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Credits and costs
Enhance Your Penn State Degree
Add a minor to get even more value out of your education.
Gain Specialized Labor and Human Resources Knowledge
Gain Specialized Labor and Human Resources Knowledge
In order to succeed in today’s work environment, it is important that you understand the most current issues related to human resources and employment relations. To help you gain knowledge in this field, Penn State World Campus has partnered with the College of the Liberal Arts to offer an interdisciplinary minor in labor and human resources (LHR).
The LHR minor is beneficial to students from a wide range of study areas and provides a broad background in the issues of work, employment, the employment relationship, and human resource management. By obtaining an LHR minor, you can have a better understanding of your role in the workplace while you gain a more flexible career path.
This minor is open to all interested undergraduate World Campus students who meet the prerequisites; it can be most useful if you are majoring in psychology, organizational leadership, or business.
In this program, you will have the opportunity to study with highly regarded faculty from Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts, one of the premier institutions in the world to study and work in the liberal arts disciplines.
Online Labor and Human Resources Courses
Online Labor and Human Resources Courses
This 18-credit minor is available completely online. Your course work will include 9 to 12 credits from labor and human resources, along with 6 to 9 credits from business administration, economics, management, political science, psychology, or sociology. Six of your 18 credits must be at the 400 level.
Convenient and Flexible
Each course is taught using a blend of web technology, print, and other media to maximize flexibility while maintaining teacher and student interaction. As a Penn State World Campus student, you have the opportunity to learn when and where it's most convenient for you.
Prescribed Courses (9 credits)
- 3credits
Introductory analysis of the employment relationship and the interrelated interests of management, workers, unions, and the public.
- 3credits
The course surveys the main elements of modern labor and employment relations systems in the U.S. and beyond.
- 3credits
This course will provide students with an opportunity to understand and apply important concepts concerning human resources in the workplace.
Additional Courses (select 3 credits)
- 3credits
Examination of basic legal principles underlying the employment relationship, and their social, political, and economic bases.
- 3credits
Development of Anglo-American law regulating collective bargaining, with emphasis on American labor-management relations under Wagner, Taft-Hartley, and other acts.
400-Level LHR Courses (select 3 credits)
Take 3 credits of any 400-level LHR course during semesters 5 through 8.
Related Courses (select 3 credits)
Take 3 credits of any 400-level AFAM, CAS, ECON, HIST, LTNST, MGMT, PHIL, PSYCH, SPAN, SOC, or WMNST course during semesters 5 through 8, or select 3 credits from the following list in consultation with an adviser:
- 4credits
Introduction to the role of accounting numbers in the process of managing a business and in investor decision-making.
- Prerequisite
MATH 21 or 1.5 units of high school algebra
- 3credits
Explore what it means to be Black in America by engaging with questions about identity and authenticity, freedom and unfreedom, radicalism and reform, gender and sexuality, and the role of music in African American life.
- GS and US
The credits earned in this course may be applied toward the Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS) requirement and the United States Cultures (US) requirement.
- 4credits
Explores the ethical, political, social, legal and regulatory, technological, and demographic diversity environment of business.
- Note
A student may not receive credit toward graduation for both BLAW 243 and BA 243.
- 3credits
This class is designed as an opportunity to explore the complexities of interpersonal communication and to develop a repertoire of interpersonal communication skills.
- 3credits
Examines the function and structure of communication in both formal and informal situations.
- 3credits
Focuses on the study of markets with imperfect competition.
- 3credits
This course examines major developments in the history of modern American business and industry from the colonial period to the present.
- GH and US
The credits earned in this course may be applied toward the Humanities (GH) requirement and the United States Cultures (US) requirement.
- 3credits
Introduction to organizational factors relevant to management processes, including leadership, motivation, job design, technology, organizational design and environments, systems, change.
- 3credits
Study of fundamental principles and processes available to the understanding of management.
- Prerequisite
(ENGL 15 or ENGL 30) and (ECON 102 or ECON 104) and (MATH 021 or higher or satisfactory score on the mathematics placement examination)
- 3credits
Applies organizational behavior theories, concepts, and skills to leading and motivating individuals and groups.
- 3credits
This course introduces key leadership concepts and practices based on current theory and research. It is designed to help students to discover the knowledge and skills that are characteristic of effective leaders.
- 3credits
The course examines the continuing influence of social and environmental factors in shaping leadership and leadership development.
- 3credits
Theory- and research-based communication skills for leaders dealing with work-related problems in contemporary groups and organizations.
- 3credits
Application of theories of decision-making to work-related issues in groups and organizations requiring collective resolution and action.
- 3–4credits
Focuses on historical patterns and current status of racial, ethnic and cultural groups and issues locally, nationally, and internationally.
- GS and US
The credits earned in this course may be applied toward the Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS) requirement and the United States Cultures (US) requirement.
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.
Costs and Financial Aid
Costs and Financial Aid
Learn about this program's tuition, fees, scholarship opportunities, grants, payment options, and military benefits.
Costs and Financial Aid
Undergraduate Tuition
Undergraduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register and the number of total credits you have accrued at or transferred to Penn State.
Tuition is due shortly after each semester begins and rates are assessed every semester of enrollment.
2024–25 Academic Year Rates
| How many credits do you plan to take per semester? | If you have 59 or fewer credits | If you have 60 or more credits |
|---|---|---|
| 11 or fewer | $632 per credit | $678 per credit |
| 12–19 | $7,678 per semester | $8,288 per semester |
2025–26 Academic Year Rates
| How many credits do you plan to take per semester? | If you have 59 or fewer credits | If you have 60 or more credits |
|---|---|---|
| 11 or fewer | $638 per credit | $685 per credit |
| 12–19 | $7,755 per semester | $8,371 per semester |
Undergraduate students taking more than 19 credits will be charged the flat tuition rate plus the regular per credit hour rate for each credit above 19.
Financial Aid and Military Benefits
Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Federal financial aid may only be used to pay for credits used to satisfy program requirements.
Military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents should explore these potential military education benefits and financial aid opportunities, as well.
Additional Cost of Attendance Details
To view the detailed list of cost of attendance elements:
- visit the Tuition Information site
- click the plus sign to expand the table
- select a semester from the World Campus row
Upcoming Events
Convenient Online Format
This program's convenient online format gives you the flexibility you need to study around your busy schedule. You can skip the lengthy commute without sacrificing the quality of your education and prepare yourself for more rewarding career opportunities without leaving your home.
A Trusted Leader in Online Education
Penn State has a history of more than 100 years of distance education, and World Campus has been a leader in online learning for more than two decades. Our online learning environment offers the same quality education that our students experience on campus.
How to Add a Minor to Your Degree
How to Add a Minor to Your Degree
You must be a current student and meet specific requirements to apply for a minor.
Application Instructions
Steps to Apply
To be eligible for admittance into this minor, you must:
- be a current Penn State undergraduate student in your fifth semester and be in a bachelor's degree major
- maintain a grade of C or better in all courses for the minor
- ensure the minor code and major code do not match
Talk with your academic adviser about incorporating the minor into your major and to develop a semester-by-semester plan for meeting requirements. You should add the minor as early as possible, but you can apply up to the late drop deadline of your graduating semester.
You will receive a confirmation email once you declare the minor in LionPATH.
Admissions Help
Please work with your adviser if you have questions about adding a minor. You can find your adviser's contact information in your student portal or by calling advising at 814-863-3283.
Contact Us
Contact Us
Have questions or want more information? We're happy to talk.
To learn more about the Minor in Labor and Human Resources, offered in partnership with the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts, please contact:
World Campus Advising
Phone: 814-863-3283
[email protected]