The Human Resources (HR) Management certificate program at California State University, Long Beach equips you with the essential skills needed to thrive in today’s evolving HR landscape—where culture, compliance, and workforce strategy directly influence organizational success. Taught by experienced practitioners, the curriculum reflects the core competencies required across HR roles, preparing you to enter or advance in the profession as HR opportunities continue to grow across industries.
This program is offered in a hybrid format with online synchronous lectures and in-person class meetings, allowing you to apply what you learn and receive real-time feedback from your instructors. Students outside of L.A. and Orange Counties may participate online through our HyFlex classroom, providing access and flexibility for working professions.
Why Choose This Program
Learn practical, applied HR skills from working HR leaders and legal professionals while developing a portfolio‑ready capstone
Build career‑relevant competencies that reflect high‑demand HR functions across industries
Offered in a hybrid format, with online synchronous classes during the week and in-person classes on the weekend
Earn a credential recognized for recertification with major HR organizations
Complete the program efficiently in one term with structured weekly sessions
Small business or office managers with HR-related responsibilities
Leaders who want stronger HR fluency and compliance awareness
Gain technical and operational knowledge of HR functions
Document ongoing professional development activities
Improved ability to integrate HR practices into an organization’s goals
Technical HR
Apply California and federal employment laws to real workplace scenarios
Build a compensation structure aligned to market data and internal equity
Conduct compliant workplace investigations and document findings
Use foundational HR analytics to track performance and retention
People & Culture
Coach managers through performance and corrective action
Increase engagement through communication, feedback, and recognition
Design inclusive practices and support DEIB initiatives
Strategic HR
Align HR practices with organizational goals and culture
Support workforce planning and talent pipelines
Present HR recommendations with data and business impact
As part of this program, you will complete a capstone project that allows you to apply the concepts and skills covered throughout the course. The capstone provides an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of key HR practices in a practical, integrated way. Participants will work in small groups to analyze a workplace scenario and develop recommended HR solutions.
Attend all class meetings (15 sessions)
Participate in weekly discussions to reinforce key concepts and apply HR principles to real-world scenarios
Complete a capstone project that integrates the concepts covered throughout the program
You may miss one class meeting and still receive credit by completing the required make-up assignment
Attend the final class meeting to deliver your presentation—this session is mandatory for program completion
Starting January 1, 2026, graduates of this program will earn a digital badge instead of a traditional certificate. Digital badges are industry recognized, authenticated credentials that show exactly which competencies you mastered, such as employment law, investigations, compensation fundamentals, talent management, or HR analytics. Each badge includes built-in details about your achievements, making your skills transparent to employers. Badges can be shared instantly across LinkedIn, job applications, or professional profiles—making it easier for you to demonstrate your HR expertise.
HR Management
Please note that this program has been approved for recertification credits with various human resources organizations. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit your organization's website.
Stacey was an incredible instructor with an honest and open teaching style. This course would be beneficial for anyone in the workforce today to have a better sense of their rights as workers, and to learn simple yet effective tools to navigate workplace tensions. It was grounding, informative, and gave me confidence.
Marytza Rubio
Arts Administrator & Fall 2023 student
HR Management program, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) course
I'm truly enjoying the HR course at CSULB! The instructors' expertise and real-life experiences make it an enriching learning journey. I highly recommend it!"
Alejandra Vargas
Fall 2023 student
Human Resources Management
Program Outline
This course addresses laws and regulations governing discrimination, compensation and benefits, hiring practices, safety, labor relations, unemployment, and workers compensation. It will also cover developing standards in the areas of fairness, due process, and termination.
Topics Include:
Wrongful termination
Equal employment opportunity and affirmative action
Sexual harassment
Americans with Disabilities Act
Decades ago, traditional thought said that it was HR’s responsibility to take care of the nuts and bolts of the employee lifecycle: hiring, firing, on and off boarding, benefits, compensation administration and so on. Today, talent management is a shared responsibility. As we will discuss in this class, the role of HR has been elevated to being a true partner to the business through progressive and solid design, as well as implementation of business-focused people strategies.
Topics Include:
Components of Effective Talent Management
Performance Management and Assessment Philosophies and Methodologies
Corrective Actions
Various Classifications of Termination
How to Conduct an Investigation
Documentation Retention Guidelines
HR as a Business Partner – the evolving role of the HR Professional
Employee Engagement
Employee Retention and Turnover Management Strategies
This course is an exploration of the basic knowledge and skills needed to make training and development effective parts of your human resource plan.
Topics Include:
Training expenditures
Roles and responsibilities of "Trainer" vs. "Performance Consultant"
Differentiating between training and non-training issues in employee performance
Designing effective training programs
Evaluating training programs
An introduction to the field of employee compensation, this session will cover compensation theories, laws, and practices.
Topics Include:
Compensation objectives
Compensation philosophy and strategy
State and federal laws regulating compensation
Incentive compensation
This course provides inside knowledge of how HR is perceived by executives, and how forward-thinking HR professionals can ensure success for themselves as well as their organization.
Topics include:
The Real Role of HR
HR and Strategy
HR, Strategy and the HR Professional
Where Things Go Wrong
HR by the Numbers
HR and Culture
Changing Your Own and Your Organization’s World
This course is designed to equip students with the skills needed to navigate internal workplace investigations effectively. Internal investigations serve as a crucial tool for addressing workplace complaints and suspected misconduct.
Topics Include:
Best practices, benefits, and risks when conducting effective investigations
Situations that warrant an investigation
Post‐investigation tasks and considerations related to sexual harassment allegations, gender discrimination, whistleblowing retaliation, and other relevant topics
Operations serves as the heart of every business, acting as the crucial link connecting technology, talent, and leadership.
Topics Include:
Core principles of business operations
Analysis and improvement of business processes in services and manufacturing
Impact of operational enhancements on the overall organization
Interplay between operational efficiency and its effects on Human Resources
In this interactive and thought-provoking course, participants will explore the history of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in the workplace. Students will learn tools and techniques to bring awareness of these concepts to their organizations through HR programs and achieve an organizational culture of belonging where all employees feel accepted and valued for their contributions. The role of HR professionals will be examined in assessing, monitoring, facilitating, and supporting this type of culture.
Topics Include:
The Evolution of DEI in the Workplace
Building Awareness of DEIB in the Workplace
Understanding Biases and Microagressions
Conducting Equity Assessments
Inclusive Hiring Strategies
Equality vs. Equity
Inclusive Behaviors and Feedback
Creating an Effective DEIB Strategy Plan
Diversity and Intersectionality – Beyond What We See
Fostering an Equitable and Inclusive Culture
HR Roles and Responsibilities
The Future of DEIB in the Workplace
The Symposium is the final session of the Human Resources Management certificate program. Through group interaction, you will analyze a case study dealing with personnel-related issues by applying concepts learned during the program. A panel of experts will give their analysis of the same case study, providing an opportunity for you to compare results and interact with experienced human resources practitioners.
Instructors
Stacey Lewis is the Founder/CEO of HR Interrupted, a consultancy firm dedicated to providing resources to business leaders who are seeking to disrupt outdated workplace principles and practices. She has over 30 years of professional HR experience in the private and public sectors, including her former roles as Chief Human Resources Officer for the Port of Long Beach; and Commissioner for the Long Beach Unified School District Personnel Commission. Stacey serves on several local boards, including CSULB's HR Advisory Board, Little Owl Foundation of Childhood Education, and Girls Inc. of Los Angeles.
Stacey’s professional advice has been featured on Indeed, the #1 job site in the world, as well as Ebony and Parenting magazines. She received her BA in Psychology from the University of the Pacific and a Human Resources Management Certification from Loyola Marymount University. She holds several professional certifications including a SPHR and a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certification from Cornell University.
Stacey Lewis, Instructor
Leslie Freeman (MHRM, SPHR, SHRM-SCP) has a passion for human resources and has been employed in the industry for over 20 years. Her employment from a myriad of companies, includes United Airlines, Marriott, Equifax, and the California Association of Hospitals Health Systems and the US Census2020. Currently, she is a consultant, trainer, and professor; and represents companies in Southern California at Unemployment Hearings.
On the board of directors for California Unemployment Council, she has served on the Board of Directors of several human resource associations such as Professionals in Human Resources Association and worked closely with the Employment Roundtable of Southern California. She is a Certified Diversity Professional with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition, Mediation Certification from the State of California, Human Resource Professional of the Month for Human Resource Certification Institute and she holds an Orange County Human Relations Council Certificate of Completion for Effective Human Relations in the Workplace
Leslie Freeman, Instructor
Todd J. Lemmis is an author, HR leader, lawyer, impact investor/developer, artist, designer, and musician. His diverse background affords him a big-picture perspective for each project he undertakes. His work involves transforming HR organizations with a simple, science-based approach that helps create more engaged employees and more productive organizations. Formerly the chief of HR for Molina Healthcare, Todd currently works with Pacific6 Enterprises, an investment/development firm with community-enhancing projects including hotels and multi-family properties. Within Pacific6, Todd focuses on HR, public and government relations, project management, development, and design. He holds a BA in philosophy from UCLA and a JD from Southwestern Law. He’s also a member of the Society for Human Resources Management, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, and the U.S. Navy Musician’s Association.
Todd Lemmis, Instructor
Alvin M. McCurdy is the CEO of 828 Coffee Company. He has global experience as an officer of publically traded & privately owned companies. Mr. McCurdy has over 20 years of experience as a C-Level Executive.
Some of his experiences include VP of Global Operations at Natural Alternatives Inc., San Marcos, California; V.P. of Global Operations at Kerr a division of Sybron Dental McCurdy had responsibility for Canada, Michigan, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland & Mexico, with distribution facilities in Australia & Japan; and the first manger promoted to the plant manager position at the Trenton, Ohio, Miller/Coors/SAB Brewery. Mr. McCurdy holds a B.S. degree in Business management from Cardinal Stritch University
Alvin McCurdy, Instructor
Mark Mikelat (MBA) is a business growth expert, speaker, consultant, and author with extensive experience in business strategy development and implementation. He has successfully consulted with corporations around the world in sales channel development, sales systems implementation, marketing strategy, and staff leadership development. Some of his clients have included Microsoft, Coach Luxury Brands, Hewlett Packard, the Los Angeles School District, and many others. He has an MBA from the European Business School, and is a respected lecturer at various universities. He is also the author of multiple books on business.
Mark Mikelat, Instructor
With over 20 years of Human Resources experience, Jocelyn has partnered with businesses in the areas of talent acquisition, compensation, employee development, and change management to improve organization effectiveness and establish a positive work culture.
She began her career as a compensation consultant and progressed into levels of higher responsibility within human resources. She has a Bachelor’s in Business degree from the University of San Diego and MBA from USC, and holds a Society of Human Resource Management-Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and a SeniorProfessional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification.
Jocelyn is also a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Certified Practitioner. She has extensive experience working for large international organizations in a number of industries including hospitality, manufacturing, engineering consulting, and water.Jocelyn recently transitioned to an operations role and is currently the Vice President, Service Operations for Suburban Water Systems, where she applies her human resources knowledge to lead a 40-person team towards operational excellence.
Jocelyn Padilla, Instructor
Susan Steward is a partner in the Cerritos office of law firm Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo. Susan represents clients in state and federal court, before arbitrators, and as a trusted advisor. She has worked closely with for-profit and nonprofit companies, governmental entities, and local and national trade associations on legal matters including defending against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Susan also has extensive experience defending employers in class action claims and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) matters. She represents clients in administrative agency actions and contract negotiations, and conducts large-scale workplace investigations. She has been a lecturer in the College of Business at CSULB for more than a decade.
Susan Steward, Instructor
I’m so thankful to this program and its instructors for the invaluable knowledge and connections it has offered.
Jennifer Pham
Fall 2020 graduate
Human Resources Management
Frequently Asked Questions
You are all set. All you will have to do is wait for the email that is sent a week before the start of the first class with information and updates about the program.
Materials will be downloadable through BeachBoard, the learning management system at CSULB. More information will be provided prior to the first class meeting.
Please email Robin Stevenson to let them know in advance. They will determine if it will count against your attendance or not.
You can miss one class meeting and still be able to successfully complete the program. However, the Symposium section is MANDATORY.
Participants will need reliable Internet access and a PC computer with the latest Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox browser; or a Macintosh computer with the latest version of Internet Explorer to access your class. In addition, you will need Broadband Internet connection (DSL or faster) and a soundcard (for videos included in some of the modules).You will also need to have the latest Flash Player to access the animations and some graphics. Both of these items are available as free downloads from the Microsoft, Mozilla, and Adobe websites. Our Technology Enhanced Learning Center will be able to assist you with locating, downloading, and installing the browser and the player. For more detailed information specific to these online course technical requirements, call the CPaCE Help Desk at (562) 985-2900.
