Admissions Option for Experienced and Working Professionals
CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR SPRING SEMESTER, JANUARY 2023
Note regarding Fall 2022 Admissions: The Fall 2022 cohort is now full. Applicants in the process of applying for Fall 2022 may continue to complete the admissions steps for the next available start date in January, 2023.
Admissions deadline for Spring, 2023: October 15, 2022
Contact Melanie Zaremba at mzaremba@msu.edu with questions or to schedule an advising appointment.
Because we value work experience and recognize the difference in the knowledge and needs of working professionals, we have developed an admissions procedure for those domestic applicants who have spent a minimum of least five years, since completing their undergraduate degree, employed in a position that provides direct experience working in the area of human resource management or labor relations.
Domestic applicants with five or more years of applicable work experience can apply for admission without submitting GRE or GMAT test results.
As with the regular admissions procedure, applicants' undergraduate junior-senior GPAs, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement are required and are also evaluated and used as a basis for admissions. The applicant will also need to provide a resume which summarizes his/her work experience and evidence that documents the nature of their work experience, such as letters from their employers.
The personal statement should discuss how their decision to pursue our master's degree was influenced by their previous work experience, describe their career goals and objectives, and explain why they believe our master's program in human resources and labor relations will help them to leverage their experience and achieve their goals. We must also receive a request form, for an applicant to be considered under the work experience admission.
Following the admission committee's review of an applicant's materials, the committee may grant the applicant initial admission to the master's program. Once admitted, the applicant takes three courses from the SHRLR curriculum including either HRLR 832 (Quantitative Methods) or HRLR 809 (Economics of HR). If the applicant earns a grade of 3.5 or better in each course, they will be granted full admission and may complete the balance of the courses for the degree.
For step-by-step admissions support, please visit the admissions toolkit.