Online MBA in Human Resource Management
Master of Business Administration - Human Resource Management
Work to develop leadership skills to capitalize on human resources with Colorado Technical University’s Master of Business Administration-Human Resource Management concentration. In this Human Resource Management concentration, explore current human resources concepts as they relate to a wide range of industries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics1, employment of human resources managers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Take the opportunity to navigate business fundamentals and human resource principles including employment law, staffing, job design, compensation, benefits, workforce development, diversity management and resource planning. Concentration courses in operational human resource management, and managing development and change are designed to build on the MBA core’s business principles and culminate with a Management Capstone.
The MBA in Human Resource Management:
- Is programmatically accredited by ACBSP
- Is designed to align with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) guidelines which ensures that HR competencies are taught, as well as the policy or business applications that result from them
- Has courses that integrate intellipath®, our proprietary learning application, which you can use to customize coursework to suit your knowledge level
- Is ranked among the Best Online MBA Programs by U.S. News & World Report for the eighth consecutive year*
- Can be completed in as little as 12 months2
CTU aims to make it easy to manage your education with your smartphone or tablet anytime, anywhere with CTU Mobile. Our online and mobile-friendly classes run 5 weeks long and you can choose from 9 start dates a year.
* CTU programs are ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Online Programs.

Relevant Institutional/Programmatic Accreditation
CTU is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission www.hlcommission.org
This business degree program at CTU is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
CLASSES START
- October 03, 2023
- November 14, 2023
- January 02, 2024
TOTAL CREDITS
PROGRAM AVAILABILITY
- Online
- Colorado Springs
Online MBA in Human Resources Program Details
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Program Overview
Effective August 2023, this program is no longer available for future enrollments at the Aurora Campus.
The Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management (MBA-HR) is a 48-credit-hour program that is offered online and at the Colorado Springs campus. The program consists of 32 credit hours devoted to the business administration core and 16 credit hours for the human resource management concentration.
Human resource management specialists are expected to navigate the complex system of federal and state regulations to ensure that companies of every size are in compliance with human resource and labor laws. The human resource management concentration is designed for students with a solid business background who want to concentrate specifically on the area of human resource management and advance their knowledge to pursue leadership roles. The program includes problem-based learning that provides real-world scenarios and encourages students to develop feasible business solutions. Students in the concentration focus on understanding how to use strategic HR principles to change organizations and develop innovations.
This program does not lead to additional licensure or certification. As such, CTU has made no determination regarding prerequisites for licensure or certification in any state or jurisdiction.
The mission of the College of Business and Management is to offer professional market-driven business degrees that build business competencies transferrable to all industries. The College of Business and Management accomplishes this mission by offering curriculum that aligns to industry standards, remains relevant, and builds practical skills applicable to the competitive global business environment.
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Degree Requirements
Courses: Core
CreditsCourse Title Course Description Credit Hours ACCT615 Advanced Cost Accounting 4 ECON616 Applied Managerial Economics 4 FINC615 Applied Managerial Finance 4 HRMT620 Strategic Human Capital Management 4 INTD670 Leadership and Ethical Decision-Making 4 MGMT601 Business Analytics for Management Decisions 4 MGMT690 Strategic Management in Dynamic Environments 4 MKTG630 Applied Managerial Marketing 4 Total Credit Hours: 32 Courses: Concentration
CreditsCourse Title Course Description Credit Hours HRMT645 Operational Human Resource Management 4 HRMT650 Current Legal Issues in Human Resource Management 4 HRMT655 Managing Organizational Development and Change 4 MGMT665 MBA Capstone 4 Total Credit Hours: 16 Total Credit Hours: 48
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Accreditations and Alignments
This program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has acknowledged that Colorado Technical University’s Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management fully aligns with SHRM’s HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates. The HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates were developed by SHRM to define the minimum HR content areas that should be studied by HR students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The guidelines, created in 2006 and revalidated in 2010, 2013, and 2022 are part of SHRM’s Academic Initiative to define HR education standards taught in university business schools and help universities develop degree programs that follow these standards. This concentration was developed in alignment with the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM).
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Admission Requirements
MBA Foundation Requirements
The Masters of Business Administration (MBA) is built upon the expectation that students will enter the program with a solid business background to succeed in some of the core MBA courses. Therefore the MBA requires students to have prior foundational knowledge in all core business disciplines to be successful. Students entering in the MBA program without an undergraduate degree in business will be required to successfully complete two MBA foundation courses (MGMT502 and MGMT503) covering the following areas of business: accounting; economics; finance; marketing; statistics; management; business law; ethics; business policy; business strategy; information technology; operations management; and global leadership.
If the student can show evidence of a GMAT score of 500 or above the foundation requirements may be waived. Students continuing from any of CTU’s non-business bachelor programs must complete the MBA Foundation Requirements. The foundation courses are also available to students with an undergraduate business degree who wish to refresh their knowledge in these subject areas. MBA foundation courses must be completed prior to respective MBA required courses that hold MGMT502 or MGMT503 as a prerequisite. Students must successfully complete and pass MGMT502 and MGMT503 prior to the end of the first quarter. Students who do not meet the MBA foundation requirements will be withdrawn, canceled or transferred from the MBA program. Students must be able to exhibit proficiency by successfully completing the foundation course with a minimum 70% passing score. If after 5 attempts (applies to each course separately) students do not pass the foundation course, students are encouraged to work with the Student Advising department if they have questions regarding these foundation courses, timeframes for completion, or for alternative programs of study as needed.
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Next Steps
Program details are provided lower on the page.
Classes start October 3, 2023 *
*Start dates may vary by program and location.
FAQs
CTU’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Human Resource Management Degree Program is designed to provide knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant for pursuing potential opportunities in the workforce. This business degree program emphasizes current human resources concepts as they relate to a wide range of industries. Students will navigate business fundamentals and human resource principles including employment law, staffing, job design, compensation, benefits, workforce development, diversity management, and resource planning.
As you work to complete your MBA, you will be immersed in courses where you will study these topics and much more: developing effective operational policies; human resource policy; the foundation for managers and HR professionals to address organizational change; and aspects of organizational behavior that influence operational policy.
Courses for the Master of Business Administration in Human Resource Management start online and at our Colorado Springs and Denver South campuses approximately every five weeks. Completion of the CTU admissions process will depend on how quickly you complete the steps in the CTU online application process. You may complete the application process over the phone with an advisor or you may go online. Once you’ve completed the online application, you may hear from an advisor within the following 24 hours to discuss the next steps toward starting your degree program. Master’s programs may have additional entrance requirements that take additional processing time.
The Master of Business Administration in Human Resource Management degree program consists of 48 credits. You may be eligible for transfer credit, which is evaluated on an individual basis. Not all credits are eligible to transfer.
As you study topics in business and human resources that are always being evaluated and updated to reflect industry-relevant trends, you will experience a curriculum through classroom learning and hands-on experience that aligns to industry standards and helps you work to develop skills that are applicable to the competitive global business environment.
The Master of Business Administration in Human Resource Management degree program at CTU is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has acknowledged that Colorado Technical University’s MBA with a concentration in Human Resource Management fully aligns with SHRM’s HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates. The HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates were developed by SHRM to define the minimum HR content areas that should be studied by HR students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The guidelines -- created in 2006 and revalidated in 2010, 2013 and 2017 -- are part of SHRM’s Academic Initiative to define HR education standards taught in university business schools and help universities develop degree programs that follow these standards.
Students entering in the MBA program without an undergraduate degree in business will be required to successfully complete two MBA foundation courses (MGMT502 and MGMT503). The foundation requirements may be waived if the student can show evidence of a GMAT score of 500 or above. Students continuing from any of CTU’s non-business bachelor programs must complete the MBA Foundation Requirements. MBA foundation courses must be completed prior to respective MBA required courses that hold MGMT502 or MGMT503 as a prerequisite. Students must successfully complete and pass MGMT502 and MGMT503 prior to the end of the first quarter.
1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Human Resources Managers,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/human-resources-managers.htm (visited February 2, 2023).
2 As a master’s degree program, this program is designed as an 18-month program; however; many factors will impact your time to completion, including course loads, proficiency and/or transfer credits and breaks. Students who take 1-2 classes per session, may complete the program in as little as 12 months.