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2026-2027 University Catalog
Human Resource Development, BS
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About the Program
The Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development (HRD) prepares students to manage an organization’s most valuable asset: its people. Lead the future of human resources through people, data, and technology and build the skills to drive talent strategy and organizational change with the Purdue HRD program. The Program focuses on talent acquisition, compensation, training, labor relations, and employment law, aligning with Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)-CP certification standards to prepare graduates for roles as HR managers, talent acquisition specialists, recruiters, people analysts, talent development managers, and people operations consultants. The HRD major curriculum focuses on core HR functional areas: - Talent & Workforce Development (recruiting, engagement, performance management, leadership development, retention)
- Total Rewards & Employee Relations (compensation, benefits, labor relations, compliance)
- HR Strategy, Analytics & Risk (workforce planning, data analytics, regulatory risk)
- Technology & Innovation in HR (HRIS, AI, immersive training technologies)
Students learn how individuals and organizations grow, adapt, and perform through courses on organizational behavior, job and workforce analysis, training and talent development, performance management, leadership, organizational development and change, employment law, people analytics, and strategic HR. The program emphasizes evidence-based decision-making using HR information systems (HRIS), HR analytics, data visualization, and emerging AI tools. Students acquire competency in professional communication, business acumen, management, consulting, and collaboration, enabling them to partner with HR stakeholders and lead in cross-functional environments. A required professional internship provides field-based experience in Human Resources, where students apply theory to practice while engaging with contemporary HR technologies and organizational challenges. To personalize the degree and strengthen career readiness, students can select concentration areas such as Agriculture Management, Aviation Management, Communication, Computing & Digital Intelligence, Design & Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Healthcare Management, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Labor Relations, Languages & Cultures, Leadership, Learning Technologies, Manufacturing, and Sports Management
Degree Requirements
120 Credits Required
Departmental/Program Major Requirements (57 credits)
Required Major Courses (42 credits)
Human Resource Management Minor required (15 credits)
The following required courses are integrated into the Plan of Study and will fulfill the Human Resource Management Minor. A “C-” or better is required in all HRM minor courses. Other Departmental/Program Course Requirements (42-54 credits)
Optional Concentrations
Optional concentrations may not be available at all locations. Please contact your academic advisor for location information. Grade Requirements
- “B-” or better is required in all HRD major courses indicated by *.
- “C-” or better is required in all HRM minor courses indicated by ^.
- ANY COURSE TAKEN AT PURDUE CAN BE ATTEMPTED NO MORE THAN THREE TIMES (INCLUSIVE OF W, WF, I AND IF).
GPA Requirements
- 2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Science degree.
HRD Professional Requirement
To satisfy the HRD major professional requirement, students must complete a minimum of 500 total hours of approved professional experience in Human Resources (HR), consisting of the following:
TLI 45560 Internship in Human Resources (3 credit hours/150 hours)
Students must enroll in and successfully complete TLI 45560 Internship in Human Resources, earning a grade of B- or higher. Completion of this course counts for 150 hours toward the required minimum of 500 total professional hours in HR.
Additional HR Internship or Professional Experience (350 hours)
In addition to TLI 45560, students must complete 350 additional hours of approved HR-related professional experience. These hours may be completed across multiple approved experiences and must provide substantive exposure to Human Resources functions.
Acceptable experiences may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Internship in a Human Resources department or unit
- HR-related work-study position
- Directed HR work or research project
- Part-time or full-time employment in an HR-related role
Pre-Approval Requirement
Prior to beginning the additional 350-hour internship or professional experience, students must submit the Student Internship Pre-Approval Form and receive approval from the HRD Program Faculty Internship Coordinator. Hours completed before approval may not be counted toward fulfillment of this requirement.
Documentation of Hours
Upon completion of each approved internship experience, students are responsible for ensuring that their completed hours are documented and verified by the appropriate supervisor, manager, or organizational representative. The Employer Internship Hours Report Form serves as the official record for verification of completed hours. This form must be submitted in accordance with HRD Program procedures in order for the hours to be counted toward the professional requirement.
Completion of Requirement
Students are responsible for completing all components of the HRD internship requirement and for submitting all required forms and documentation to the HRD Program Faculty Internship Coordinator. Fulfillment of this requirement is necessary for successful completion of the HRD program. Pass/No Pass Policy
HRD does not allow Pass/No Pass grading for any classes that are required to meet degree requirements. Pass/No Pass grading is allowed for Electives only. University Requirements
University Core Requirements
For a complete listing of University Core Course Selectives, visit the University Senate Website. - AI Working Competency (UCC: AI)
- Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (UCC: BSS)
- Human Cultures: Humanities (UCC: HUM)
- Information Literacy (UCC: IL)
- Oral Communication (UCC: OC)
- Quantitative Reasoning (UCC: QR)
- Science #1 (UCC: SCI)
- Science #2 (UCC: SCI)
- Science, Technology, and Society (UCC: STS)
- Written Communication (UCC: WC)
Civics Literacy Proficiency Requirement
To obtain the Civics Literacy credential, all Baccalaureate degree seeking students will complete the Civics Literacy Podcast pathway - Complete 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement that use C-SPAN material and pass the required quizzes per episode. After the pathway has been successfully completed, students will take the Civics Literacy knowledge test. Civics Literacy does not impact a student’s GPA or bear any financial costs. More details about each pathway and how to complete the requirement can be found on the Civics Literacy Student Dashboard in myPurdue. Upper Level Requirement
- Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. These courses are expected to be at least junior-level (30000+) courses.
- Students should be able to fulfill most, if not all, of these credits within their major requirements; there should be a clear pathway for students to complete any credits not completed within their major.
Sample 4-Year Plan
The following sample plan of study is a suggested arrangement of courses. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student.
Fall 2nd Year
- TLI 25500 - Foundations Of Human Resource Development Credit Hours: 3.00 *♦
- Advanced Communication Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Economics Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Science #1 (UCC: SCI) - Credit Hours: 1.00-5.00
- Human Resource Development Optional Concentration Area Selective or Elective – Credits: 3.00
Pre-Requisite Information
For pre-requisite information, log in to mypurdue.purdue.edu and click here. World Language Courses
World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor. (ASL-American Sign Language; ARAB-Arabic; CHNS-Chinese; FR-French; GER-German; GREK-Greek(Ancient); HEBR-Hebrew(Biblical); HEBR-Hebrew(Modern); ITAL-Italian; JPNS-Japanese; KOR-Korean; LATN-Latin; PTGS-Portuguese; RUSS-Russian; SPAN-Spanish) Critical Course
The ♦ course is considered critical. In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major. Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful. These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program.” Disclaimer
The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion. Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. |
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