Human Resources Management

This outline covers all four semesters of your at-home degree program. You will receive credit for previous college coursework if you meet Penn Foster standards. If you wish to receive credit for previous coursework, contact the college you attended and ask that your transcripts be forwarded to Penn Foster for evaluation. All previous college work must have been completed with a grade of "C" or better, and as much as 50% of the required credits may be transferred. We will also credit your tuition for all the courses that are acceptable.

System Requirements
You will need access to a Microsoft® Windows®-based computer to complete this program.  Penn Foster recommends the following as minimum specifications: Pentium® II or better processor, using Microsoft® Windows® XP or later. You will also need access to the Internet and Microsoft® Office 2007 to complete portions of this program.

If English is not your primary language.
All applicants whose primary language is not English or who have not earned a degree or diploma from an accredited institution where English is the principle language of instruction, must receive a TOEFL score of 500 on the paper-based test (TOEFL) 61 on the IBT or its equivalent. For more information, please refer to www.toefl.org.

SEMESTER ONE

Basic Skills Assessment All degree applicants are required to complete two Basic Skills Assessments, one in reading and one in math, to determine the level of readiness for beginning their selected program. Additional studies may be required. BUS100 – Business Orientation (1 credit) Introduction to distance learning; study skills and techniques; reading textbooks and study guides; reviewing for examinations. Four basic life goals; individual life goals and steps needed to fulfill them; similarities between personal financial goals and business goals; determining personal financial goals; setting up a budget; researching, planning, starting up, and maintaining a business. ENG103 – Information Literacy (1 credit) Teaches students to become effective in finding and utilizing information at libraries and other information centers, and through electronic resources available in libraries and on the World Wide Web. BUS101 – Introduction to Business (3 credits) Business in a global environment; starting and growing a business; human resources; marketing; information and technology; finances. Required textbook provided with the course. BUS110 – Principles of Management (3 credits) Learning organizations and the managerial environment; planning; organizing; leading, part 1; leading, part 2: controlling. HR201 – Human Resources Management (3 credits) Management practices; selection and placement; compensation and benefits; safety and health training; career development; international HRS; employee rights and discipline; labor relations; high-performance work systems. Textbook included Arts & Humanities Elective (choose one) (3 credits) HUM102 – Art Appreciation Artistic media; historical periods and artistic movements; roles of the artist and the viewer; art criticism. HUM104 – Music Appreciation Appreciating music; roles of composer and listener; principles of music theory and instrumentation; historical periods; varying styles of music. MAT106 – Mathematics for Business and Finance (3 credits) Basic operations, and business basics; applications, parts 1 & 2. Textbook and Learning Aid included Proctored Examination*

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SEMESTER TWO

ENG100 – English Composition (3 credits)
Writing difficulties; grammar review (sentences, parts of speech, punctuation marks, and paragraphs); defining unfamiliar terms; finding ideas through freewriting and brainstorming; organizing ideas; principles of revising and editing; figures of speech; writing for the senses; getting the readers’ attention; descriptive writing; first-person narratives; reflective and persuasive essays; thesis statements.

ACC111 – Financial Accounting (3 credits)
Analyzing transactions; completing the accounting cycle; merchandising businesses; inventories, assets, and liabilities; and corporations, stocks, bonds, and cash flow.

ACC112 – Managerial Accounting (3 credits)
Introduction to managerial accounting; analyses: C-V-P and management; budgeting and performance evaluation; decentralized operations; differential analysis and product pricing; and capital investment analysis, and cost activities.

BUS213 – Business Law I (3 credits)
American court practice and procedure; torts; employment law; international law; environmental law; contract law.

BUS214 – Business Law II (3 credits)
Sales; consumer law; commercial paper; property law; agency relationships; partnerships, organizations, and limited liability companies.

HRM355 – Training Concepts
A synthesis of accepted theory regarding training and the management of the training function in organizations and an examination of successful and unsuccessful training practices.

Proctored Examination*

SEMESTER THREE

HRM210 – Compensation Management (3 credits)
The course covers the basic components of a total compensation package (salary, bonus, and benefits), the development, implementation, and maintenance of a program, the impact of internal and external equity, and additional factors which must be considered for the overall success of a program.

CSC104 – Computer Applications (3 credits)
Computer and Internet Basics; computer hardware and software; digital electronics and file management; introduction to Windows®; PC applications in word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software.

ENG121 – Business and Technical Writing (3 credits)
Writing styles; ABC method of organizing material; grammar (parts of speech, active and passive voice, complete sentences vs. sentence fragments; parallel construction); using action verbs; constructing paragraphs; writing memos, business letters, and e-mails; organizing material; conducting research; documenting sources; outlining; providing illustrations; writing reports, proposals, descriptions, instructions, articles, and manuals.

HRM320 – Employee Benefits (3 credits)
This course examines employer and employee objectives for benefit plans; design and administration of group life and group health insurance programs; government programs for workers' compensation; employer-sponsored pension plans; and the integration of government and employer-sponsored retirement benefits into.

BUS121 – Economics I (3 credits)
Macroeconomics; the cost of living; monetary systems; international factors; short run economic fluctuations.

HUM106 – Interpersonal Communication (2 credits)
Developing more effective personal communication skills to increase chances for professional success; increasing skills levels involving the use and selection of words, gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions, listening skills, as well as overall physical appearance.

Proctored Examination*

SEMESTER FOUR

ENG124 – Applied Research Skills (2 credits)
Directed research on topics related to employment searches. Access to the Internet is required.

MAT210 – Business Statistics (3 credits)
Presentation of data; frequency distribution; averages; dispersion and skewness; index numbers; time series analysis; correlation and forecasting; the theory of probability and statistical inference.

MAT260 – Survey of Mathematics (3 credits)
Designed for liberal arts and business majors. A sampling of the history of mathematics and calculations using algebra, geometry, and trigonometry; problems and exercises that provide “real life” applications of concepts.

SSC130 – Essentials of Psychology (3 credits)
Biology and behavior; consciousness; memory; thought and language; intelligence; personality and gender; stress; community influences.

HRM350 – Labor Relations (3 credits)
The study of labor relations examines the interactions between organized labor unions and company management. These interactions between unions and management include rights and responsibilities, negotiations, and collective bargaining.

General Education Elective (Choose one) (3 credits)

SCI140 – Nutrition
Personal decision-making about nutrition; nutrition science; water; exercise; human growth and aging; safety of the food supply; the global view.
SCI120 – Introduction to Biology
An introductory course that explains the origin of life and the relationships between all living things. It describes how a significant number of organisms are structured and how they work, in order to enable students to discuss intelligently the various forms of life and their processes.
ENG115 – Introduction to Literature
Reading and analysis of the main genres of literature; poetry, fiction and drama; themes and forms of literature.
SSC105 – Readings in World Civilization
Importance of the study of history; major events of the sixteenth through twentieth centuries; causal relationships between events and trends.
SSC150 – Foundations of Political Science
The normative questions of politics; logical and empirical analysis of political questions.

Proctored Examination*

We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.

* As a degree candidate, you will take a proctored examination at the end of each semester on selected courses within that semester. We make it easy because you pick the location and the person you want to supervise the exam, as long as Penn Foster College's established policy and qualifications are met. Complete information packets with procedures will be provided well in advance, before completion of final semester coursework.

Note: Advanced standing student shipments may vary from the above schedule.

A High School Diploma or GED is required to enroll in this degree program. Although this outline covers all four semesters of the Human Resources Management Degree Program, you receive lesson materials for each semester as you enroll.

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