This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2023-2024 VCU Bulletin. This edition includes all programs
and courses approved by the publication deadline; however we may receive notification of additional program
approvals after the launch. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available
in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
The concentration in human resource management gives students a broad overview of the knowledge base and applications used by professionals in the field. Students receive exposure to a wide range of topics reflecting the body of knowledge required for the Professional in Human Resources certification exam administered by the HR Certification Institute. After graduation, students are prepared for employment in the public or private sector as human resource management generalists or as specialists in human resource management functions such as recruiting, compensation management or benefits administration.
Learning goals
The goal of the curriculum for the human resource management concentration is for students to understand human resource management concepts and principles needed to design and implement policies and practices that enhance an organization's ability to attract, motivate, develop and retain effective employees.
- General management competencies
Graduates will develop skills in managing people and other resources to help achieve organizational goals. - Analytical competencies
Graduates will have quantitative and analytical skills that can be applied to the solution of managerial problems.
Student learning outcomes
Upon completing this program, students will know and know how to do the following:
- Depth of knowledge
Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental concepts of management that relate to the shaping of employee behaviors toward the achievement of organizational goals - Communication skills
Communicate a personal leadership vision that reflects self-awareness, knowledge of leadership theories and concepts, and appropriate oral communication skills - Analytic skills
Use knowledge of human resource management concepts and data to suggest solutions to management problems - Quantitative skills
Identify and use relevant data to help make informed decisions about management issues
Special requirements
The admission requirements for the School of Business detail the deadlines and other requirements for students to be admitted to one of these major programs of study. The following courses must be completed before the student may declare a specific business major: ACCT 203, ACCT 204, BUSN 201 or BUSN 205, BUSN 212 or MATH 200, BUSN 225, ECON 210, ECON 211, UNIV 111, UNIV 112 and UNIV 200.
The School of Business has special academic policies, including policies on transfer credits, that apply to all undergraduate degrees.
All baccalaureate degree programs in the School of Business require successful completion of the business knowledge exam as administered in BUSN 499.
Students may need to take additional mathematics courses as prerequisites to BUSN 212 or MATH 200. These credits will count as open electives in the degree program.
No more than six credits from the BUSN 16X Digital Literacy courses may be applied to the degree.
No more than four credits in physical education courses may be applied to the degree.
INTL 493 may not be counted toward a business degree.
Credit for SPCH 121 or SPCH 321 will substitute for BUSN 225, and no more than three credits of these courses may be applied toward a business degree. Students who earned a minimum grade of B in either ECON 203 or ECON 205 at VCU may substitute that credit for ECON 210.
The pass/fail grading policy may not be used for many course requirements. Please check with your academic adviser before taking the pass/fail grading option.
Degree requirements for Business, Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a concentration in human resource management
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General education | ||
| Select 30 credits of general education courses in consultation with an adviser. | 30 | |
| Major requirements | ||
| • Major core requirements | ||
| MGMT 319 | Leadership | 3 |
| SCMA 302 | Business Statistics II | 3 |
| • Concentration requirements | ||
| MGMT 331 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
| MGMT 332 | Staffing Organizations | 3 |
| MGMT 333 | Compensation Management | 3 |
| MGMT 431 | Strategic Human Resource Management | 3 |
| • Major electives | ||
| General management elective (select from list below) | 3 | |
| Global elective (select from list below) | 3 | |
| Human resources electives (select from list below) | 6 | |
| Ancillary requirements | ||
| • Ancillary core requirements | ||
| ACCT 203 & ACCT 204 | Introduction to Accounting I and Introduction to Accounting II | 6 |
| BUSN 225 | Winning Presentations | 3 |
| BUSN 301 | Career and Professional Development | 1 |
| BUSN 323 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| BUSN 499 | Business Knowledge Exam | 0 |
| ECON 210 | Principles of Microeconomics (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives) | 3 |
| ECON 211 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| FIRE 311 | Financial Management | 3 |
| INFO 360 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| MGMT 303 | Creativity and Ideation | 3 |
| MGMT 310 | Managing People in Organizations | 3 |
| MGMT 434 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
| SCMA 301 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| SCMA 320 | Production/Operations Management | 3 |
| • Additional ancillary requirements | ||
| BUSN 201 | Foundations of Business 1 | 3 |
| or BUSN 205 | Introduction to the World of Business | |
| BUSN 212 | Business Problem Solving and Analysis (either satisfies general education quantitative foundations) | 4 |
| or MATH 200 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | |
| Open electives | ||
| Select any course. 2 | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
BUSN 205 satisfies general education AOI for global perspectives.
Students may choose electives to reach the minimum total of 120 credits.
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.
Approved general management electives
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BUSN 400 | Principles of Consulting | 3 |
| FIRE 309 | Risk Management and Insurance | 3 |
| MGMT 321 | Survey of Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| MGMT 389 | Managerial Skills Development | 3 |
| MGMT 491 | Topics in Management (variable, with no more than six credits total) | 1-3 |
| SCMA 350 | Introduction to Project Management | 3 |
Approved global electives
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BUSN 329 | Introduction to Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| BUSN 401 | International Consulting Practicum | 3 |
| ECON/INTL 329 | International Economics | 3 |
| MGMT/INTL 418 | International Management | 3 |
| MGMT/INTL 446 | International Human Resource Management | 3 |
| MKTG/INTL 320 | International Marketing | 3 |
Approved human resource electives
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FIRE 444 | Occupational Safety, Health and Security | 3 |
| FIRE 449 | Employee Benefit Planning | 3 |
| MGMT 403 | Human Resource Development | 3 |
| MGMT 405 | Negotiation, Influence and Conflict Management | 3 |
| MGMT 447 | Human Resource Information Systems | 3 |
| MGMT 493 | Internship in Management | 3 |
| PSYC 310 | Industrial Psychology | 3 |
What follows is a sample plan that meets the prescribed requirements within a four-year course of study at VCU. Please contact your adviser before beginning course work toward a degree.
| Freshman year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall semester | Hours | |
UNIV 111  Play course video for Focused Inquiry I | Focused Inquiry I (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| General education course | 3 | |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Open elective (prerequisite to BUSN 212 suggested) | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| BUSN 212 | Business Problem Solving and Analysis (satisfies general education quantitative foundations) | 4 |
| BUSN 225 | Winning Presentations | 3 |
| UNIV 112 Play course video for Focused Inquiry II | Focused Inquiry II (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Open elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Sophomore year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| ACCT 203 | Introduction to Accounting I | 3 |
| BUSN 201 or BUSN 205 | Foundations of Business or Introduction to the World of Business | 3 |
| ECON 210 | Principles of Microeconomics (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives) | 3 |
| UNIV 200 | Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| ACCT 204 | Introduction to Accounting II | 3 |
| BUSN 301 | Career and Professional Development | 1 |
| ECON 211 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| SCMA 301 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| Open electives | 4 | |
| Term Hours: | 14 | |
| Junior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| BUSN 323 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| FIRE 311 | Financial Management | 3 |
| INFO 360 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| MGMT 310 | Managing People in Organizations | 3 |
| MGMT 331 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| MGMT 303 | Creativity and Ideation | 3 |
| MGMT 319 | Leadership | 3 |
| MGMT 332 | Staffing Organizations | 3 |
| MGMT 333 | Compensation Management | 3 |
| SCMA 302 | Business Statistics II | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Senior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| MGMT 431 | Strategic Human Resource Management | 3 |
| MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
| SCMA 320 | Production/Operations Management | 3 |
| Human resources elective | 3 | |
| Open elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| BUSN 499 | Business Knowledge Exam | 0 |
| MGMT 434 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| General management elective | 3 | |
| Global elective | 3 | |
| Human resources elective | 3 | |
| Open elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Total Hours: | 120 | |
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.
MGMT 291. Topics in Management. 1-3 Hours.
Variable hours. Variable credit. Maximum of 3 credits per topic. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. An in-depth study of selected business topics. Graded as pass/fail at the option of the department.
MGMT 303. Creativity and Ideation. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students who have completed a minimum of 54 credits (junior standing). Course explores the individual, social and institutional contexts for creativity and ideation. Students will examine four specific concepts in support of exploration in these areas: knowledge, curiosity, creativity and ideation.
MGMT 310. Managing People in Organizations. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students who have completed at least 54 credits (junior standing). Introduces students to the management of people in organizations, focusing on the managerial skills, knowledge and activities needed for a successful business operation. Topics include planning, organizing, staffing and leading; effectively utilizing human capital to achieve an organization’s objectives in today’s competitive environment.
MGMT 313. Entrepreneurial Finance. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: FIRE 311 or permission of instructor. Enrollment is restricted to students who have completed at least 54 credit hours (junior standing). This course emphasizes financial management needs for entrepreneurs or persons who expect to be employed in closely held corporations.
MGMT 319. Leadership. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MGMT 310. This course is restricted to students who have completed at least 54 credit hours (junior standing). Coverage of the major approaches to leadership considering individual, team, organizational and cultural perspectives. Emphasis on self-assessment and on historical and contemporary leadership cases.
MGMT 321. Survey of Entrepreneurship. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Underlying concepts in entrepreneurship; the importance of entrepreneurs and the problems they face; entrepreneur characteristics and
competencies; what makes an idea entrepreneurial; managing relations, ethics and sustainability; opportunity recognition, critical thinking and emphasis on innovative concept development; detailed concept feasibility analysis.
MGMT 331. Human Resource Management. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SCMA 301, STAT 210 or STAT 212. This course is restricted to students who have completed a minimum of 54 credit hours (junior standing). Introduces students to the role of human resource management in attracting and retaining a productive workforce. Includes human resource planning, recruitment and selection; employee diversity and development; performance appraisal and reward systems; labor and employee relations; and public policy related to HRM practices.
MGMT 332. Staffing Organizations. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MGMT 331. Planning and executing a strategy to attract, select, hire and retain the talent needed to support the organization's mission and enhance performance.
MGMT 333. Compensation Management. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MGMT 331. The design and implementation of compensation and reward systems that both support an organization's strategy and enhance organizational effectiveness.
MGMT 389. Managerial Skills Development. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MGMT 310. A practicum in the development of personal, interpersonal and team-management skills as applied to leadership and teamwork.
MGMT 403. Human Resource Development. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: junior standing. Designed to improve qualifications of those seeking employment in the human resources field. Focuses on human resource development and organization development and their relationship to human resource management.
MGMT 405. Negotiation, Influence and Conflict Management. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students who have completed a minimum of 54 credit hours (junior standing). Designed to develop negotiation and conflict management skills as well as an understanding of negotiation and influence theories and frameworks. Considerable emphasis is placed on experiential negotiation exercises and role-playing.
MGMT 418. International Management. 3 Hours.
3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: junior standing. The study of the environment of international business, ethics and social responsibility in international settings, culture and its effect on behavior and management practice, and the strategies and management practices of firms engaged in international activities. Aims to provide students with the knowledge, skills and sensitivities needed to be effective managers in the international business environment. Crosslisted as: INTL 418.
MGMT 419. Doing Business in Europe. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: junior standing and permission of instructor. Designed primarily as a core integrative course for students enrolled in the Certificate in International Management Studies, but other students are welcome. The course has three goals: a) integration of foreign languages, European studies and international management; b) infusion of other business areas relevant to doing business in Europe (such as international marketing, finance law and economics); and c) the development of cultural sensitivity and social responsibility. The course will be organized as a series of seminars with faculty and other speakers from the above disciplines. Crosslisted as: INTL 419.
MGMT 423. Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Enrollment restricted to students who have completed at least 54 credit hours (junior standing). An advanced management course in promoting societal good through entrepreneurial activities. Students will learn the various forms of entrepreneurship that benefit society, developing an understanding of the many contexts in which such entrepreneurship occurs and its impact on society. Students will identify issues of societal/environmental marginalization, ideate potential solutions, generate in-depth research relevant to course projects and take part in presentations regarding their findings and the development of a socially conscious venture.
MGMT 431. Strategic Human Resource Management. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MGMT 332 or MGMT 333, with a minimum grade of C. Enrollment restricted to students with a minimum of 85 credit hours (senior standing). Design and execution of human resource management strategies to achieve a competitive advantage; proper internal alignment of activities within the HRM function as well as external alignment of HRM activities with organizational goals, strategy and competitive environment.
MGMT 434. Strategic Management. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Prerequisites: MGMT 310; MKTG 301; FIRE 311; and SCMA 301, STAT 210 or STAT 212. Enrollment is restricted to business majors with senior standing. Integrative course to analyze policy issues at the overall management-level involving functional areas such as production, finance and marketing, in context with the economic, political and social environment.
MGMT 435. New Venture Strategy and Initiation. 3 Hours.
Continuous courses; 3 lecture hours. 3-3 credits. Prerequisites: MGMT 321; completion of MGMT 435 to enroll in MGMT 436. First semester: provides students with an integrated strategic analysis of entrepreneurial firms and how they establish competitive advantage. Second semester: engages students in intensive development of a comprehensive business plan using knowledge and skills from MGMT 435. Students should take MGMT 436 immediately following MGMT 435.
MGMT 436. New Venture Strategy and Initiation. 3 Hours.
Continuous courses; 3 lecture hours. 3-3 credits. Prerequisites: MGMT 321; completion of MGMT 435 to enroll in MGMT 436. First semester: provides students with an integrated strategic analysis of entrepreneurial firms and how they establish competitive advantage. Second semester: engages students in intensive development of a comprehensive business plan using knowledge and skills from MGMT 435. Students should take MGMT 436 immediately following MGMT 435.
MGMT 437. New Venture Strategy. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MGMT 321. This is an intensive entrepreneurship capstone course. Students will be exposed to an integrated strategic analysis of entrepreneurial firms and concepts, develop an understanding of how they establish competitive advantage and engage in development of key business plan components. Students will also develop an understanding of various approaches to obtaining resources and launching a nascent venture. This heavily revolves around concept design, in-depth research and critical thinking. An understanding of opportunity-recognition, creative solutions, innovation and design-thinking will be emphasized.
MGMT 446. International Human Resource Management. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MGMT 331, INTL/MGMT 418 or ECON/INTL 329. Covers the application of human resource management activities in an international context. Highlights similarities and differences with domestic methods; current practices in the selection, development, compensation and maintenance of parent-country, host-country and third-country nationals; and the impact of regulatory and cultural differences between countries. Crosslisted as: INTL 446.
MGMT 447. Human Resource Information Systems. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MGMT 331. This course is restricted to students who have completed at least 54 credit hours (junior standing). Covers contemporary human resource information software used in the primary activities of human resource management involving recruitment, selection, performance appraisal, employee benefits, pay administration, safety and health, human resource development, job analysis, human resource planning and job structuring. Emphasis is on introducing the software and practical application through hands-on experience in the computer laboratory.
MGMT 491. Topics in Management. 1-3 Hours.
Semester course; variable hours. Variable credit. Maximum of 3 credits per course; maximum total of 6 credits for all topic courses. Prerequisite: junior standing. An in-depth study of a selected business topic, to be announced in advance.
MGMT 492. Independent Study in Management. 1-3 Hours.
Semester course; 1-3 credits. Maximum total of 3 credits. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing as a major in a business curriculum and approval of adviser and department chair prior to course registration. Intensive study under supervision of a faculty member in an area not covered in-depth or contained in the regular curriculum.
MGMT 493. Internship in Management. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 credits. Prerequisites: senior standing in the major offering the internship and permission of the department chair. Intention to enroll must be indicated to the instructor prior to or during advance registration for semester of credit. Involves students in a meaningful experience in a setting appropriate to the major. Graded as pass/fail at the option of the department.