Human Resource Management

Overview

As a human resource (HR) professional, your job is to help an organization succeed by helping its greatest asset, its people, succeed. This requires that you represent both management and employees fairly, equally and respectfully.

This graduate certificate takes you through the major functional competencies required for HR professionals, supported by business fundamentals, and prepares you for an HR role by giving you a strong generalist portfolio of skills.

You learn about hiring, performance management, wage structures, collective agreements and emotionally difficult decisions, such as downsizing.

Work experience

• Field experience is a mandatory credit course, providing the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills outside the classroom.
  • Opportunities are typically unpaid and last approximately 5 weeks.
• Transportation, accommodations and other costs related to work experience courses are your responsibility.
• For more information, visit work experience opportunities.

Choose NSCC

• This program is accredited by the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources Nova Scotia (CPHRNS) as meeting the knowledge competencies for the CPHR Designation. This means you graduate with the requirements to apply to waive the National Knowledge Exam and become a candidate for the Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation. This accreditation is also recognized at the national level by the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources Canada.
• Please refer to the CPHRNS website for information regarding your eligibility and requirements in becoming a Chartered Member.
• You get a practical approach to your learning. You don't just study theory, you learn to apply it using consulting projects for real industry clients.
• Your projects could include grievance and arbitration research or occupational health and safety training. You also get to participate in a collective bargaining process – from preparing the asking packages to negotiating collective agreement terms.
• This program will enhance and challenge your critical thinking skills, research abilities, writing skills and presentation abilities – all of which are required by the successful HR practitioner.
  

September 2025

Campus	Full time/part time	Delivery	Availability
Ivany Campus Dartmouth	Full time	In person Delivered in-person. Some courses may have online elements.	Seats available
Sydney Waterfront Campus Sydney	Full time	Blended Delivered through a combination of online and in-person classes. At least 50% of learning is in-person.	Seats available
Sydney Waterfront Campus Sydney	Part time	Blended Delivered through a combination of online and in-person classes. At least 50% of learning is in-person.	Seats available

Admission requirements

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent.
• High School Graduation Diploma plus minimum 5-years of industry experience may be considered for admission to this program under NSCC’s PLAR policy. For detailed information on the PLAR policy as it relates to this program, visit the Candidate Assessment for Human Resource Management Graduate Certificate page.
• International students – Submit your official post-secondary documents for assessment. View document and language requirements by country

Program requirements

• Portfolio development – As part of your studies at NSCC, you develop a portfolio of your work; the portfolio captures your achievements and profiles your skills to employers.

Tuition

Tuition amounts are for the 2024-25 academic year. Program costs and fees (textbooks, supplies, etc.) are additional.

Tuition, fees and program costs

In addition to annual tuition, there are program costs (books, tools, etc.) and student fees for College services, health and dental plans, your student association and parking.

View detailed program fees page(s). Please note that amounts on these pages are meant for planning purposes only. They don't represent final amounts owing.

• Human Resource Management
• Human Resource Management - Year 1 - Part-time
• Human Resource Management - Year 2 - Part-time

Career options

• The HR function is critical to an organization's effectiveness and success. Business and organization leaders in every industry need to attract, retain and develop talent. They are increasingly looking to HR professionals to help them achieve these goals.
• Graduates are working for major organizations and for a variety of private companies. Some have even started their own consulting businesses, offering their services to smaller organizations that don't require full-time HR staff.

Future study options

• You can become a candidate for the Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation.
• Continue your studies at university – This program includes courses that count towards an undergraduate degree. Learn more about having your graduate certificate count towards a university degree

Courses may include

These are some of the courses offered in this program. It is not a complete list and courses are subject to change in advance of the academic year.

Recognizing prior learning / transfer credits
If you have previous learning (course, employment, etc...) that's relevant to your program, you may be able to apply to earn credit. Not all programs are eligible. Learn about our recognizing prior learning (RPL) process.

COMP 1190 - Computer Applications for HR
Human Resource professionals are required to create effective workplace communications and manage information as part of their daily practice. This course will provide students with hands-on experience in electronic mail applications, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and presentation programs. Emphasis will be placed on tools that maximize productivity for HR administration and information management functions.

COMP 2190 - HRIS and Data Analysis
Building on the skills from Computer Applications for HR I, students will learn how to manage and analyze data using various software applications and technologies. This course will provide students with an understanding of key human resource metrics and the functions of a human resource management information system, as well as hands-on experience with payroll calculations and human resource data analysis using spreadsheet and database applications.

HRES 5104 - Employment Law and Employee Relations
This course will allow learners to gain an understanding of all relevant labour legislation focusing on the role of Canadian common law in the employment relationship. Learners will also gain practical skills in contract administration, grievance investigation and alternate dispute resolution.

HRES 5110 - Recruitment
This course will demonstrate the importance of a thorough understanding of a job and related competencies prior to initiating the recruitment process. This course will take learners through all aspects of the recruitment process. They will develop skills in analyzing different types of recruitment techniques, and develop several recruitment tools which they will put to practical use. This course will also allow learners to apply all relevant labour legislation to the recruitment process.

HRES 5115 - Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness
This course will examine health and safety legislation and contemporary issues in health, safety and wellness. Students will develop practical skills in the design of effective health and safety programs, and proactive wellness initiatives to support employee health, increase productivity and reduce costs.

HRES 5130 - Strategic HR Practices
In this course, students explore organizational culture and effective human resource management. Topics include current trends, the impact of corporate culture on HR, and fostering collaboration between HR and management. Students develop practical HR plans, analyze leadership styles, and align HR practices for organizational success. Students will be assessing HR processes, benchmarking against industry standards, and engaging with diverse organizational structures for a comprehensive perspective on HR management.

HRES 5200 - Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
This course explores diversity and human rights legislation in a human resource context, and provides learners with the knowledge and skill to develop legally defensible HR programs and practices that support equitable, inclusive and diverse work environments.

HRES 5204 - Labour Relations
Continuing from Labour Relations I, this course will allow learners to gain further understanding of all relevant labour legislation focusing on the role of Canadian common law in the employment relationship. Learners will also develop workplace policies and programs to improve the labour/management relationship. Learners will identify and understand all the stages of the collective bargaining process.

HRES 5215 - Total Rewards
This course examines compensation, benefits and total rewards management practices in a strategic context. Learners will develop practical skills in pay structure design, job evaluation, job classification and pay survey analysis. This course will also introduce students to basic accounting practices necessary for budgeting and financial statement analysis, as well as principles for effective payroll administration.

HRES 5221 - Training and Development
Students will be well-equipped to contribute strategically to their organizations by designing, implementing, and assessing impactful training and development programs within the Human Resource field.

HRES 5300 - Selection and Retention
This course will take learners through all aspects of the selection process. They will develop skills in analyzing different types of selection techniques, and develop selection tools to put to practical use. This course will also allow learners to apply all relevant labour legislation to the selection process. Learners will also explore best practices for retention strategies within an organization.

HRES 5302 - Talent and Performance Management
This course explores how effective performance management processes enable both individual and organizational performance and the achievement of strategic goals. Emphasis is placed on performance management as an embedded and ongoing process that requires planning, regular feedback, assessment, and opportunities for development. Students will apply their knowledge in the development of a performance management system tailored to an organization’s mission, goals and culture.

HRES 6995 - Work Experience
Learners benefit from the ability to apply the skills developed within the Human Resource Management program during an industry work term. Learners must complete four weeks of a college approved internship and four days of job shadowing, along with receiving a successful evaluation from the internship supervisor in order to graduate.

SAFE 1000 - Introduction to WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems)
This course offers learners basic overview of WHMIS principles and establishes a solid foundation to support workplace-specific training on the safe storage and handling of controlled/hazardous products. Upon successful completion of the course, students receive basic WHMIS certification.

SAFE 1001 - Introduction to NS OH&S Act
This course offers students an introduction to the Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) Act of Nova Scotia, which is required by any person employed in a Nova Scotia workplace. This is a generic, introductory course that provides basic knowledge of the Act for students and is considered to be the basis from which more specific training can be given.