Tuition and fees per credit hour reflect fall 2022 rates for students studying completely online. If an online student takes a course on campus, tuition and fees will differ.

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Degree-Completion Program for Talent Developers

There is a growing demand for individuals who can develop talent and lead teams to help organizations meet their goals. This degree-completion program aligns workforce development with human resources – a natural, valuable pairing.

Apply to the University of Arkansas, a top public research institution, and earn a bachelor’s degree that opens doors to career opportunities and personal growth. Learn to apply integrated training, organizational development, and career planning and counseling skills to the design, management and evaluation of programs. Improve individual productivity, employability, job satisfaction and organizational effectiveness.

Undergraduates also obtain a solid academic base to pursue a graduate degree. This major does not lead to traditional licensure for teachers in Arkansas.

All HRWD core courses are offered online on a traditional 15-week fall and spring semester schedule. Summer classes are optional, offered in two five-week sessions. Students must successfully complete the HRWD 4333 capstone course during their last semester of course work to graduate.

Why study Workforce Development?

Human Resource Development, or HRD for short, empowers businesses to make investments in their employees that will later result in a stronger and more effective workforce. An education in Human Resource and Workforce Development, also known as HRWD, qualifies you to help organizations make smart, effective investments in their employees.

What is HRD?

Training and development
- Skills and technical training
- Help people improve their individual performance through learning
- Help people qualify for a job, do a job, or advance
Organization development
- Organizational change
- Systematic development of expertise
- Help improve organizational performance
Career development
- Employee counseling
- Career management
- Performance coaching

HRD supports

Policy development with technical writing skills
Administrative functions through training employees in benefits and payroll techniques
Designing recruitment protocols
Training leaders and managers on how to conduct performance appraisals
Training leaders and managers on appropriate interview questions
Designing and administering new hire orientation programs
Participating in interviews
Training leaders and managers on the appropriate processes to complete a grievance

What do HRD professionals do?

Assess training needs
Design, implement, and evaluate training and development programs
Coach employees to improve poor performance
Help employees manage their careers
Provide management and leadership training
Design interventions for organizational change
Align training and development with the strategy, goals, and vision of the organization

Careers in Human Resources Development

Instructional designer/technologist
HRD/training specialist
Human performance improvement consultant
E-learning specialist
HRD generalist
Training and development manager
Program designer
Curriculum designer/developer
Training facilitator
Program evaluator
Organizational development consultant
Corporate learning specialist
Chief learning officer

Online Workforce Development Degree Qualifications

All students are welcomed into the program as pre-HRWD majors. For promotion to the degree-eligible HRWD major, students must meet the following criteria before their senior year:

Have three or more years of any type of full-time work experience or equivalent.
Three to six hours of required Social Sciences must be ECON 2143 or ECON 2013 and ECON 2023.
Three hours of HRWD math requirement chosen from: MATH 2183 or MATH 2053 or MATH 1313 or STAT 2303.
Have a cumulative U of A GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Program Overview

Program Procedures Manual

The catalog of studies has the details on course requirements.

Some prospective students can qualify for an application fee waiver.

To research how credits from most U.S. colleges/universities have transferred in the past, browse the university’s Transfer Equivalency page.

If you have HRWD questions not answered by the above sources, please contact the HRWD academic adviser at hrwd@uark.edu or 479-575-4690.

Why Study Human Resources Development Online?

The flexibility of online courses can help you overcome the challenges of earning a degree while working, taking care of family, and handling other responsibilities. Support services for online students will assist you on your path to graduation.

Success Stories

More Stories

There's an ungodly amount of tools available. I used the UA Libraries every single day online. It opened all sorts of resources I could pull from and interesting topics I'd never had experience with. I could really dive into what was there."

Lori Ragan

Razorbug Tour

El Dorado, AR
B.S.E. in HRWD

Read Lori's Story

It means the world to me to be part of that tradition. I’m so thankful the U of A had that (online) program. I started there, and I really wanted to finish there."

Sharon Williamson

Corinth, TX
B.S.E. in HRWD

Read Sharon's Story

Having an online program is very helpful for people who have families and full-time jobs."

Jorge Camero

Farmington, AR
B.S.E. in HRWD

Read Jorge's Story

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