serving and
advancing the profession, SHRM set out to identify
the core competencies needed to succeed as
an HR professional. Through extensive research
involving thousands of HR professionals across
the globe, SHRM created a comprehensive HR
competency model. In 2012, in its worldwide
survey of more than 32,000 HR professionals,
SHRM confirmed the relevance, importance and
generalizability of the model. Also in 2012, SHRM
gathered ratings from a diverse sample of more
than 800 HR professionals and their supervisors
across a variety of corporate settings to establish
a link between proficiency in the SHRM-defined
competencies and successful job performance.
Competencies are an eective way to explain
what people need to know and do behaviorally
to be successful in their work. HR is no exception.
Because competencies serve as a useful framework
for educating HR professionals in the KSAs they
need to be successful, SHRM
has integrated competencies into the HR Curriculum
Guidebook and Templates for Undergraduate and
Graduate Programs. To accomplish this, SHRM
used the 10 competencies defined in the SHRM
Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge (SHRM
BASK), which is based on the SHRM Competency
Model. The model defines nine key behavioral
competencies (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,
Ethical Practice, Leadership and Navigation,
Business Acumen, Relationship Management,
Communication, Consultation, Analytical Aptitude,
and Global Mindset) and one technical competency
(HR Expertise) and serves as a comprehensive
road map for developing the capabilities HR
professionals need to advance their careers and
improve their workplace eectiveness. The SHRM
BASK serves as the foundation to the SHRM
Certified Professional (SHRM-CP®) and SHRM Senior
Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP®) certifications
as well as many of the professional development
programs that SHRM and others provide—including
these HR curriculum guidelines.
In 2014, SHRM conducted a knowledge
specification exercise to further develop the HR
Expertise (HR Knowledge) technical competency.
First, SHRM performed an extensive review of past
academic and employer surveys as well as existing
literature on HR knowledge, including textbooks,
curricula, syllabi and other educator resources,
to determine the universe of knowledge that HR
professionals need to perform their jobs.
Second, SHRM established in 2014 an Advisory
Panel of 19 HR and business leaders from various
industries, including retail, research, consulting,
health care and manufacturing. This panel reviewed
the proposed content and framework of the HR
Expertise competency to ensure its accuracy and
comprehensiveness.
As SHRM continues to conduct its research
into the technical and behavioral competencies
necessary for success in HR, it will make updates
to the curriculum guidelines to reflect the evidence
established through these studies.
SHRM COMPETENCY MODEL
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 13
SHRM CERTIFICATION EXAMS
SHRM’s competency-based certifications, SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP, are the premier professional
certifications in the HR field, with more than 110,000 HR professionals in 105 countries holding a SHRM
credential. Built upon the SHRM BASK as derived from the SHRM Competency Model, the SHRM-CP and
SHRM-SCP are accredited by the Buros Center for Testing and are the global standard for HR certification.
As part of its ongoing commitment to the HR profession, SHRM integrated its student eligibility program into
its 2022 exam eligibility criteria updates. Eligible students interested in testing for the SHRM-CP certification
are not required to hold an HR title and do not need a degree or previous HR experience to apply; however,
a basic working knowledge of HR practices and principles or enrollment in a degree from an Academically
Aligned program is recommended. At the time of application, students are encouraged to be in or near
their final year of study and in good standing (as defined by the university). Although HR experience is
not required to take the SHRM-CP certification exam, students are encouraged to seek out various HR
employment opportunities within any of the following areas:
• Be enrolled in the final year of study in an HR undergraduate or graduate degree program that aligns
with SHRM’s curriculum guidelines.
• Be a student in good standing (as defined by the university).
• Have a minimum of 500 hours of relevant HR experience. Relevant HR experiences include:
• Participating in an internship in HR.
• Completing an HR work-study assignment.
• Directed HR-related work projects.
• Directed HR-related research projects.
• Supervised an independent study in HR.
• Working part time or full time in HR.
Direct questions to certification@shrm.org or search for Student SHRM-CP Eligibility at shrm.org/certification.
SHRM CERTIFICATION EXAMS
14 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
HR CURRICULUM 2022: THE CHANGING NATURE OF HR EDUCATION
HR CURRICULUM 2022:
THE CHANGING NATURE OF HR EDUCATION
As with any new major venture to influence change, creation of the guidebook and templates reflects an
iterative process. The HR profession is constantly changing, and the guidebook and templates must be
regularly updated to reflect that fluidity. The 2006 guidebook was the first iteration and was based on
research conducted in 2004 and 2005. In 2008, minor adjustments were made in the guidebook to better
reflect terminology used in HR degree programs in the higher education marketplace. As the nature of HR
education evolves, SHRM has continued its research on the topic of HR education in 2009-2022. The 2022
guidebook is anchored in research as the basis to formulate its content.
The 2022 guidelines for undergraduate and graduate degree programs are designed to assist university
faculty, deans, program directors and other stakeholders to disseminate HR knowledge that will better
prepare students and the organizations they will support. It represents SHRM’s culmination of a multiyear
eort to engage academic, student and practitioner communities to help address the critical challenges
facing HR education today.
SHRM’s eorts to gain perspectives on HR education used a multimethod approach, incorporating
quantitative and qualitative data from a diverse set of constituencies: academicians, HR professionals, senior
HR professionals, consultants and students. Below is a summary of the multiple sources used to shape the
HR curriculum guidebook and templates, which is the basis of SHRM’s academic initiatives:
1. Survey of academicians and employers conducted in spring 2017 and again in spring 2022 for
the curriculum guidelines revalidation, “Preparing to Enter the Field of Human Resources.”
2. Surveys of academicians, students and HR practitioners about undergraduate HR curricula
conducted in fall 2012 under the Curriculum Guidebook Revalidation Study.
3. Surveys of academicians, students and HR practitioners about graduate HR curricula conducted in
fall 2012 under the Curriculum Guidebook Revalidation Study.
4. Multiple focus groups of academicians who teach HR (conducted in 2009).
5. Eleven years of experience working with more than 460 HR degree programs at over 350
universities and colleges that have aligned with the guidelines or adopted the SHRM curriculum.
6. SHRM’s 2008 Managing Your HR Career Survey Report.
7. State of HR Education Longitudinal Study.
8. SHRM assessment development research.
9. Conclusions from the 2005 SHRM Symposium on the Future of Strategic HR.
10. Conclusions from the 2004 SHRM Symposium on the Future of HR Education.
The guidelines for undergraduate and
graduate programs are designed to
assist university faculty, deans, program
directors and other stakeholders to
disseminate HR knowledge that will better
prepare students and the organizations
they support as “novice” HR professionals.
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 15
The SHRM HR curriculum templates oer an approach
that can be used to modify HR curricula in the desired
direction within the resource constraints faced by most
faculty and university administrations today. It identifies
opportunities and options for teaching HR content areas,
skills and business issues within traditional curricular
structures. The objective is to oer a framework for HR
curricula that will be useful to, and used by, the colleges
and universities where tomorrow’s HR leaders prepare
to enter the HR profession. This focus is critical, as
SHRM recognizes that various forces influence change
in curriculum design. As resources available to higher
education shrink or remain static, today’s faculty deal
with increasing pressure to teach more students, face
demands for research productivity, compete for external
funding, and support both premium tuition programs and
executive education.
Faculty may not have as much time for course
development as they once did. Therefore, part of SHRM’s
overall academic initiative is dedicated to developing
HR-specific content based on these guidelines for faculty
to use to supplement existing or create new HR degree
programs. Currently, more than 75 HR-specific case
studies and learning modules are available to faculty on
the SHRM website to download and use.
In addition, university governance processes often
require substantial investment of time and energy in
moving major curriculum changes through a review
process. Typically, changing the name or contents of a
course requires multiple layers of review and approval.
Faculty members are understandably concerned about
the level of diculty in getting proposed changes
approved. SHRM’s research shows that faculty
members are passionate and concerned about the
quality of their teaching and the extent to which they
are preparing students for their future careers. In fact,
many are deeply concerned about the future of human
resource management. Moving the profession forward
requires practical, workable suggestions for curriculum
modification, and these guidelines oer solutions to
address the curriculum modification issue.
Since 2006, SHRM has worked with many universities to
modify or build HR degree programs structured around
these guidelines. In 2022, 85% of surveyed faculty
members viewed having the HR program recognized by
SHRM as an advantage over schools that do not have
SHRM-recognized HR programs (see Figure 5).
HR CURRICULUM 2022: THE CHANGING NATURE OF HR EDUCATION
Both academicians and
practitioners agree that business
knowledge is key to success in
HR, and both groups view the
acquisition of business knowledge
while seeking a degree as
important for students.
16 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
HR CURRICULUM 2022: THE CHANGING NATURE OF HR EDUCATION
OVERARCHING TENETS OF THE SHRM HR CURRICULUM GUIDELINES
The design of the SHRM HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates is based on the following three principles
to increase the likelihood of continuing change in HR education; the focus is on outcomes.
• Build on the familiar. The guidelines provide options to modify but not completely redirect teaching
eorts, so that faculty may readily or more easily adapt HR coursework to align with the guidelines.
• Focus on HR, not on other elements of the degree program. SHRM recognizes that in most cases,
HR curricula exist within larger degree programs, the content of which may or may not be controlled to
any great degree by HR faculty. HR faculty should be comfortable that they could obtain approval for
curriculum changes in HR-specific areas without aecting other academic units.
• Provide flexibility. SHRM recognizes the value of creativity, innovation and divergent viewpoints in HR
education and the importance of allowing programs to adapt the proposed curricula to the needs of
their own institutional environments.
IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF HR CURRICULUM
An important feature of the SHRM HR curriculum guidelines is that they oer HR academicians flexibility in
devising HR courses and classes while providing a minimum level of standardization for HR instructional
content. The modular approach to creating HR curriculum has been eective: Between 2006 and 2017,
more than 494 schools—including more than 40 universities outside the United States—and 660 HR degree
programs have been acknowledged by SHRM as following these guidelines. Appendix C provides a link
to the HR Program Directory, listing all HR degree programs and the schools that align with the SHRM HR
curriculum guidelines.
Figure 5: Academicians Agree: SHRM-Aligned HR Programs Oer a Competitive Advantage
A small
advantage, 15%
No advantage, 5%
Some
advantage, 42%
A large
advantage, 38%
n = 156
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 17
The movement toward standardization in curricula supports the need of hiring organizations that want to
know what minimum level of HR content knowledge graduates have mastered. The 2022 Curriculum
Guidebook Revalidation Study found that employers are more likely to hire midlevel and senior-level
candidates with an HR degree for an HR position. For midlevel and entry-level HR positions, employers are
equally likely to hire a candidate with an HR degree (see Figure 6).
SHRM’s 2008 survey titled Managing Your HR Career asked early-career HR professionals if they
experienced any challenges when entering the profession without an HR education background. One-third
of professionals with five or fewer years in the HR field reported that lack of a formal HR education was
an obstacle to advancing their HR career. In fact, lack of a formal HR education was the most frequently
reported obstacle to advancing the HR careers of professionals with five or fewer years of HR work
experience.
Faculty members are in a good position to document and persuade other school faculty and administrators
of the need for course or curriculum change. This combination of flexibility and standardization has become
organic, and universities now proactively seek to adopt the same level of standardization with SHRM’s HR
curriculum guidelines as their colleagues at other universities have already done. Consequently, the final
chapter of this guidebook includes information about the analysis of the HR degree program’s alignment
with the SHRM HR curriculum guidelines (a free service from SHRM), along with the benefits of aligning with
the guidelines.
SHRM has long recognized the importance of embedding HR knowledge in terms of the organizational and
business context it supports. The results from the spring 2022 curriculum guidelines revalidation, “Preparing
to Enter the Field of Human Resources,” support this assertion. Both academicians and practitioners
agree that business knowledge is key to success in HR, and both groups view the acquisition of business
knowledge while seeking a degree as important for students. Thus, a primary tenet of the SHRM curriculum
guidebook and templates remains unchanged: It is assumed that all HR programs are housed within a
business school or within a program that formally emphasizes a business foundation.
Figure 6: Employers Are More Likely to Hire HR Candidates with an HR Degree
HR CURRICULUM 2022: THE CHANGING NATURE OF HR EDUCATION
Senior-Level
HR Positions
Less likely to hire a candidate with an HR degree
Equally likely to hire a candidate with an HR degree
More likely to hire a candidate with an HR degree
4%
3%
18%
23%
46%
50%
73%
51%
32%
Midlevel
HR Positions
Entry-Level
HR Positions
n = 311
18 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
HR CURRICULUM 2022: THE CHANGING NATURE OF HR EDUCATION
Most HR degree programs that SHRM has acknowledged
as following its curriculum guidelines over the past 16
years are housed in the business school or taught within
a program that includes business core curriculum as part
of the general education requirements. However, SHRM
realizes there are currently HR management and HR-
related programs that are housed outside of business
schools in universities and colleges, such as in the
departments of psychology or industrial/organizational
psychology, education, or as a free-standing HR or
industrial relations program. Based on the research, if
an HR degree program is housed in another school,
SHRM’s HR curriculum guidelines require that standard
business core courses must be part of the degree program
requirements for the program to be aligned with the
guidelines. Several of the programs that currently follow
the guidelines are free-standing programs that teach both
HR and business core coursework.
Business knowledge is critically important. It allows HR
professionals to make better HR decisions by knowing
where, how and when to integrate HR strategies and
practices with organizational strategy to improve business
performance. Appendix B provides a wide variety of
business topics that both practitioners and academicians
oer as samples of topics that students should gain
awareness of before graduating, to the extent possible, in
an individual degree program, through independent study
or experiential learning.
SHRM considers both undergraduate and graduate HR
degree programs for alignment. The guidelines do not
apply to doctoral or certificate programs.
Business knowledge is
critically important. It allows HR
professionals to make better HR
decisions by knowing where,
how and when to integrate HR
strategies and practices with
organizational strategy to improve
business performance.
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 19
This section presents the minimum required and
secondary HR content areas identified by the
research, including the SHRM competencies
(required beginning in 2018), followed by
information about the current study. Required
and secondary content areas, and the SHRM
competencies, are summarized in Table 1A and
Table 1B at the end of this section.
SHRM COMPETENCIES
The nine behavioral competencies from the
SHRM Competency Model are now part of the
requirements for alignment with the SHRM HR
curriculum guidelines. (Please refer to Appendix A
for the definitions.)
• Analytical Aptitude.
• Business Acumen.
• Communication.
• Consultation.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
• Ethical Practice.
• Global Mindset.
• Leadership and Navigation.
• Relationship Management.
REQUIRED HR CONTENT AREAS
The 2022 Curriculum Revalidation Study
identified the following HR content areas that
should be taught through required coursework
in an HR degree program. They are presented in
alphabetical order below and are also located, with
subtopics, in Appendix A.
• Change management.
• Corporate Social Responsibility.
• Customer Service (Internal and External)
• Downsizing/Rightsizing.
• Employee Engagement and Retention.
• Employee and Labor Relations.
• Employment Law.
• Ethical Decision Making.
• Fostering Equity and Inclusion.
• Global Workforce.
• Globalization.
• HR Career Planning.
• HR’s Role in Organizations.
• Human Resource Information Systems
(HRIS).
• Job Analysis and Job Design.
• Metrics and Measurement of HR.
• Organizational Development.
• Performance Management.
• Remote Workforce.
• Stang (Recruitment and Selection).
• Strategic HR.
• Technology Management.
• Total Rewards (Compensation and
Benefits).
• Training and Development.
• Workforce Planning and Talent
Management.
• Workplace Health, Safety and Security.
SHRM believes that HR content areas not on this
list are also important elements of HR education.
Although it is beyond the scope of this report to
delineate all subtopics that might be included in all
HR content areas, detailed topic lists of additional HR
content areas are included in Appendix B and show
a wide range of subtopic options to include when
compiling courses or other instructional elements.
SECONDARY HR CONTENT AREAS
The following three (secondary) HR topic areas
were identified as those that hold value for
graduates entering the marketplace, but to a lesser
degree than those stipulated in the required HR
content areas. These secondary topics appear in
alphabetical order. To the extent possible, students
should gain access to these topic areas through
coursework or experiential learning.
• Business Continuity/Disaster Planning.
• Mergers and Acquisitions.
• Outsourcing.
SHRM has noted that universities aim to dierentiate
themselves in the HR higher education market.
Consequently, some universities select focal points
for their degree programs based on areas of
expertise and/or individual faculty areas of interest
and research. For example, a university may focus
its HR degree program on HRIS, global HR, ethics
or Fostering Equity and Inclusion. SHRM’s research
is reflective of HR overall; at the same time, SHRM
recognizes that there are dierent ways in which
schools may want to make their programs unique
to attract students who want to concentrate on
the specific areas of HR taught in focused degree
programs.
KEY RESULTS OF THE 2022 SHRM CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK REVALIDATION STUDY
KEY RESULTS OF THE 2022 SHRM CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK
REVALIDATION STUDY
20 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
KEY RESULTS OF THE 2022 SHRM CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK REVALIDATION STUDY
VALUE RATINGS OF HR AND BUSINESS
CONTENT AREAS BY ACADEMICIANS AND
HR PROFESSIONALS
As part of the 2022 Curriculum Guidebook
Revalidation Study, a survey was conducted among
members of the HR academic community and HR
professionals employed by organizations operating
in the United States. The survey instruments for
these groups included questions such as the value of
education in various HR and business content areas,
the level of preparedness of new HR professionals in
various HR and business content areas, perceptions
of the value of formal HR education, and participation
in and the value of HR internships.
For the survey of academicians, SHRM selected a
sample of 570 from the SHRM academic member
population. Academicians received an e-mailed
hyperlink to the survey on March 28, 2022. E-mails
were successfully delivered to 524 academicians,
and 67 responses were received, yielding a 13%
response rate. The survey remained open for four
weeks, and five e-mail reminders were sent to
nonrespondents during that time.
For the survey of HR professionals, SHRM selected
a sample of 8,275 HR professionals from the SHRM
member population. The HR professionals received
an e-mailed hyperlink to the survey on March 28,
2022. E-mails were successfully delivered to 8,128
HR professionals, and 147 responses were received,
yielding a 2% response rate. The survey remained
open for three weeks, and four e-mail reminders
were sent to nonrespondents during that time.
Members of the HR academic community and HR
professionals were presented with a list of 28 HR
and business content areas and were asked to
evaluate the degree to which each was valuable
for undergraduate and graduate HR degree
programs. There was much overlap between both
undergraduate and graduate program responses
and between academic and practitioner responses.
Based on this input, SHRM has identified 25 HR
content areas that all HR students must master
through required coursework, as well as the nine
SHRM competencies. Three content areas comprise
secondary content areas recommended for study.
Faculty also were asked what content they taught
in their capstone course (see Figure 7).
All content areas may be taught at dierent levels,
dierent lengths and with dierent emphases,
depending on whether the program is at the
undergraduate or graduate level.
Content areas
do not always translate into distinct courses per
Figure 7: Content Areas Covered in HR Capstone Course
66%
54%
49%
48%
46%
44%
43%
40%
39%
35%
34%
30%
29%
26%
25%
22%
19%
18%
HR strategy
Competitive strategy
Advanced topics in HR
Organizational eectiveness
Change management
Trends in HR
Competitive advantage
Ethics
HR performance metrics
Emerging/special topics in HR
Interrelationship of HR disciplines
Diversity
Other
Environmental context of business
Organizational scorecard
HR Scorecard
Mergers and acquisitions
Labor market analysis
n = 119
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 21
se, but SHRM expects that each HR content area, and the nine SHRM competencies, should be included
as elements in required courses that focus on the links among HR, business focus and strategic issues
important to organizations. Minimum required content areas were derived from and identified by using
multiple quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Sample course templates, provided in the next chapter, include a combination of required and secondary HR
content areas. These sample courses simply represent one option for creating or modifying an HR curriculum.
Samples are not intended to be a prescription for creating degree programs; SHRM expects and anticipates
that universities will modify samples to incorporate and leverage their current resources available for curriculum
design. Appendix A includes robust subtopic lists on which faculty members can draw to create or modify a
degree program that leverages the strengths and instructional resources of the individual university.
Table 1A: HR Content Areas from the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge (SHRM BASK)
HR Technical Expertise Competency
Required Content Areas Secondary Content Areas
Change Management Business Continuity/Disaster Planning
Corporate Social Responsibility Mergers and Acquisitions
Customer Service (Internal and External) Outsourcing
Downsizing/Rightsizing
Employee Engagement and Retention
Employee and Labor Relations
Employment Law
Ethical Decision Making
Fostering Equity and Inclusion
Global Workforce
HR Career Planning
HR’s Role in Organizations
Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)
Job Analysis and Job Design
Metrics and Measurement of HR
Organizational Development
Performance Management
Remote Workforce
Stang (Recruitment and Selection)
Strategic HR
Technology Management
Total Rewards (Compensation and Benefits)
Training and Development
Workforce Planning and Talent Management
Workplace Health, Safety and Security
KEY RESULTS OF THE 2022 SHRM CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK REVALIDATION STUDY
22 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Table 1B: SHRM Behavioral Competencies from the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge (SHRM BASK)
Required Behavioral Competency Areas
Analytical Aptitude
Business Acumen
Communication
Consultation
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Ethical Practice
Global Mindset
Leadership and Navigation
Relationship Management
CURRICULUM TEMPLATES: SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINES FOR
CREATING OR MODIFYING AN HR DEGREE PROGRAM
This section provides sample course outlines for various HR programs:
• Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) or Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
(BSBA) with a concentration in HRM.
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in HR.
• Master of Science in HR (MSHR) or Master of Arts in HR (MAHR) housed in the business school.
The purpose of the examples is to show the variety of options available for curriculum development. They
are not absolutes but represent possible combinations to use. These examples are not intended to be
prescriptive in nature but instead to provide a general guideline to allow universities maximum flexibility to
build an HR curriculum that leverages the university’s faculty and other instructional resources.
The following HR curriculum outlines are grouped into courses that, as a set, can constitute a complete
HR curriculum. However, the particular content areas selected, their grouping, and the length of time and
attention that can be devoted to each vary with the nature of the individual university’s academic program
and at the discretion of the HR faculty who teach in the program.
CURRICULUM TEMPLATES: SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINES FOR CREATING OR MODIFYING AN HR DEGREE PROGRAM
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 23
Undergraduate Curriculum: A Sample Template for Structuring
a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) or Bachelor of
Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with a Concentration
in HRM
The following sample course outlines reflect the opinions of those who participated in the 2017 analysis of
HR content areas to be included in HR degree programs. These content areas emerged in the research as
those that are very valuable and thus the most critical for newly graduated HRM students to master during
their degree program.
Please note: The template is provided only as an example of how faculty may choose to incorporate the
required and secondary HR content areas into a curriculum. It is not intended to be used as a prescription
for creating a degree program.
These assumptions apply:
• In addition to the BBA and BSBA, these outlines may be applicable to Bachelor of Science
degrees in a business discipline (e.g., management) with HRM as a major or area of concentration,
emphasis or focus, or a Bachelor’s in Human Resources degree.
• A major area of study or concentration is generally considered to be four to six HR-specific
courses, including introductory and capstone courses.
• The program is in a semester, quarter or trimester system.
• Business core courses cover the following areas as part of the degree program’s general
education requirements in addition to the major area of study or concentration: accounting,
business law, economics, finance, marketing, general management, statistics, strategic
management.
• Introductory course is taken first, and capstone course is taken last.
CURRICULUM TEMPLATES: SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINES FOR CREATING OR MODIFYING AN HR DEGREE PROGRAM
24 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 1:
INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
Organizational context of human resources
Business acumen (SHRM Behavioral Competency)
Communication (SHRM Behavioral Competency)
Diversity, equity and inclusion (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Ethical issues in HR management
Ethical practice (SHRM Behavioral Competency)
Global mindset (SHRM Behavioral Competency)
HR career planning
HR objectives and HR’s role in the
organization
Job analysis and job design
HR planning
Legislation aecting HR
Trends in HR management
Managing compensation and benefits
Managing a diverse workforce
Overview of employee relations
Overview of global HRM
Overview of global HRM
Global and cultural eectiveness
Overview of HRIS
Overview of labor relations and unionized work
environments
Overview of metrics and measurement
Overview of performance management
Overview of the stang management function
Overview of training and development
Overview of workplace health, safety and security
Strategic HR
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 2:
STAFFING, RECRUITING AND
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
Employee relations
Career development as a retention tool
Employment laws governing the
employment relationships
Managing a multigenerational workforce
Relationship management (SHRM
Behavioral Competency)
Resolving disputes and complaints
Workplace privacy
HR’s role in stang management
Consultation (SHRM Behavioral Competency)
Performance management
Communicating performance expectations
Disciplinary actions, performance
improvement and terminations
Evaluating employee performance
Linking performance with compensation
and benefits
Recruitment
At-will doctrine
Hiring and employee discharge practices
Negligent hiring
Recruiting for diversity
Reference checking
Tracking applicants via HR information
systems
Selection
Calculating adverse impact
Calculating stang metrics and yield ratios
Organization entry, socialization and
onboarding
Regulatory and compliance matters
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 3:
EMPLOYMENT LAW
Overview of employment law
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and
as amended in 2008 (ADA)
Reasonable accommodation
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA)
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA)
Labor laws
Labor Management Reporting and
Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA)
National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (NLRA)
Labor Management Relations Act of 1947
(LMRA)
Employer unfair labor practices
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA Act)
Stang
Employment contracts and the
employment-at-will doctrine
Disparate impact and disparate treatment
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)
Negligent hiring
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1991
Unlawful harassment
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
of 1988 (WARN Act)
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 25
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 4:
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
Introduction to training and development
Conducting training
Evaluating training
Calculating training return on investment
(ROI)
Linking performance and career
development needs to training
Training and development project*
* Note: This is intended to be a realistic job
preview, allowing students to practice using
what they learned in class by conducting a
training program for fellow students.
Understanding the organization
ADDIE model
Assessment, design, development,
implementation, evaluation
Learning styles
Conducting needs assessments and SWOT
(Strengths, weaknesses,opportunities, and
threats) analysis
Linking organizational strategy with training
and development strategies
Training as competitive advantage
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 5:
MANAGING TOTAL REWARDS
Managing compensation
Base pay system and levels
Compliance and regulatory issues that
aect pay
Creating and communicating a
compensation philosophy:
domestic vs. global
Calculating pay increases
Merit pay, pay-for-performance
Incentives/bonuses
Profit sharing
Internal equity issues
Compa-ratios and progress toward
midpoint
Market-based strategies
Analyzing and interpreting salary
survey data
Lead, lag or match market rate
Role of job analysis/job design in
compensation decisions
Salary compression
Managing employee benefits
(Cost control, monitoring future obligations,
action planning, strategic planning)
Domestic partner benefits
Educational benefits
Employee assistance programs
Family-friendly benefits
Life insurance
Outsourcing benefits administration
Statutory vs. voluntary benefits
COBRA, HIPAA, ERISA, FLSA
Defined benefit and defined contribution
plans
Employee assistance/wellness programs
Federal insurance programs [Old-Age,
Survivor, and Disability Insurance (OASDI),
Medicare]
Health and wellness benefits
Paid time o
Regulatory issues in benefits management
Retirement plans
Types of health care plans (HMOs, PPOs,
fee-for-service, consumer-directed; HSAs)
Vacation, sick leave, personal leave
Workers’ compensation
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 6:
STRATEGIC HR MANAGEMENT CAPSTONE
Change management
Communication (SHRM Behavioral Competency)
Competitive strategy
Analytical aptitude (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Competitive advantage
Consultation (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Ethical practice (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Global mindset (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
HR performance metrics
Role of the HR professional as internal
consultant
HR strategy: interrelationship of HR disciplines
Advanced topics in HR sustainability
Leadership and navigation (SHRM
Behavioral Competency)
Organizational development
Organizational eectiveness
Trends in HR
Managing workforce changes
Mergers and acquisitions
Outsourcing
Rightsizing/downsizing
Sustainability/corporate social responsibility
Environmental context of business
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM
26 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
ELECTIVES
Faculty can use the additional skill development
and competency lists found in Appendix B
to identify an appropriate set of topics to be
incorporated as electives. Alternatively, modules
included above can be expanded or rearranged to
provide the desired menu of courses.
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 27
The following sample template integrates critical HRM competencies into courses structured primarily along
the lines of core content outlined in this guidebook.
Please note: The sample course outlines are provided only as an example of how faculty may choose to
incorporate the required and secondary HR content areas into an MBA curriculum. It is not intended to be
used as a prescription for creating a degree program.
The following assumptions apply:
• This course outline is relevant for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration
or emphasis in HRM.
• An HR concentration within the MBA is generally considered to be a minimum of five or six HR-
specific courses, including introductory and capstone courses.
• The program is in a semester, quarter or trimester system.
• Business core courses cover the following areas as part of the degree program’s general
education requirements in addition to the major area of study or concentration: accounting,
business law, economics, finance, marketing, general management, statistics, strategic
management, and may have been prerequisites to admission, based on individual university
requirements.
• Overview of HRM course is taken first, and capstone course is taken last.
GRADUATE CURRICULUM: A SAMPLE TEMPLATE FOR STRUCTURING A MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION MBA CURRICULUM
Graduate Curriculum: A Sample Template for Structuring a
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Curriculum with
a Concentration in HRM
28 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 1:
A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF HUMAN
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Analyzing HR metrics
Analytical aptitude (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Business acumen (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Leveraging human resource information
systems data to manage human capital
Linking HR to the organizational scorecard
Compensation and benefits
Compensation and benefits philosophy and
structure
Job analysis and job design
Employment law
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and
as amended in 2008 (ADA)
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA)
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA)
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
(OSHA Act)
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
and 1991
Worker Adjustment and Retraining
Notification Act of 1988 (WARN Act)
HR’s role in organizations
Communication (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Consultation (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Employment relationships and the legal
environment
Ethical decision-making in human resources
Ethical practice (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
HR within the global business environment
Global and cultural eectiveness (SHRM
Behavioral Competency)
Strategic human resource management
Organizational development
Linking individual and team
performance to organizational
outcomes
Managing human capital assets for
competitive advantage
Workforce planning and talent management
Consultation (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Creating a strategic stang plan
Labor market analysis, trends and forecasting
Legally compliant recruitment, selection and
sta management strategies
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 2:
MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM
PERFORMANCE
Communicating performance expectations
Linking performance to compensation,
incentives and rewards
Measuring performance
Developing leaders
Career planning
Leadership and navigation (SHRM
Behavioral Competency)
Succession planning
Training and development
Managing performance in unionized environments
External influences on stang: labor
markets, unions, economic conditions,
technology
Labor relations implications for individuals
and teams
Relationship management (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Assimilating employees, contractors and
temporary workers
Building and managing teams
Managing a diverse workforce
Managing employment relationships
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 3:
MANAGING CHANGE FOR COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE
Analytical aptitude (SHRM Behavioral Competency)
Change management
Leading change
Ethical practice (SHRM Behavioral Competency)
Leadership and navigation (SHRM
Behavioral Competency)
Managing workplace reform
Sustainability/corporate social responsibility
Value proposition of human capital initiatives
HR implications of mergers and acquisitions
Global environment of business
Global mindset (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Integrating people management structures
and systems pre- and post-merger
Managing downsizing and rightsizing
Legal implications of workforce expansion and
contraction
Managing workforce adjustments and transitions
Measuring and communicating the worth and value
of human resources
GRADUATE CURRICULUM
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 29
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 4:
MANAGING RISK IN HUMAN RESOURCES
Disaster preparation, business continuity and
recovery planning
Managing strikes and boycotts
Planning for and handling catastrophic
events
Preventing workplace violence
Financial implications of managing risk
Coaching and employee development
Consultation (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Data security
Illegal harassment
Measuring profit and loss implications of
business risks
Protection from retaliation
Human resource audits
Maintaining appropriate and complete HR
records
Legal compliance
Ensuring sound employment practices
Managing inspections
Monitoring, surveillance and privacy
concerns
Workplace health, safety and security
Unfair labor practices
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 5:
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF
HUMAN RESOURCES
Conducting training
Learning theories
Career development needs of individuals
Competency models
Human/intellectual capital
Needs assessment
Organizational developmental needs
Outsourcing
Determining return on investment (ROI)
E-learning and use of technology in training
HR as training leader
Mandatory training for legal compliance
On-the-job training (OJT)
Training evaluation
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 6:
STRATEGIC HRM (CAPSTONE)
Organizational eectiveness
Change management
Communication (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Quality management
Risk management
Strategic management and strategy formulation
Communicating strategy to sta
Competitive advantage
Competitive dierentiators
Competitive strategy
Ethical practice (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Global HRM
Global mindset (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Linking HR strategy to organizational
strategy
Role of values in strategy formulation
Strategy implementation
Trends in HR mission and vision
ELECTIVES
Faculty can use the additional skill development and
competency lists found in Appendix B to identify
an appropriate set of topics to be incorporated as
electives. Alternatively, HR content areas included
above can be expanded or rearranged to provide
the desired menu of courses.
GRADUATE CURRICULUM
30 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Graduate Curriculum: A Sample Template for Structuring
a Master of Science or Master of Arts in Human Resource
Management (Within a Business School)
The following sample template integrates critical HRM competencies into courses structured primarily along
the lines of core content outlined in this guidebook.
Please note: The sample course outlines are provided only as an example of how faculty may choose to
incorporate the required and secondary HR content areas into an MSHRM or MAHRM curriculum. It is not
intended to be used as a prescription for creating a degree program.
The following assumptions apply:
• These outlines may be applicable to Master of Science and Master of Arts degrees in a business
discipline (e.g., management) with HRM as a major or area of concentration, emphasis or focus.
• A Master of Science in HRM (MSHRM) or Master of Arts in HRM (MAHRM) degree is generally a 30- to
42-credit-hour program (depending on the university’s general education requirements), comprises
many HR-specific courses, and may include introductory and capstone courses.
• The program is in a semester, quarter or trimester system.
• Business core courses cover the following areas as part of the degree program’s general
education requirements in addition to the major area of study or concentration: accounting,
business law, economics, finance, marketing, general management, statistics, or strategic
management, and may have been prerequisites to admission, based on individual university
requirements.
• Overview of HRM course is taken first, and capstone course is taken last. Refer to the overview
and capstone courses included in the MBA template.
GRADUATE CURRICULUM
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 31
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 1:
COMPENSATION
Developing a total rewards strategy
Communicating a total rewards philosophy
Compensation and benefits structures
Incentive compensation
Legal issues regarding compensation and
workforce adjustments
Managing compensation and benefits in
employee separations
Managing a change in compensation structure
Pay for performance and merit pay systems
Controlling benefits costs
Health and welfare benefits
Measurement: cost-benefit analyses
Outsourcing compensation and benefits
functions
Special compensation situations
Commission sales
Executives
Golden parachutes
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 2:
GLOBAL HR
Global legal environment
Country-specific laws
Data security
Employee privacy and safety issues
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Human resource information systems
Security issues
U.S. laws that apply outside the United States
Global mindset (SHRM Behavioral Competency)
Cultural competence
Cultural sensitivity
Managing a virtual workforce
Managing expatriate compensation
Relationship management (SHRM
Behavioral Competency)
Repatriation and career pathing for
returning expatriates
Valuing diversity within work teams
Stang strategies for multinational organizations
Sustainability/responsible management
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 3:
EMPLOYMENT LAW
Overview of employment law
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and
as amended in 2008 (ADA)
Reasonable accommodation
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA)
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA)
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
(OSHA Act)
Stang
Disparate impact and disparate treatment
Employment contracts and the
employment-at-will doctrine
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)
Negligent hiring
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1991
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
of 1988 (WARN Act)
Unlawful harassment
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 4:
LABOR MANAGEMENT RELATIONS
Collective bargaining issues
Mandatory issues
Nonmandatory issues
Union security clauses
Collective bargaining process
Good-faith bargaining
Employee engagement and involvement strategies
Grievances
Unfair labor practices
Managing union organizing policies and handbooks
Negotiation skills
Strikes, boycotts and work stoppages
Union-related and labor relations law
Labor Management Relations Act of 1947
(LMRA)
Labor Management Reporting and
Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA)
Managing union shops
National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (NLRA)
Right-to-work issues
Union membership
Union decertification and deauthorization
Union/management relations
GRADUATE CURRICULUM
32 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 5:
STAFFING, PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT,
TRAINING, WORKFORCE PLANNING AND
TALENT MANAGEMENT
Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications (BFOQs)
Career development
Competency models
Employee development: formal education,
experience, assessment
On-the-job training (OJT)
Role of training in succession planning
Creating an employment brand
Environmental considerations
Communicating adverse employment
decisions
External and internal recruitment strategies
External influences on stang
Labor markets, unions, the economy and
technology
Post-oer screenings
Pre-employment screenings
Reference/background checks
Structured interviewing
Job oers: employment-at-will, contracts,
authorization to work
Performance appraisals
Appraisal feedback
Diagnosing problems
Managing performance
Performance improvement programs
Workforce planning and talent development
Labor supply and demand
Planning, forecasting, requirement and
availabilities, gap analysis, action planning
Retention: involuntary turnover,
outplacement consulting, alternative
dispute resolution
Retention: measurement
Retention: voluntary turnover, job
satisfaction, withdrawal, alternatives
Succession planning
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 6:
ANALYTICS, METRICS AND PROBLEM-SOLVING
IN HRM
Balanced scorecard
Accountability and transparency
Calculating and interpreting yield ratios
Calculating return on investment (ROI)
Forecasting and projections
HR scorecard
Governance
Organizational scorecard
Business acumen (SHRM Behavioral Competency)
Analyzing and interpreting metrics
Benchmarking HR
Quantitative analysis
Reputation and brand enhancement
Research design and methodology
Research theory
Risk management
Supply chain management
Trend and ratio analysis
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE 7: CHANGE
MANAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP AND
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Change management
Adjusting to change within the organization
Communication and building trust
Coping strategies for employees
Creating a foundation for problem solving
Dimensions of change
HR as ethical change agent
Leading, planning and implementing change
Stages of change management
Consultation (SHRM Behavioral Competency)
Decision-making
Diversity, equity and inclusion (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Equity, ethics and fairness in the workplace
Ethical practice (SHRM Behavioral Competency)
Managing diverse groups and work teams
Individual, group and organizational dynamics
Role of power and influence in human resources
GRADUATE CURRICULUM
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 33
Leadership
Communication styles
Leadership and navigation (SHRM
Behavioral Competency)
Leadership development
Leadership, motivation and individual
behavior
Organizational development
Communication (SHRM Behavioral
Competency)
Coaching
Developing human resources
Emotional intelligence
Equipping the organization for present
and future talent needs
Improving organizational eectiveness
Knowledge management
Leadership development
Measurement systems
Ongoing performance and productivity
initiatives
Organizational eectiveness
Organizational learning
Organizational structure and job design
Outsourcing employee development
Social networking
Succession planning
Theories and strategies for developing an
organizational behavior model
Training employees to meet current and
future job demands
Workplace culture and trust building
ELECTIVES
Faculty can use the additional skill development
and competency lists found in Appendix B
to identify an appropriate set of topics to be
incorporated as electives. Alternatively, modules
included above can be expanded or rearranged
to provide the desired menu of courses.
GRADUATE CURRICULUM
34 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
ANALYZING YOUR UNIVERSITY’S HR DEGREE PROGRAM
FOR ALIGNMENT
The 2022 Curriculum Guidebook Revalidation Study asked academicians about their familiarity with SHRM’s
HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates. The vast majority of respondents (93%) stated they were familiar
with the guidelines and knew that their HR degree program aligns with the SHRM HR curriculum guidelines.
In prior revalidation studies of the curriculum guidebook, HR academicians identified the following reasons
as the top three benefits of aligning an HR degree program with the guidelines:
• It standardizes what students know upon graduation from the program and their level of
preparedness to enter the HR profession.
• It provides guidelines about which HRM topics are important to teach.
• It provides a bridge to the practitioner world.
There is no charge to complete the curriculum analysis, which takes approximately two to three weeks. This
independent review, which is open to U.S.-based and international universities, may provide an opportunity
for faculty to gain additional support for their programs when requesting resources within their school or
when seeking approval of curriculum changes.
Upon receiving the alignment application and documentation, SHRM will conduct the curriculum analysis,
communicate the results of the analysis, and ask any questions about unclear or incomplete information.
Once the HR degree program (undergraduate or graduate) is determined to align with the SHRM HR
curriculum guidelines, the college or university will be notified by e-mail. The school will receive an ocial
letter of alignment and a certificate of alignment, along with a marketing paragraph. The HR degree program
will be posted in the SHRM HR Program Directory. Colleges and universities will be required to renew this
alignment periodically; SHRM will send a renewal application with the instructions on what documentation
to provide.
IMPORTANT: The SHRM logo may not be used by the college or university in its marketing materials or
on its website in relation to alignment.
To request the alignment application, please write to [email protected].
ANALYZING YOUR UNIVERSITY’S HR DEGREE PROGRAM FOR ALIGNMENT
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 35
Appendix A includes the required and secondary HR content area topic lists. These content lists were
compiled based on the 2022 Curriculum Guidebook Revalidation Study. The topic lists below—with
subtopics—were compiled from a variety of sources, including the following:
• SHRM 2017 Curriculum Guidebook Revalidation Study, titled “Preparing to Enter the Field of
Human Resources.”
• SHRM 2013 Curriculum Guidebook Revalidation Study.
• SHRM Assessment Development Study: From a list of over 150 of the top-selling books and
textbooks from well-known university programs, SHRM reviewed the contents of the 12 highest-
selling textbooks to develop a list of HR content areas to include in an assessment; this was done
by surveying practitioners and academicians.
• SHRM taxonomy used to structure and organize HR content areas in the HR Knowledge Center
and SHRM Online.
• SHRM Competency Model and its Revalidation Study.
Please see Tables 1A (page 21) and 1B (page 22) for the 2022 HR content areas and SHRM
competencies.
The following lists present the required HR content areas, the secondary content areas and the SHRM
competencies (including definitions).
Appendix A
Required and Secondary HR Content Areas, and the SHRM Competencies
36 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
REQUIRED HR CONTENT AREAS
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Adjusting to change within the organization
Building trust
Coaching
Commitment
Coping strategies for employees
Creating a foundation for problem solving
Culture
Dimensions of change
Experimentation
Implementing change
Involvement
Leading change
Planning change strategy
Stages of change management
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Compensation
Compensation of special groups (e.g., executives,
sales, contingent workers, management)
Determining pay increases
Development of a base pay system
Developing pay levels
External competitiveness strategies
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Geographic location
Internal alignment strategies
Job evaluation point-factor system
Labor market competition
Legal constraints on pay issues
Market compensation surveys
Market pressures
Minimum wage/overtime
Monitoring compensation costs
Motivation theories: equity theory, reinforcement
theory, agency theory, expectancy theory
Pay discrimination and dissimilar jobs
Pay grades
Pay programs: merit pay, pay-for-performance,
incentives/bonuses, profit sharing, group incentives/
gainsharing, balanced scorecard
Prevailing wage
Role of job analysis/job design/job descriptions in
determining compensation
Skills-based pay
Team rewards
Union role in wage and salary administration
Employee Benefits
Cost-benefit analysis
Domestic partner benefits
Early retirement programs and buyout
Educational benefits
Employee assistance/wellness programs
Family-oriented benefits
Flexible spending accounts
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Child care
Elder care
Federal insurance programs [Old-Age, Survivor, and
Disability Insurance (OASDI), Medicare]
Financial benefits (gainsharing, group incentives,
team awards, merit pay/bonuses)
Global employee benefits
Health care cost containment
Managing employee benefits (cost control,
monitoring future obligations, action
planning, strategic planning)
Health care plans (multiple payer/single payer,
universal health care systems, HMOs, PPOs, fee-for
service, consumer-directed HSAs)
Aordable Care Act (2010) (ACA)
Life insurance
Long-term care
Nonqualified plans for highly paid and executive
employees
Outsourcing
Paid leave plans
Private group insurance
Regulation of health insurance programs (COBRA,
HIPAA, Health Maintenance Organization Act of
1973)
Regulation of retirement plans (FLSA, ERISA,
Pension Protection Act of 2006)
Sabbaticals
Severance pay
Statutory vs. voluntary benefits
Survivor’s benefits
Social Security
Time o and other benefits
Types of retirement plans (defined benefit, defined
contribution, hybrid plans)
Unemployment insurance
Wellness programs
Workers’ compensation
EMPLOYEE AND LABOR RELATIONS
Alternative dispute resolution
Alternative dispute resolution: negotiation
American Federation of Labor and Congress of
Attendance
Attitude surveys
Closed shops
Cognitive biases
Collective bargaining issues
Collective bargaining process
Communication
APPENDIX A
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 37
Conflict
Conflict management
Contract negotiation
Disciplinary actions: demotion, disciplinary termination
Distributive bargaining
Employee engagement
Employee involvement
Employee records
Employee retention
Fairness
Framing
Grievance management
Industrial organizations (AFL-CIO)
Integrative negotiation
International negotiation
Investigations
Managing teams
Managing union organizing policies and handbooks
Managing/creating a positive organizational culture
Measuring and monitoring job satisfaction
Measuring involuntary turnover
Mediation and arbitration
Mutual adjustment
National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)
Negotiation skills
Interdependence
Mutual agreement
Posting requirements
Principles of justice
Procedural justice
Promotion
Recognition
Right-to-work laws
Service awards
Strikes, boycotts and work stoppages
Unfair labor practices
Union decertification and deauthorization
Union membership
Union organizing
Union shops
Union/management relations
Union-related labor laws
Value claiming
Value creation
EMPLOYMENT LAW
Aordable Care Act (2010)
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and as
amended in 2008 (ADA)
Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of
1985 (COBRA)
Employer Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
(ERISA)
Equal Pay Act of 1963
Executive Order 11246 (1965)
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA)
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA)
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
of 1996 (HIPAA)
Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)
Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 (LMRA)
Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of
1959 (LMRDA)
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (NLRA)
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA Act)
Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978
Railway Labor Act of 1926 (RLA)
Rehabilitation Act (1973)
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1991
Uniformed Services Employment and
Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA)
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
of 1988 (WARN Act)
Agency relationships/quasi-contracts
Citations and penalties
Contractual and tort theories
Disparate impact
Disparate treatment
Employee privacy
Employer unfair labor practices
Employment contracts
Employment-at-will doctrine
Enforcement agencies (EEOC, OFCCP)
Negligent hiring
Professional liability
Types of discrimination
Unlawful harassment
Sexual
Religious
Disability
Race
Color
Nation of origin
Religious
Whistleblowing/retaliation
ADA (Reasonable accommodation)
GLOBALIZATION
Cross-border HR management
Current issues in global HRM
Dual-career families
Family concerns related to cross-border
assignment
Host-country nationals (HCNs)
Managing personal and family life for
expatriates
Parent-country nationals (PCNs)
Third-country nationals (TCNs)
APPENDIX A
38 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Cross-cultural eectiveness
Cultural sensitivity
Cultural training
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
European Union
Immigration law
Immigration issues
Global benefits
Compensation (balance-sheet approach;
home-based pay, host-based pay,
localization)
Global business environment
Global labor markets
Global talent shortages
Global security and terrorism
Managing expatriates in global markets
Assessing and tracking career development
of expatriates
Eective repatriation
Inshoring, oshoring, outsourcing
Repatriating employees post international
assignment
Managing virtual teams
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
HR CAREER PLANNING
Balancing work and life
Career management systems
Career development
Definition of a career
Plateauing
Skills obsolescence
Company policies to accommodate work and
nonwork activities
Coping with job loss
Contingency theory
Developing leader skills
Authentic leadership
Ethical decision-making
Leader-member exchange theory
Path-goal theory
Situational approach
Skills approach
Style approach
Team leadership
Trait approach
Transformational leadership
HR’S ROLE IN ORGANIZATIONS
It is expected that faculty will discuss HR’s role
regarding each of the individual HR disciplines
whenever an individual discipline is taught. This
discussion may take the form of describing HR’s
role in developing human capital, its eect on the
organization’s success or the interplay among the
various disciplines—meaning how decisions in one
HR discipline aect other HR disciplines.
HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEMS (HRIS)
Conducting systems needs assessments
Determining system specifications
Issues to consider when selecting HRIS software
Selecting an HR information system
Using HR data for enterprise management
JOB ANALYSIS AND JOB DESIGN
Compliance with legal requirements
Equal employment ( job-relatedness, bona
fide occupational qualifications and the
reasonable accommodation process)
Equal pay (skill, eort, responsibility and
working conditions) and comparable worth
Overtime eligibility (exempt vs. nonexempt
work)
Ergonomics and workplace safety (work
hazards and mitigation)
Employment practices (recruitment, selection and
placement)
Job evaluation and compensation (grades, pay
surveys and pay setting)
Job/role design (roles, duties and responsibilities)
HR planning (skill inventories and supply/demand
forecasting)
Organization design (missions, functions and other
aspects of work units for horizontal and vertical
dierentiation)
Performance management (performance criteria and
appraisal)
Training and development
Vocational and career counseling
Needs assessment
Career pathing
Workflow analysis
Analyzing work inputs and outputs
Work management (work processes and
outsourcing)
METRICS AND MEASUREMENT OF HR
Analyzing and interpreting metrics
Balanced scorecard
HR scorecard
Organizational scorecard
HR and organization level
Measuring absenteeism
Measuring turnover
Benchmarking
Calculating and interpreting yield ratios
Economic value added
APPENDIX A
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 39
Forecasting
Quantitative analysis
Return on investment (ROI)
Trend and ratio analysis projections
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Coaching
Developing human resources
Emotional intelligence
Equipping the organization for present and future
talent needs
Improving organizational eectiveness
Knowledge management
Leadership development
Managing remote sta
Measurement systems
Organizational eectiveness
Organizational learning
Organizational structure and job design
Ongoing performance and productivity initiatives
Outsourcing employee development
Social networking
Succession planning
Training employees to meet current and future job
demands
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
Approaches to measuring performance
Performance measure criteria
Performance standards/goals
Rater errors in performance measurement
Reliability (interrater reliability)
Validity
Identifying and measuring employee performance
Forced distribution
Graphic rating scales
Paired comparison
Ranking
Performance appraisals
Appraisal feedback
Diagnosing problems
Electronic monitoring
Managing performance
Performance improvement programs
Process of performance management
Sources of information (e.g., managers,
peers, clients)
STAFFING (RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION)
Assessment methods
Ability/job knowledge tests, assessment
centers
Contingent assessment methods: drug
testing, medical exams
Initial assessment methods: resumes, cover
letters, application blanks, biographical
information, reference/background checks,
genetic screening, initial interviews,
minimum qualifications
Noncognitive assessments (e.g., personality
assessments, integrity tests, situational
judgment tests, interest inventories)
Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications (BFOQs)
Determining labor demand and supply
External influences on stang: labor
markets, unions, economic conditions,
technology
Forecasting
Employment brand
Image advertising
Employment relationship: employees, contractors,
temporary workers
External influences on stang: labor markets,
unions, economic conditions, technology
Internal recruitment: promotability ratings,
managerial sponsorship, self/peer assessments,
panels/review boards
Internal recruitment: timing, open/closed/
targeted recruitment, bona fide seniority
systems
Interviews: situational, structured
Online recruiting
Electronic recruiting
Use of social media in recruitment
Selection decisions: ranking, grouping/banding,
random selection
Measurement concepts: predictors/criteria,
reliability, validity
Job oers: employment-at-will, contracts,
authorization to work
Sources
External recruitment: recruiters, open vs.
targeted recruitment, recruitment sources,
applicant reactions, medium (electronic,
advertisement)
Evaluating the quality of a source
Internal sources (employee referrals,
posting, internal applicants)
STRATEGIC HR
Strategic management
Competitive advantage
Competitive strategy
Enhancing firm competitiveness
External growth strategy
Internal growth strategy
Mission and vision
Organizational eectiveness
Strategy implementation
Strategy formulation
Sustainability/corporate social responsibility
APPENDIX A
40 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
HR strategies
Ethics
HR liaison to the board of directors
Internal consulting
Linking HR strategy to organizational
strategy
Measuring HR eectiveness
Quality management
The role of the chief human resource ocer
(CHRO)
Trends and forecasting in HR
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
Business games and studies
Adventure learning
Creating a learning environment
Competency models
Learning theories: behaviorism,
constructivism, cognitive models, adult
learning, knowledge management
Training evaluation: Kirkpatrick’s model
Evaluating training programs
Determining return on investment (ROI)
Human/intellectual capital
Role of training in succession planning
Needs assessment
Employee development: formal education,
experience, assessment
Organizational analysis, person analysis,
task analysis
Personality tests and inventories
Selecting training methods
Blended learning
Coaching
Cross-training
E-learning and use of technology in training
Hands-on methods
Internships
Job rotation
On-the-job training (OJT)
Self-management skills
Shadowing
Simulations
Transfer of training: design issues, facilitating transfer
Training resources
Outsourcing
WORKFORCE PLANNING AND TALENT
MANAGEMENT
Downsizing/rightsizing
Labor supply and demand
Planning: forecasting requirements and availabilities,
gap analysis, action planning, core/flexible workforce
Retention: involuntary turnover, outplacement
counseling, alternative dispute resolution
Retention: voluntary turnover, job satisfaction,
withdrawal, alternatives
Retention: measurement
Succession planning
Workforce dynamics
WORKPLACE HEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY
Creating a healthy work environment
Communicable diseases
Corporate wellness programs
Employee health
Job stress and burnout
Protection from retaliation
Reducing workforce violence
Work/life balance
OSHA citations and penalties
Data security
Inspection
Investigating and reporting accidents
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)
Monitoring, surveillance, privacy
Security concerns at work
Safety management
Alcoholism, drug abuse
Crisis management teams
Disaster preparation, continuity and
recovery planning
Distracted driving
Enforcing safety rules
Ergonomics
Proactive safety programs
Testing for substance abuse
SECONDARY HR CONTENT AREAS
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Cultural compatibility
Adaptability
Assimilating work cultures
Cultural dierences
Conducting HR due diligence
Degree of internal integration
Merging workplace cultures
Integrating HR systems
Integrating compensation and benefits
structures
Integrating performance management
systems
Integration
Autonomy
Communication
Diversity
Downsizing
Employee anxiety
Employee trust
APPENDIX A
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 41
Morale
Redundancy
Rumors
OUTSOURCING
Conducting cost-benefit analyses
Creating an outsourcing strategy
Evaluating eectiveness of outsourcing eorts
Evaluating proposals from contractors
Identifying third-party providers (contractors)
Importance of legal review of contracts
Managing communications and deliverables
Managing vendor/sta relationships
Managing a vendor’s performance under the
contract terms
Negotiating contract terms
Preparing a request for information (RFI) or request
for proposal (RFP)
Retaining management rights
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Corporate philanthropy
Accountability and transparency
Business case for CSR community/employee
Ethics
Linking organizational culture and
corporate values
Employee relations and employment practices
Financial transparency
Governance
Management commitment to CSR
Reputation and brand enhancement
Risk management
Sustainability practices
Green management
Supply chain management
SHRM COMPETENCIES AND DEFINITIONS
Analytical Aptitude
The knowledge, skills, abilities and other
characteristics (KSAOs) needed to collect and
analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and
to interpret and promote findings that evaluate
HR initiatives and inform business decisions and
recommendations.
Business Acumen
The KSAOs needed to understand the
organization’s operations, functions and external
environment; and to apply business tools and
analyses that inform HR initiatives and operations
consistent with the overall strategic direction of the
organization.
Communication
The KSAOs needed to eectively craft and deliver
concise and informative communications, to listen to
and address the concerns of others, and to transfer
and translate information from one level or unit of
the organization to another.
Consultation
The KSAOs needed to work with organizational
stakeholders in evaluating business challenges
and identifying opportunities for the design,
implementation and evaluation of change initiatives,
and to build ongoing support for HR solutions that
meet the changing needs of customers and the
business.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The KSAOs needed to create a work environment
in which all individuals are treated fairly and
respectfully, have equal access to opportunities
and resources, feel a sense of belonging, and use
their unique backgrounds and characteristics to
contribute fully to the organization’s success.
Ethical Practice
The KSAOs needed to maintain high levels of
personal and professional integrity, and to act as an
ethical agent who promotes core values, integrity
and accountability throughout the organization.
Global Mindset
The KSAOs needed to value and consider the
perspectives and backgrounds of all parties,
to interact with others in a global context, and
to promote a culturally diverse and inclusive
workplace.
Leadership and Navigation
The KSAOs needed to create a compelling vision
and mission for HR that aligns with the strategic
direction and culture of the organization, accomplish
HR and organizational goals, lead and promote
organizational change, navigate the organization,
and manage the implementation and execution of
HR initiatives.
Relationship Management
The KSAOs needed to create and maintain a
network of professional contacts within and outside
the organization, to build and maintain relationships,
to work as an eective member of a team, and to
manage conflict while supporting the organization.
APPENDIX A
42 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Appendix B
Additional Skill Development and Competency Lists
The following topics were suggested by HR faculty and HR practitioners who participated in SHRM’s
research and revalidation surveys about HR curriculum design. When given the opportunity to write in
additional topic areas not specifically addressed in the research, these topics were suggested for students
who want to broaden their studies.
360-degree feedback
Accident prevention
Addressing morale while downsizing/rightsizing
Aligning HR practices with organization’s customer
strategy
Analytics—quantitative decision-making
Appraisal methods
Assessing risk associated with HR decisions
Attitudinal structuring
Basic mathematic skills
Basic problem-solving skills
Basic work ethics
Basic writing and persuasion skills
Basics of salary administration, including market
pricing and salary surveys
Being politically savvy
Branding the HR function
Budgeting
Bullying in the workforce
Business communications
Business etiquette
Business writing
Career stages
Career transitioning/changing careers
Changes in HR law
Coaching and counseling skills
Communicating with C-suite executives
Communication skills: verbal and written
Complaint investigation
Complex problem-solving skills
Confidentiality issues
Conflict management
Contingent workforce issues
Corporate universities
Corporate wellness plans
Cost-benefit analysis
Creating employee satisfaction surveys
Creative thinking
Criminal convictions and employment decisions
Crisis management
Critical thinking
Cultural diversity in the U.S.
Cultural sensitivity
Current aairs in shaping business decisions
Current issues in international HRM
Customer service skills
Data mining—quantitative analysis for HRM
Dealing with ambiguity
Development, design and implementation of
training programs
Disability as a diversity issue
Diversity programs
Documentation, importance of
Drug-free workplace programs
Dual-career couples
Eects of interruptions—voluntary vs. involuntary
Eective survey design
Eective use of a contingent workforce
Electronic application process
Emotional and relational intelligence
Employee/employer rights and responsibilities
Employee relations issues
Environmental scanning
Ethics business strategy
Evidence-based management
Facilitator skill development
Falsification of employment information
Familiarity with business cycles
Familiarity with payroll laws
Family concerns related to cross-border
assignments
Finance and accounting
Financial reports and connecting with HR
Flexible spending plans
Flexible work arrangements
Generational dierences
Global benefits
Global talent shortages
Grievance/complaint prevention
Handling dicult situations and conversations
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 43
Health care reform
Health care cost containment
Hiring veterans
History of labor relations
How to conduct an investigation
How to eectively market HR agendas internally
How to manage up
How to set up an HR department
HRM in other settings (e.g., nonprofits, religion)
HR supply chain management
HR technology
Identify theft and fraud
Immigration issues
Immigration law
Implementing creativity in the workplace
Industry-specific variations in HR functions
Influence of immigration
Innovative thinking
In-patriots
Instructional design (ADDIE model)
International HRM perspectives
International labor relations
Internships
Interviewing skills
Intraorganizational bargaining
Knowledge management
Layo management
Lean methodology and Six Sigma methodology
Legal interview techniques/practices
Leadership and motivation training
Making presentations to the board
Managing after a hostile takeover
Managing client relationships
Managing databases
Managing remote sta
Managing telecommuting and other flexible work
arrangements
Managing “tribal knowledge”
Managing teams
Managing temporary stang needs
Managing virtual teams
Managing workplace bullying and incivility
Managing your supervisor
Managing your work ethic
Mental/emotional wellness
Mentoring
Multicultural conflict
New health care laws
New-hire orientation
Organizational learning
Older Workers Benefit Protection Act
Onboarding new hires
Online recruitment
Organizational transparency vs. protecting
organizational information
Outsource vs. in-house decisions
Outsourcing (as it diers from oshoring)
Preparing for mediations or arbitrations
Political diversity
Presentation skills (oral communication skills)
Privacy issues in the workplace
Proprietary information/noncompete agreements
Problem-solving skills
Processing visas
Project management
Reading and interpreting profit/loss statements
Records retention
Recruitment and selecting the right fit for the job
Relationship management with internal and external
clients
Relocation issues
Reporting channels for sexual harassment and
discrimination/disputes
Retaliation avoidance
Retention of quality employees
Social diversity
Social justice
Social media in advancing HR
Social networking strategies
Soft skills: conflict resolution
Soft skills: time management
Sourcing metrics
Stock options
Strategic thinking
Systems theory, specifically understanding how
decisions aect every aspect of the organization
Team performance
Teamwork and interpersonal skills
Telecommuting sustainability
Total rewards for retaining top performers
Toxic leadership
Transnational employment systems
Union avoidance/prevention
Use and understanding of HRIS operations
Utility analysis: payos from stang, training
Utilization of focus groups
Vendor negotiations
Violence in the workplace
Virtual HR globalization
Workforce demographics
Working cross-functionally and collaboratively
Written communication skills
Writing a business case
Writing a contingency plan
Writing an employee handbook
Writing policies and procedures
Writing proposals
Writing a white paper
APPENDIX B
44 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Academic Institution Program Directory (list of HR degree programs that align with SHRM’s
HR Curriculum Guidelines): https://portal.shrm.org/Education/Institution/Directory.aspx?_
ga=2.181336103.1896570376.1655738323-1147105056.1643125399
SHRM HR Curriculum Guidelines:
shrm.org/academicinitiatives/universities/pages/guidebook.aspx
Faculty Exclusives:
shrm.org/academicinitiatives/universities/teachingresources/Pages/TermsOfUse_Faculty.aspx
HR Career Brochure:
How to Pursue a Career in Human Resources: Six Simple Steps to Success:
shrm.org/academicinitiatives/about/Pages/simplestepshrcareer.aspx
SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge:
shrm.org/certification/about/body-of-applied-skills-and-knowledge/Pages/default.aspx
SHRM Diagnostic Tools:
shrm.org/learningandcareer/competency-model/pages/competency-diagnostic-tools.aspx
SHRM Certification:
https://www.shrm.org/certification/about/Pages/default.aspx
SHRM-CP Student Eligibility:
https://www.shrm.org/certification/apply/eligibility-criteria/Pages/student-eligibility.aspx
SHRM Learning System (certification preparation):
shrm.org/certification/learning/options/Pages/default.aspx
Appendix C
Useful SHRM Links
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 45
Appendix D
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the following groups and individuals who contributed to the HR curriculum
guidebook and templates.
SHRM SPECIAL EXPERTISE PANEL MEMBERS
Melvin L. Asbury
Gigi G. Cohen
Sharyle M. Doherty
Bette Francis
Hal G. Gueutal, Ph.D.
Virginia C. Hall
Phyllis G. Hartman
Russell M. Klosk
Donna L. Keener
Kathy L. Kroop
James Lewis
Kathleen M. MacDonald
Steve McElfresh, Ph.D., J.D.
J. Michelle Morgan
Mary A. Mosa
Janice Presser, Ph.D.
Brian F. Ray
John A. Ryder
Grant A. Schneider
Dennis E. Schroeder
Annette M. Scott
Jack Shein
Sidney H. Simon
Christine M. Vion-Gillespie
Christine V. Walters, J.D.
Jennifer M. Wise
Cheryl R. Wyrick, Ph.D.
2004 HR EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM
PARTICIPANTS
Lynda Brown, Ph.D.
Lisbeth Claus, Ph.D.
Debra Cohen, Ph.D.
John Dooney
Fred Foulkes, Ph.D.
Carolyn Gould
James Hayton, Ph.D.
Herbert Heneman, Ph.D.
Frances Hume
David Hutchins
Richard Klimoski, Ph.D.
Patsy Kramer
Ed Lawler, Ph.D.
Tom Mazzocco
Sue Meisinger, J.D.
Bill Merryman
Jane Meyer
John Michel, Ph.D.
Linda Moravec
Anne-Margaret Olsson
Greg Perkins
Chuck Salvetti
Jennifer Schramm, M.Phil.
Johnny Taylor, J.D.
Judith Tansky, Ph.D.
Steve Williams, Ph.D.
2005 FUTURE OF STRATEGIC HR SYMPOSIUM
PARTICIPANTS
Kristi Acu
Laura Avakian
Haven Cockerham
Debra Cohen, Ph.D.
Kathy Compton
Lee Dyer, Ph.D.
Irene Heisinger
Jane Lewis
Kathleen MacDonald
Steve McElfresh, Ph.D., J.D.
Sue Meisinger, J.D.
Steve Miranda,
Jack Phillips, Ph.D.
David Russo
Libby Sartain
Jennifer Schramm, M.Phil.
Theresa Welbourne, Ph.D.
Steve Williams, Ph.D.
KEY COLLABORATOR, 2006 GUIDEBOOK
Alison E. Barber, Ph.D., Michigan State University
Acknowledgments
46 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
References
American Institutes for Research & SHRM. (2009). SHRM’s State of Human Resource Education Study: 2009 Final
Report. Retrieved from shrm.org/education/hreducation/pages/sohre.aspx
Campion, M. A., Fink, A. A., Ruggeberg, B. J., Carr, L., Phillips, G. M., & Odman, R. B. (2011). Doing competencies well:
Best practices in competency modeling. Personnel Psychology, 64, 225-262.
Kurtessis, J. N., Strobel, K. R., & Alonso, A. (2014). The SHRM Competency Model Content Validation Study. Retrieved
from shrm.org/HRCompetencies/PublishingImages/14-0705%20Content%20Validation%20Study%203.pdf
Kurtessis, J. N., Strobel, K. R., Tannenbaum, R., & Alonso, A. (2015). The SHRM competency model examination of the
relationship between performance and proficiency. Alexandria, VA: SHRM.
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the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP Examinations. Retrieved from shrm.org/certification/Documents/SHRM-BoCK-FINAL4.pdf
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from shrm.org/Research/FutureWorkplaceTrends/Documents/FutureHRExec.pdf
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shrm.org/Research/FutureWorkplaceTrends/Documents/SympFutureof HR.pdf
Society for Human Resource Management. (2009). Leading now, leading the future: What senior HR leaders want to
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Society for Human Resource Management & American Institutes of Research. (2011). SHRM’s state of human resource
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Society for Human Resource Management & American Institutes of Research. (2012). SHRM’s state of human resource
education study: 2011 state of HR education final report. Retrieved from shrm.org
Society for Human Resource Management & American Institutes of Research. (2013). SHRM’s state of human resource
education study: 2012 state of HR education final report. Retrieved from shrm.org
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professionals. Society for Human Resource Management. Alexandria, VA.
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 47
ABOUT SHRM
SHRM, the Society for Human
Resource Management, creates better
workplaces where employers and
employees thrive together. As the
voice of all things work, workers and
the workplace, SHRM is the foremost
expert, convener and thought leader
on issues impacting today’s evolving
workplaces. With 300,000+ HR and
business executive members in 165
countries, SHRM impacts the lives
of more than 115 million workers and
families globally.
Learn more at SHRM.org and on
Twitter @SHRM.
48 SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE CURRICULUM GUIDEBOOK AND TEMPLATES FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS 49
SHRM HUMAN RESOURCE
GUIDEBOOK
Guidebook and Templates for
Undergraduate and Graduate Programs
