HRER

or LHR 400 Comparative Employment Relations Systems

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

or HRER 810 Labor and Employment Law

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

or HRER 802 Human Behavior and Organizational Performance Total Credits 12

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Seminar course exploring human resource studies from an international perspective.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

A minimum of 50% of the double-counted courses must be at the 500 or 800 level. Independent study courses and credits associated with the culminating experience for the graduate degree cannot be double- counted. Students must sequence their courses so all undergraduate degree requirements are fulfilled before taking courses to count solely towards the graduate degree. Students are expected to complete the undergraduate degree requirements within the typical time to degree for the undergraduate major. In the semester in which the undergraduate degree requirements will be completed, IUG students must apply to graduate, and the undergraduate degree should be conferred at the next appropriate Commencement. If students accepted into the IUG program are unable to complete the MHRER degree, they are still eligible to receive their undergraduate degree if all the undergraduate degree requirements have been satisfied. Integrated B.S. in Labor and Human Resources and M.S. in Human Resources and Employment Relations This Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate (IUG) degree program combines the B.S. in Labor and Human Resources with the M.S. in Human Resources and Employment Relations offered at the following campuses:

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Graduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 437

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Subject

HRER

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Resources and Employment Relations

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Subject

HRER

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Neoclassical, institutional and systemic theories of external and internal labor markets and their dynamics.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

The course will provide students with an analytic framework for understanding how social inequalities in race, class, and gender shape experiences in families and the workplace. HRER (WMNST) 523 Seminar in Work-Life Dilemmas, Practices, and Policies (3) This course investigates many of the invisible challenges people face in the 21st century labor market including: what happens when a worker's child is e sick; whether mothers are discriminated against in the labor market; what happens to men at work when they have children; whether a person's health is influenced by their work; and if the division of labor at home benefits some people more than others. This course will provide answers to these questions and more through an in-depth investigation of the institutions that structure work-family life in 21st century America. First, the class will consider how work and families have changed in the last 50 years. Second, the students will investigate how inequalities based on gender, race, class, and family structure manifest at work. Third, the course will investigate how work responsibilities impact home life and how this differs according to race, gender, class and family structure. Finally, the course will ask what solutions may fix some of today's most pressing work-life dilemmas.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

This course covers the strategic management of talent into, through, and out of organizations including recruiting, selection, and employee transitions. This course covers one of the main functional areas of Human Resource Management, staffing, and prepares students to be effective staffing professionals. The course focuses on the effective management of the flow of talent into, through, and out of organizations. Particular attention is given to the impact of business strategy, internal and external labor markets, recruiting, selection, and analytics on staffing practices. We will cover human resource planning, layoffs, career transitions, and other workforce movement. Experiences focusing on the transfer of course material to real-world situations will be an integral par of the class.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

This course focuses on HR/ER consulting capabilities, change management efforts, and the strategic development of talent and competencies required to execute strategy and attain individual and organizational goals. Change management and talent development efforts are anchored in organizational goals and strategies. The entire change management or talent development initiative must be understood within the broader organizational system of which it is a part. Due to external forces such as technology and globalization, the pace and intensity of change and development efforts have increased dramatically. Effective implementation of such efforts rests on a deeper understanding of the theories and models that guide practice so they may be critically evaluated, adapted, and supported to maximize the likelihood of success. The outcome of these efforts are enhanced employee competencies that are of strategic value to the organization and improved support of organizational change efforts. As organizations evolve, change efforts must be adapted and the talent profiles and competencies required to support strategic execution must evolve. This course provides the depth and analytical understanding that will enable students to evaluate and flexibly adapt change and talent development theories and models to fit specific organizational contexts.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

A minimum of 50% of the double-counted courses must be at the 500 or 800-level. Independent study courses and credits associated with the culminating experience for the graduate degree cannot be double- counted. Students must sequence their courses so all undergraduate degree requirements are fulfilled before taking courses to count solely towards the graduate degree. Students must complete the undergraduate degree requirements within the typical time to degree for the undergraduate

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

This is the capstone research course designed to support students as they synthesize prior learning with a topic of interest about which they will conduct research. This capstone course incorporates a review and synthesis of material from across the entire human resource management and employment relations curricula. Domestic and international research and issues relevant to workers, other stakeholders in the employment relationship, and the effective acquisition and management of organizations' human resources will be central to the course, as will the legal, ethical, and diversity related issues that pertai to them. Topics to be reviewed and integrated include: - Strategic human resource management - International human resource management - Functional areas of human resource management - Employment relations and global worker rights - Data analytics - Legal, ethical, and diversity related issues By way of an example, if a student were interested in exploring the rise of the gig economy, they would be encouraged to observe this phenomenon first from the perspective of how this impacts the HRM strategy of an organization. They would then look at the global implications of the gig economy, and then consider how this might affect different HRM functions such as performance management or training of gig economy workers. The topic would then be considered from the perspective of how employment relations theories enhance understanding of gig economy workers. In the following two weeks, students would explore empirical evidence through data analytics specific to the gig economy. Finally, they would review the legal, ethical and diversity issues related to the gig economy. In this way, the student week-by-week constructs an in-depth research paper that adopts a multi- perspective approach based on both theory and empirics. t CONCURRENTS: All degree and option requirements must be met prior to taking this course or be met concurrently in the same semester this course is taken.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 18 Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

18

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 18 Supervised off-campus, nongroup instruction, including field experiences, practicums, or internships. Written and oral critique of activity required.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

18

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 9 Creative projects, including nonthesis research, that are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

9

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given on a topical or special interest subject which may be offered infrequently; several different topics may be taught in one year or semester.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

9

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

1-12 Credits/Maximum of 24 Full-time graduate-level foreign study at overseas institution with whom linkages have been established.

Subject

HRER

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Total Credits 39 Human Resource Management option Code Title Credits

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

6

Credits (max)

6

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Survey of employment and labor laws around the world that shape the practice of international human resource management (IHRM).

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

or HRER 502 Human Behavior at Work

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

or HRER 503 Seminar in International Human Resources Studies

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

are relatively new to the field with a foundation in human resource management (HRM) as a career and a strategic view of the field of HRM. Understanding the importance of alignment among different HRM functions, having a systems perspective, and creating an awareness of multiple stakeholders and their impact on the practice of HRM are central to the course. How the different HRM functional areas including staffing, training, compensation, benefits, safety and health, and performance management individually and interdependently influence organizational performance and success will be emphasized. In addition, the role of ethics and the various forces that shape the talent philosophy and human resource management strategy of an organization will be covered. The role of the HR function as a strategic business partner in the creation and implementation of business policy and competitive strategy for both domestic and global organizations will be considered. Current trends in HRM and priorities including managing a diverse workforce and the challenges and opportunities of globalization, virtual work, changing performance management trends, and the changing nature of work relationships will also be covered. Various HRM career options and professional competencies required for success will also be explored.

Subject

HRER

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

This seminar deals with the development and application of legal rules covering employment relationships in the United States. It will be attractive to the auditory, visual and kinesthetic learner. Among other topics, it covers civil rights laws, common law rules, and statutory protection for employees and the responsibilities and legal protections for employers. In addition, agencies strongly aligned with Employment Law such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will be presented and dissected. Students will be empowered to understand the state and federal court systems so that they embrace the navigational journey and complexities of employment law issues. Moreover, workplace issues related to Employment Law will be showcased such as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, Microaggressions, Gaslighting and Implicit Bias. In terms of adragogy and pedagogy the course will emphasize a high level of critical thinking where the student will synthesize, analyze and evaluate case studies and customized vignettes. An appropriate amount of content will integrate Labor Laws which have a strong nexis to the employment law narrative. Furthermore multimedia will be utilized as well as ing small group cohort exercises, large group exercises, inventories and fishbowl demonstrations. A special feature of the course will be to expose students to SME's who are experts in Employment Law. (Law firms, advocacy groups etc)These industry experts will be showcased individually and as part of a panel/colloquium.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Advanced topics in labor and employment law; such areas as immigration, unemploymnet compensation, and safety/health.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

HRER 501

This course equips HRER professionals with practical tools to analyze and improve workplace practices using data-driven methods. Participants will learn how to identify organizational issues, collect and manage data, and apply both quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques. Emphasis is placed on interpreting results to inform decision-making and enhance HRER strategies. Students will gain hands-on experience with spreadsheet software for tasks such as data cleaning, visualization, and statistical analysis - including correlation, t-tests, ANOVA, and regression. The course is designed to build actionable skills that support evidence- based HRER interventions and continuous improvement in organizations.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Neoclassical economic and institutional theoretical perspectives on labor supply, demand for labor, internal labor markets, wage determination and labor policies. HRER 816 Labor Market Analysis (3) Virtually everyone will eventually develop an intimate acquaintance with the domain of labor markets--the job market, workplace, labor force and household. This course is intended to help students better analyze general issues surrounding work, the market for labor and the employment relationship. It will reveal the interdependence of the economy, workplace structures, labor organizations, household and family structure and public institutions and policies. It will prepare students to more deeply analyze the determination of earnings and employment, and the influence of organizational and individual behavior, government policies and labor relations. The course will examine the structures and processes that comprise the labor market and the range of theoretical perspectives that can be used to understand its operation. It will rely heavily on applying, and critically appraising, the various perspectives from the field of economics, integrated with other approaches. Its scope will include analyzing the level and types of employee compensation, employment opportunities, labor force participation, work and non-work time, earnings inequality, work-life conflict, etc. It also examines how labor markets, employers and workers are affected by interventions such as government regulatory policy, labor unions, discrimination, and technological advancement. Each unit will focus on an issue within labor markets, and how it may be analyzed in a rigorous way, -the individual's decision to participate in the labor force and how much time to devote toward paid work as opposed to leisure, studying and family; - the individual and employer decision to invest in their own "human capital" (employees' skills) via payment of training and higher education; - the employer's demand for labor resources in both the short-run and long-run and its determinants such as output demand; - the determination of wages in perfectly competitive or internal labor markets; - the effect of working conditions, such as hazardous or insecure jobs, on pay; - the influence of employee compensation schemes on productivity and turnover; - the effect of labor unions and collective bargaining on levels of pay, productivity, profitability and employment; - the effect of government subsides, taxes, minimum wage, maximum hours and family leave regulations on labor supply and demand, worker earnings and well- being; - the effect of various types of discrimination present in the labor market on gender, race and age earnings differentials; - the influence of the "new economy" (technology, networking) on unemployment and quality of employment (e.g., temporary jobs, work schedules) and income inequality.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

This course covers one of the main functional areas of Human Resource Management, employee compensation, and prepares students to create and implement effective compensation systems. Compensation systems play a critical role in a variety of ways in creating effective and efficient organizational outcomes. The types and levels of pay are important in an organization's ability to recruit talent. Similarly the ability to retain talent, particularly in the context of competitive global markets, is related to the quality of types and levels of compensation. In this latter context, the course will connect compensation to the manner in which HRER professionals are able to support organizational strategy. The course will also provide illustrations of the primary ways in which compensation contributes to the entire talent management process. For example, the course will provide tools to understand the role equity plays in influencing employee satisfaction with pay policies and practices, and the resulting ways in which employees respond to their assessment of such circumstances. In this context students will learn how compensation policies influence employee motivation, satisfaction, and employee engagement, as well as other ways in which HR professionals respond to compensation-related issues (e.g. employees perception of unfair pay practices).

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

HRER 505

This course covers one of the main functional areas of Human Resource Management, employee benefits, and prepares students to create and implement effective benefit practices consistent with organization strategy. The course focuses on the systematic assessment required to determine the alignment between employees' benefit needs and organizational goals, as well as the actual creation of an effective and efficient benefit system. In this regard, students will study various benefit options and special topics in benefits (e.g. benefits for executives, comparative international benefit programs).

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

HRER 505

Total Credits 12

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Choose one course (3 credits) from the following list: 3

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

This course covers one of the main functional areas of Human Resource Management, staffing, and prepares students to be effective staffing professionals. The course focuses on the effective management of the flow of talent into, through, and out of organizations. Particular attention is given to the impact of business strategy, internal and external labor markets, recruiting, selection, and analytics on staffing practices. We will cover human resource planning, layoffs, career transitions, and other workforce movement. Experiences focusing on the transfer of course material to real-world situations will be an integral part of the class.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

This course covers one of the main functional areas of Human Resource Management, training and development, and prepares students to be effective training and development professionals. The course focuses on the systematic assessment required to determine actual learning needs, identifying where learning is best achieved in a training and development intervention, as well as the actual creation of effective and efficient training classes. In this regard students will study training methods, program design elements, and training program assessment methods.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

HRER 505

This course examines workplace diversity, gender and race challenges facing employers and employees, and the skills for managing diversity.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Use of normative elements associated with ethical decision making, as well as the emerging interest in descriptive ethics, to address important problems human resource managers confront. HRER 860 Ethical Decision Making for HR Practitioners (3) Increasingly board members, CEOs, Managers (including Human Resource practitioners) and employees are expected not only to understand and apply core organizational values, but also be capable of engaging in ethical decision making at those moments where they are confronted by competing moral demands. HR practitioners find such dilemmas in a wide variety of contexts. Students will study the application of the decision-making model to interpersonal, HR policy making and application, as well as situations involving business strategy. Students will also engage in a detailed examination about how stakeholders actually behave when confronted with moral dilemmas. The need for this insight emerges in related lessons that help prepare students to manage ethical programs. They will learn how to construct a code of ethics and what helps to make codes effective in promoting ethical awareness and eventually ethical action. They will also learn specific techniques that can help create valuable training initiatives that, again, promote ethical awareness and eventually ethical action. One of the themes that will constantly emerge in this course is the unique and important role HR practitioners play in helping groom the ability of all stakeholders to avoid careless decision making when confronting moral choices that are critical to the organization's ability to sustain itself and the communities in which it seeks to thrive.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Prerequisite

HRER 501 , HRER 504 and HRER 505

This course will help students understand the importance and significance of advancing diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and ethical decision-making in the workplace. The course introduces theories and concepts, research, and practice regarding diversity management and inclusion in the workplace. Adopting psychological, sociological, and economic perspectives, we uncover how biases and stereotypes form and combine with organizational and societal structures to introduce inequality within and across organizations. The course also explores how organizations and managers can engage in a structured, ethical decision-making process as they evaluate options for addressing these inequalities.

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

of Artificial Intelligence Total Credits 9

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

or HRER 588 Capstone in Human Resources and Employment

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given on a topical or special interest subject which may be offered infrequently; several different topics may be taught in one year or semester. Humanities - CA (HUM)

Subject

HRER

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

9

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu