• Those seeking entry-level HR positions
• HR professionals currently working in the field who want to earn a certificate
• Business professionals seeking a career change

• Gain technical and operational knowledge of HR functions
• Document ongoing professional development activities
• Improved ability to integrate HR practices into an organization’s goals

• Effective design and evaluation of training programs
• Methods of measuring work performance
• How to properly structure employee wages and compensation
• Enhanced analysis and automation of personnel data and records

• Complete all courses (15 class meetings).
• Design, develop, and present a project that will illustrate the varying aspects of each session. Materials and information presented in each session will directly relate to the project.
• To receive the certificate in the current semester, a maximum of one class meeting may be missed. To complete the certificate in the following semester, additional absences may be made up at a fee of $50 per class, subject to program availability.
• Attendance is mandatory at the final class meeting (The Symposium).

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

Ask any executive about the “most valuable assets in their organization” and very early on, you’ll hear about the value of the people. They aren’t just resources. They’re human capital. They’re the talent that makes everything work. They’re both the greatest investment in and provide the highest return on investment to the enterprise that can be made.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

So why is it that, too often, those same executives are so averse to inviting the function that’s supposed to be the driving force behind creating the highest quality employee population into the strategic circle?

This course provides the inside knowledge of how HR is perceived by executives, where things go wrong, how smart, forward-thinking HR professionals can change that thinking – and how, ultimately, they can ensure their career and their organization’s success.

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

Major trends will affect the future of business: globalization, technology, offshoring, aging workforce, trained workforce availability, and organizational strategy. These trends impact workforce management and business development. In response, the role of the human resources professional is expanding into that of a strategic partner within an organization.

Topics Include:

• The new role of the human resources professional
• Becoming a strategic partner within an organization
• What CEOs want from HR
• Essentials of coaching
• When coaching is appropriate

Every HR professional will eventually find themselves speaking on behalf of their project, department, or company. No matter how formal or informal the presentation, how few or how many will be listening, or how small or large the group, every speech, presentation, or briefing for which you are responsible should be thoughtfully considered and strategically planned. This course includes techniques for planning and execution that will ensure you enjoy the experience as much as your audience does.

Topics Include:

• Presentation strategy
• Creating content
• Developing supplemental material
• Media support
• Performance aspects of public speaking

This course guides students through an HR investigation, using the symposium case study.  Topics may include navigating a sexual harassment allegation, gender discrimination, whistleblowing retaliation, and other relevant topics.

Operations is the heart of every business. It's what links all the technology, talent, and leadership. In this course, you will learn how analyzing and improving business processes in services or manufacturing will affect the overall organization – and how that impacts HR.

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.

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 and Ashley Cartwright 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 CPIE Help Desk at (562) 985-2900.