Human Resources Management

About the human resources management major

In this major, you'll study issues that affect people at work, such as recruitment and training, performance management, pay and benefits, labor, health, and safety. As a human resources manager, you'll be a casting director who helps place the right people in the right job within a company and then develops the culture and compensation packages to keep them motivated. You'll also complete a broad range of business courses designed to help you understand what companies need to move forward and what criteria your particular workplace might be looking for in candidates.

Skills and abilities this major develops: communication, training, development, recruiting, and analysis.

Engaged learning experiences

Regardless of your major or future career, engaged learning is vital to your present and future. It makes you more marketable for jobs and professional schools upon graduation, it enables you to build deeper connections with faculty and staff in your field of study, and it makes your learning personal by connecting your interests and values with the curriculum from your classes. Check out the three ideas below for places to get started, or learn more at IU Indianapolis’s Institute for Engaged Learning website.

Student organizations

Connect with other students and future employers, build leadership and teamwork skills, and have a great time doing it!

Professional work experience

Grow your skills through internships, part-time jobs, or co-op programs. Connect with the Kelley career services team to make an appointment.

Study abroad

“Business without Borders”—Kelley Indianapolis has programs available in London, Paris, Vienna, Prague, and Italy. Opportunities are also available through Kelley Bloomington’s study abroad program.

Opportunities after graduation

Employment of human resources managers is projected to grow 5% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. About 15,500 openings for human resources managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as retirement (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2023).

According to the IUPUI (now called IU Indianapolis) First Destination Survey in 2021, the average starting salary reported for the human resource management B.S.B. graduates was $50,170, and the median salary was $50,000.

The national median annual salary for human resources managers was $136,350 in 2023 (Occupational Outlook Handbook).

(This section is intended for informational purposes, not prediction of actual salary.)

Human resources management majors often pursue advanced degrees in the following areas:

Business administration (M.B.A.)
Human resources management
Labor relations

Quick facts

Sample coursework

Effective negotiations
Employee benefits
Ethics and leadership
Managing behavior in organizations
Occupational safety and health
Training, development, and salary administration

Possible careers

Consultant*
Generalist
Human resources manager
Labor relations specialist
Mediator*
Organizational developer*
Recruiter

*These careers require additional training or education.

Where could I work?

Chamber of commerce
Financial institutions
Hospitals
Health care facilities
Higher education
Indiana State Personnel Department

Complementing interests

SSocial

CConventional

EEnterprising

Get your interest code

Where to get more information

Kelley School of Business

Society of Human Resource Management

Kelley Indianapolis Career Services

Enterprise, Policy, and Planning Cluster

This major is part of the Enterprise, Policy, and Planning (EPP) cluster. The EPP cluster is the academic home of University College students pursuing or interested in business; economics; labor studies; organizational leadership; public and environmental affairs; sport management; and tourism, conventions, and event management.

Learn about the EPP cluster

Learn about other clusters

Meet with an advisor or career consultant

Schedule an appointment