BestOnlineCollege.org is an advertising-supported website. Many of the school and program listings that appear on this site are from partners who compensate us, and this compensation may affect how, where, and in what order listings appear (such as featured placements). This compensation does not influence our editorial content, evaluations, or rankings, which are determined independently using publicly available data. We do not review or feature every school or program available in the marketplace. Our goal is to provide accurate, unbiased information so you can make informed decisions. Read our full Advertiser Disclosure.
Key takeaway: An online bachelor’s in human resource management (HRM) is a business-focused undergraduate degree that prepares graduates for HR specialist, recruiter, and coordinator roles. It typically runs about four years of full-time study, covers employment law and compensation alongside a general business core, and is the credential most employers list for entry-level HR postings.
BA stands for Bachelor of Arts and BS stands for Bachelor of Science. Some schools award a BS in Human Resource Management, others a BA, and many house HR as a concentration inside a business administration degree rather than as a standalone major. Compare the actual course list rather than the degree title.
An online HR bachelor’s degree is an undergraduate business degree that builds skills in employment law, compensation and benefits, talent acquisition, and workforce management through online coursework.
BA stands for Bachelor of Arts and BS stands for Bachelor of Science. Some schools award a BA in HRM, others a BS, and the practical difference is usually the balance of quantitative and liberal-arts requirements rather than the HR core itself.
Both arrangements are common. Some schools offer a standalone HRM major; others offer HR as a concentration within a business administration degree. A concentration typically means fewer HR-specific courses and more general business coursework.
Coursework commonly includes employment law, compensation and benefits, talent acquisition, training and development, organizational behavior, HR analytics, and labor relations, plus a general business foundation.
Requirements vary by school, but commonly include a high school diploma or equivalent and official transcripts. Some programs request a minimum GPA or admission to the business school after introductory coursework.
Transfer credits can reduce how many courses you need, but policies vary by institution and by whether the credits satisfy the HR major core or only general electives.
For a full map of this program area, start here: Human Resources Program Guide
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Most online HRM bachelor’s programs follow a similar structure:
Online formats may be asynchronous, but many still include weekly deadlines and graded discussion participation – which matters more in HR than in some majors, since case discussion of workplace scenarios is a core teaching method. To compare formats, see How Online HR Degrees Work.
If you are trying to move faster, compare this degree level to a compressed timeline: Accelerated HR Programs
| Course Topic | What You Learn |
|---|---|
| Employment Law | Federal and state rules governing hiring, discipline, leave, and termination |
| Compensation and Benefits | Job evaluation, pay structures, and benefits plan administration |
| Talent Acquisition | Sourcing, interviewing, selection methods, and hiring process design |
| Training and Development | Needs assessment, instructional design, and program evaluation |
| Organizational Behavior | Motivation, group dynamics, and how organizational structure shapes work |
| HR Analytics | Using workforce data to examine turnover, staffing, and pay equity |
| Labor Relations | Collective bargaining, union relations, and grievance procedures |
Program outcomes vary, but many curricula emphasize:
Admissions requirements vary by school and student type. Some programs admit first-time college students; others focus primarily on transfer students and working adults already employed in an administrative or coordinator role.
Common requirements include:
For a fuller breakdown, see HR Admissions Requirements.
Transfer credits can reduce how many courses you need, but rules vary by institution.
Before you enroll, confirm:
See Affordable Online HR Degrees for more on managing total program cost.
Accreditation is a baseline quality indicator. Verify that the institution holds accreditation from a recognized institutional accreditor – such as HLC, SACSCOC, MSCHE, or NECHE – through the U.S. Department of Education database, then compare how the program is structured, supported, and delivered online.
A bachelor’s in HRM is generally the entry credential for HR specialist, recruiter, and coordinator roles. Human resources specialists earn a median annual wage of $75,940 and training and development specialists earn $69,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Management roles pay more – human resources managers earn a median of $149,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025) – but they are not entry-level positions; employers generally expect several years of HR experience first, and some prefer a master’s degree or an MBA for senior HR leadership.
Optional professional certifications such as the SHRM-CP or the PHR from HRCI are separate credentials some graduates pursue after the degree. Neither is required to enter the field, and the degree does not confer either automatically.
If you are comparing paths, these pages can help:
Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
Back to Online Human Resources Degrees: Careers, Curriculum, and How to Choose
