What Constitutes An Effective Human Resources Curriculum?

Abstract

What constitutes an effective university curriculum in human resources management? In an effort to answer this question, the authors reviewed the research literature on human resources curricula, comparing, contrasting and synthesizing the recommendations that have been offered in recent studies. Although a number of scholars have addressed this issue from a variety of perspectives and offer many noteworthy points for consideration, the review of the research literature indicates that a definitive answer to the question of curriculum content has not yet been found. The authors summarize the recent research, categorizing studies in terms of type pf research (empirical versus conceptual), nature of subjects in empirical studies (executives, HR practitioners, recent graduates of HR program), gratitude versus undergraduate program focus, and focus of the course of study (professional versus educational) in order to identify the current state of knowledge and fruitful avenues for future research. They provide a useful source of information for those charged with creating and maintaining quality human resources education programs, and for those who intend to research the topic further.