Professor of Human Resources Strategy and Global Human Resources Management

Many students are faced with the choice of whether to pursue an MBA or an MHRM degree. Having spent much of my career teaching in MBA programs and in colleges of business gives me a unique appreciation of the distinct advantages the Rutgers MHRM program confers upon its students. While MBA and business college programs are a great choice for many students, the Rutgers MHRM program presents students with a unique opportunity that MBA programs aren’t able to offer – a real concentration in the field of Human Resource Management. The Rutgers MHRM program offers our students both diversity and depth – a diversity of exposure and opportunities in the field of HR and an in-depth chance to pursue those opportunities to the fullest.

We have a smaller student/faculty ratio than most MBA programs as well; the average class size in an MBA program would be twice the size of one of our MHRM classes. This gives students a much greater chance to develop close relationships with faculty – enhancing the learning experience and leading to exciting opportunities for research, internships, and personal development. Because most of the classes tend to be smaller, students have more opportunities for thoughtful discussions, making presentations, working in teams, and developing problem-solving skills.

My class, Global Human Resource Management, provides a specific example of many of these elements in action. For this course, students work in teams to identify a multi-national company, talk about its human resource issues, and describe the company’s potential international mergers or acquisitions in the future. They then help write a plan of action for the company to meet these global challenges. Due to the small class size, students can make their ideas known in class, hear the ideas of students from other cultures and backgrounds, and develop a greater understanding of and sensitivity to global cultural differences.

These kinds of abilities aren’t only important for success in my class, but in the increasingly global and diverse HR workforce of the future as well. Those seeking a career in helping to shape the future of human resource management should seriously consider the advantages that the Rutgers MHRM program has to offer.