This course provides the necessary foundation to perform human resource management responsibilities in the public sector. It will trace the history of the human resource function in the public sector, and provide an understanding of the legal context in which human resource managers function, including constitutional protections and equal employment opportunity frameworks. You will learn and apply the skills associated with the primary functions of a human resource department through exercises and case studies. The course also develops your understanding of the legal, political, and practical issues facing public personnel managers. 

The format and assignments for this class are designed to build the skills you need as an HR professional. Your assignments will test your abilities to conduct independent research and analysis, and to clearly and concisely present your findings in various formats.

This course was developed by Professor Vicky Wilkins, who is also Senior Associate Dean in the School of Public Affairs. Previously, she served as an administrative leader at the University of Georgia. Professor Wilkins has received six awards for outstanding teaching. Her research on human resource management, representative bureaucracy, bureaucratic discretion, gender and race issues, deservingness, and political institutions has been published in numerous leading public administration and policy studies journals. She is a member of the editorial board of three leading journals in public administration.

Course objectives:

• Gain an understanding of the legal context within which human resource managers in the public sector function
• Apply the skills associated with the primary functions of a human resource department
• Distinguish between HR practices in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors
• Demonstrate knowledge of the core functions of human resource management by applying knowledge to specific examples and cases
• Critique human resource systems used by various public organizations and recommend (or not) adoption of that practice by a chosen agency 

Topics covered include:

• Human capital in the public sector (History and Reform) 
• Constitutional protections 
• HR planning 
• Classification and compensation 
• Recruitment and selection
• Training
• Motivation, performance, and discipline
• Survey methods used to assess human capital

Learn more today. Call us at 855-725-7614 to speak to an admissions representative or request more information here.