OSU Human Resources Management program selected as fifth-most affordable in nation

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Oklahoma State University’s human resources management option in the Spears School of Business is among the top five in the nation in rankings of the most affordable bachelor’s in human resources degree programs.

The Spears School’s bachelor’s degree in management with a human resources management option is listed as the fifth-most affordable program in the United States, according to rankings published by Master’s in Human Resources.

“We are pleased the program is receiving national recognition for being one of the most affordable in the nation while providing a quality education,” said James Pappas, head of the Department of Management. “Our program is designed to develop human resources management managers who can become specialists in compensation and benefits, training and development, and employment recruiting.

“In fact, the title Human Resources Manager was recently rated as the third best job in Oklahoma. Growth in hiring in this area is expected to mirror the influx of jobs in the petroleum and software industry,” Pappas said.

In describing the rankings of the programs, the website reads, “In today’s rapidly changing business world, a degree in human resources can be key to being competitive in the workforce; getting a degree from an affordable school will lessen the financial burden as you start your career. The cost of earning a college degree is skyrocketing, driving many to seek alternative ways to enter the job market. However, earning a bachelor’s degree in human resources doesn’t need to be expensive, and the outstanding programs we highlight in this article are proof.”

The top 25 programs were ranked by the following criteria:

1) Those with SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management)-aligned programs.
2) Only institutions with a student-faculty ratio of 20:1 or better were included, according to data from College Navigator.
3) Only schools that appear in a national ranking such as U.S. News & World Report.
4) The top 25 includes the schools the lowest tuition, using in-state tuition where available. In the list, schools are ranked on this figure.