<p>I'm interest in pursuing a career some form of management/administration (Training and Development Managers; Human Resources Management or Specialist; Education Administrator
Training and Development Specialist;Instructional Coordinator;Public Relations Manager or Specialist) and am having a difficult time choosing an undergraduate major.</p>
<p>I understand that there are a plethora of majors that can get me to my desired career and that there is no specific major that I need to obtain. Some I'm considering are International Relations and Global Studies, Behavioral Psychology, Educational Psychology, Nutrition, and I am open to other suggestions. What are the benefits of each major that would help me "get ahead" or succeed in HR (or PR).</p>
<p>Background: I started college at The University of Texas at Austin as a Nursing Major but have since realized that it is just not for me. I am very interested in the Spanish language and culture. It has always been a goal of mine to one day become fluent. I am not opposed to getting a Masters (and am considering an MBA). I would like a major that a masters is not absolutely necessary to get a job if I decide the HR route is not for me. I also am considering a second career in education or maybe even a first if I end up deciding the corporate route isn't for me (so a major that is applicable to that would be beneficial as well)</p>
<p>I’m a human resources manager and from my experience, there is little difference in the quality and effectiveness of an HR manager based on what they studied in college. I have a BA in psychology and when an opportunity came up to take a position in HR, I took the time on my own to learn about FMLA, EEOC, and other employment laws. I’m also good with technology and quickly learned PeopleSoft, payroll programs, and applicant tracking systems. Unless you already have years of business experience, you’ll be starting closer to the bottom no matter what your degree was.</p>
<p>But as you said, a degree in psychology can make it difficult to find work without a masters degree if you decide HR is not right for you. Not all schools have an HR management major, but many have business administration with elective HR courses. Industrial and organization psychology courses are a nice mix with the business courses. Or you could study something completely different and use your elective courses to take employment law, I/O psychology, and other HR and business related courses.</p>
<p>Internships will be very important. Many people make lateral moves into HR and it can be difficult to break into the field with little or no work experience. HR has a highly sensitive role due to confidentiality, defending the company in legal issues, and the like. You usually start small, doing mostly administrative tasks or some recruiting and interviewing before stepping up into a more managerial role (such as investigating harassment cases or having a hand in policy development). </p>
<p>You can go pretty far with just an undergraduate degree, but if you still want to consider graduate school in a few years: An MBA tends to be more impressive than a masters in HR management, but which program is right for you depends on your past education and future goals. Someone who already has an undergraduate degree in business or finance might find an HRM masters degree more beneficial; someone with an HRM or psychology degree may find an MBA more beneficial to fill in some of the gaps. HR is becoming more and more of a business partnership role, and part of that partnership is understanding the business and its operations. So I would not suggest pursuing this career if you just want to “help people” or like interacting with people (although you do get to do those things). It is as much a game of strategy as any other business management position. And the more you know about your business, the more value you will add through your role.</p>
<p>…and if you become fluent in Spanish, bilingual HR is in demand and you will certainly have the upper hand in the application process.</p>