MBA in HR – Top Courses, Admissions & Job Prospects 

An MBA in Human Resource (HR) may not sound as glamorous as one in Consulting or Financial Services. However, Human Resource is the backbone of any organization, large or small, as it is involved in a multitude of tasks on the administration side.

These range from hiring the right type of people consistent with the ethical values and aims of the company, drawing up employee contracts and dealing with every aspect of workers’ welfare.

Scope & Growth for MBA (HR)

Well-trained managers in Human Resources (HR) are in high demand across various sectors and domains, with high salaries on offer for the best personnel.

At the junior executive level, an associate’s degree or a certificate may suffice, but to bag senior positions an MBA in Human Relations would be required. MBAs rise up to senior-level executive roles such as Director and CEO-level positions.

Need To Address Female MBAs Pay Gap As B-Schools Move Towards Gender Parity

Eligibility Criteria for MBA in HR

As far as eligibility is concerned, it is the same as for any of the MBA programs – you should possess a bachelor’s degree.

Those who are in the final year of the degree program are also eligible to submit an application. You will also need to present the score of any of the standardized aptitude tests including international ones such as GMAT and GRE or if you are in India, CAT, NMAT by GMAC, XAT, MAT, SNAP and CMAT to name a few. In some of the institutes, you may have to appear for an entrance exam.

Admission Process for MBA in HR

The admission process starts after you submit the application form. The admission committee carefully evaluates the applicants on the basis of their academic and personal achievements, leadership qualities and potential.  The admission process may also involve Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds before the final shortlisting of candidates and selection.

Essential Skills for HR Professionals

Most of us may not have much of an idea about an HR manager’s functions beyond the hiring and firing aspects.

But the role is complex and calls for excellent organization capabilities, great communication skills, conflict management, negotiation skills and knowledge of business strategy, to name a few.

MBA-HR Syllabus

As in the case of the other MBA programs, MBA-HR would start with the core subjects including accounting, marketing, finance, economics, strategy, leadership and business ethics.

Among the courses that are particularly useful for a future HR professional are Human Resource Information System, Human Resource Planning and Development, Managerial Communication and Skill Development and Quantitative Techniques in Human Resource Management.

Equally important are: Individual Behavior in Organization, Management Process and Organization Theory, Entrepreneurship Development, Training and Development, Performance Management and Competency Mapping, Labour Laws, Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics, Contemporary Employment Relations, Economics of Human Resources, Human Capital Management and HR Audit, Managing Interpersonal and Group Processes, Cross Culture and International Human Resource Management.

Job Profiles for MBA in HR

An MBA in Human Resources could expect senior management or director level job profiles. Cutting across domains and sectors, every firm, ranging from multinational corporate entities to huge domestic companies, medium and small enterprises, require qualified HR management personnel at various levels.

MBA in HR - Talent Acquisition Manager Meme Depending on the size of the organization, there could be several managers in the HR department looking after various aspects of personnel management to just one person, if it is a small firm.

One of the important aspects of the HR Manager’s job is to find the right kind of talent to fill key posts in the company. Major firms recruit an HR Manager whose job is talent acquisition. He or she will be responsible for framing appropriate strategies and processes in this regard. The role also calls for overseeing all aspects of recruitment from the planning stage onwards. A new appointment in this post could expect to draw an average pay of Rs 3.5 lakh per annum.

Some companies prefer to recruit an HR manager for the specific purpose of training and development. This person would be responsible for assessing the training requirements, finding ways and means to increase employee productivity and related matters. The average salary for a manager with 1-4 years of experience in this role could hope to draw an average salary of Rs 4.6-4.7 LPA.

Corporate firms need an HR Manager-Compliance to look into all issues related to compliance and statutory matters. He or she also has the responsibility to see that the company complies with all legal standards and policies. In this role, a Manager with 1-4 years of experience could hope for an average salary of Rs 3-4 LPA.

For the academically inclined, Professor in Human Resources would be an ideal choice. An Assistance Professor in HR could hope to get an average salary of Rs 2-3 LPA.

You should also be aware that the designations may change from firm to firm depending on the hierarchy levels or size of the organization. You are likely to come across various designations in HR including Manager, Senior Manager, Assistant Vice President, Vice President, Director, Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) and maybe even someone who is on the Board of Directors.

How Much Salary Can You Get with MBA-HR?

The HR Manager’s starting pay (0-1 year) would be Rs 3.67 LPA.

The next stage, from 1-4 years, it will be Rs 4.66 LPA, 5-9 years, Rs 7.29 LPA and 10-19 years, Rs 10.32 LPA.

XLRI, among the oldest management education institutes in India, counts itself a pioneer in imparting training in Human Resource Management. What began as a humble training program for trade union leaders gradually became a Post Graduate Diploma Program in Human Resource Management.

The salaries the graduates command also rose exponentially. The highest salary offered during the Final Placement 2019 touched Rs 50 LPA for a role in the Banking & Finance Sector in India at XLRI. The average domestic salary was pegged at Rs 22.35 LPA and median salary at Rs 21 LPA.

HR Generalist Vs. Specialist

An HR generalist, as the name suggests, is expected to take care of several tasks stretching over several areas simultaneously. These may include everything from scouting around and recruiting the right kind of people i.e talent acquisition to training and development, payroll management, employee benefits, compensation and benefits, coordinating with employees and looking after statutory compliance.

The HR specialist on the other hand would remain involved with a particular area or tasks specific to certain industries or domains including the IT/BPO sector, manufacturing, medical, education and banking.

Top Firms Employing MBA (HR)

Among the major companies that recruit executives with MBA (HR) qualification include KPMG, Reliance, Infosys, Larsen & Toubro, Wipro, Deutsche Bank, L’Oreal, Pepsico and Makemytrip.

Indian B-schools Offering MBA-HR Programs

Among the prominent B-schools offering MBA-HR program is the Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur. On completion of the two-year full-time program, you will get a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management.

The syllabus lays stress on HR Planning, HR Information Systems, Selection, Performance Management, Training and Development and Compensation Administration. You are also given a choice of elective courses to supplement the program specialisation.

Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon offers an 18-month-long Post Graduate Programme in Human Resource Management (PGP-HRM). In the first four terms (each term is of 3 months duration) you will complete the core courses that deal with various managerial functions.

Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ranchi’s PGP-HRM is a two-year full-time program that also has a summer project. You have a choice of acquiring specialized knowledge in either general HR Management, Organizational Development or Industrial Relations.

Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi offers a two-year Post-Graduate Diploma in Management (Human Resource Management) that provides a good grounding in not only theoretical knowledge of HR Management, Industrial Relations and Human Resource Development but also in practical knowledge and skills needed in senior managerial roles.

Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai has a two-year Master of Arts (Human Resource Management & Labour Relations) program. The International School of Business and Media, Pune has an MBA program in HR and NarseeMonjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai runs an MBA-HR program.

MBA in HR: Fees | Schools | Placements

Let us take a look at the program fees at various institutes, the institutes that offer full-time programs in MBA-HR or as a specialization in the electives and placement trends and salary figures at various institutes.

MBA in HR: Program Fee

The program fee ranges from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.

PGDM (HRM) at XLRI Jamshedpur is pegged at Rs 16.8 lakh. MDI, Gurgaon charges Rs 21,34,000, including a tuition fee of Rs 8 lakh per year for its 2-year full-time PGP (HRM) program.

The total fee for the 2-year full-time MBA (HR) program at IIM Ranchi is Rs 15,30,000. IIM Indore has pegged the fee for its PGP (HRM) at Rs 16.5 lakh. Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi PGDM (HRM) fee is approximately Rs 9.25 lakh.

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, has pegged the fee for its 2-year Master of Arts (Human Resource Management & Labour Relations) at Rs 1,14,400.

SCMHRD, Pune, charges a fee of Rs 17,42,800 for its 2-year MBA program. IMI New Delhi has pegged the fee for its PGDM-HRM program at Rs 17,68,000. IIM Tiruchirappalli has a 2-year full-time PGP-HR program with the fee at Rs 16.5 Lakh for the 2020-22 batch. TAPMI Manipal has pegged its PGDM-HR fee at Rs14.60 lakh.

Other than these schools offering an MBA degree or Post Graduate Diploma in HR, several other well-known institutions offer Human Resource Management as a specialization in their MBA/PG Diploma programs.

IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore (which offers HRM specialization in its one-year MBA program) IIM Calcutta and IIM Lucknow offer HR as an elective. FMS, Delhi has an MBA with Organisational Behaviour & Human Resource Management among the specializations. IMT Ghaziabad has a PGDM with specialization in HRM.

NITIE Mumbai has a PG diploma with specialization in General Management, Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource. The Department of Management Studies at IIT Delhi has an MBA with specialization in HR & OB.

Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management at IIT Bombay has an MBA with an elective course on Human Resources and Organisational Behaviour. IIM Rohtak has a PGP with OB & HRM specialisation. K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research, Mumbai has a PGDM program with a specialization in Human Resource Management.

Goa Institute of Management offers a PGDM with specialisation in OB & HRM. Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai has a PGDM with HRM specialisation.

Placements for MBA (HR)

We have selected the most recent placement reports of three B-schools to give you an idea about the employment prospects and roles offered to fresh MBA (HR) graduates.

XLRI- Xavier School of Management has reported 100% placements for PGDM (HR & BM) 2018-20 batch with all 359 students getting job offers in the final placement wrapped up in 2 days.

As many as 108 recruiters, including 24 newcomers, came up with 362 offers for domestic and international roles. The median salary went up to Rs 23 lakh per annum from Rs 21 lakh per annum in the previous year.

The average salary went up to Rs 24.30 lakh per annum from Rs 22.35 lakh per annum in 2019. The BFSI sector came up with domestic offers of Rs 50 LPA. The highest international offer was Rs 58.5 LPA from Sales & Marketing. Consulting, Sales & Marketing and BFSI topped the recruiters.

MBA in HR

Among the firms, KPMG and Pricewaterhouse Coopers made the highest number of offers. The new firms at the placement were Arga Investment Company, Tolaram Group, M H Alshaya, Myntra, Power Finance Corporation, Delhivery, JCB, Thoucentric, Welspun, Diageo, Varroc, CK Birla, among others. Several PSUs, including Power Finance Corporation and GAIL, participated in the placement. 

Final Placement 2018-20 batch at MDI Gurgaon saw more than 50% of the 60-member PGP-HRM class securing a salary of Rs 22 lakh per annum or more. The highest salary was reported in the E-commerce sector. More than 28% of the offers were made in BFSI and Technology, Media & Telecommunication sector.

The maximum number of 16 offers came from Consulting followed by 13 offers in Technology, Media & Telecommunication, 12 in Automobile, Conglomerate, Energy & Logistics, 7 in FMCD/FMCG, 5 in E-commerce, 4 in BFSI and 3 in Healthcare & Pharmaceutical. (See: https://mdi.ac.in/Final%20Placement%20Report%202018-20.pdf)

At IIM Ranchi, Final Placement for the PGDHRM (now MBA-HR) 2017-19 saw the 63 students drawing an average CTC (the cost to company) of Rs 14.52 Lakh per Annum (LPA) with the median CTC at Rs 13.57 LPA, highest CTC at Rs 21 LPA and top 25% CTC at Rs 15.6 LPA. A total of 39 companies, 24 of them being first-time recruiters, had offered roles for the students.

Top profiles offered included Compensation & Benefits, HR Analytics, HR Business Partner, HR Consultant, HR Operations, Industrial Relations, Learning & Development, Performance Management and Talent Acquisition. 

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MBA in HR: FAQs

Q: What is the MBA-HR program duration?

A: MBA-HR program is usually a two-year full-time post-graduate program. While some of the schools give a Diploma Certificate at the end of the program, others confer an MBA degree on the participants.

Q: What will be the average salary of a Manager with MBA-HR qualifications?

A: The average salary of a Manager with MBA-HR qualifications would be between Rs 2-7 lakh.

Q: Where will an MBA in HR find employment?

A: The Human Resource department plays a vital role in every firm, big or small, in the recruitment of the right type of people to fill various posts and in looking after employee welfare besides meeting statutory obligations of the company. Major recruiters include Infosys, L’Oreal, Larson & Toubro, Reliance, Tech Mahindra, KPMG, Pepsico and Wipro, to name a few.

Q: Which is the best institute in India for MBA-HR?

A: Deciding on the best institute for MBA-HR would be subjective to what you expect from the program. The list of such schools includes Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur, Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ranchi, Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, The International School of Business and Media, Pune and Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai.

Q: What do MBA-HR programs teach?

A:  Apart from the core courses in common with general MBA programs like Finance, Marketing, General Management, Production and Operations, MBA-HR will cover in detail, subjects related to employment relations including Industrial Relations law, Social Security laws, Human Resource Management fundamentals, Industrial Relations fundamentals, Labour laws, HR Planning, Performance &  Appraisals and Administration and Wage Determination.




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