Techniques September 2012 - 59

Career Curve

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Saint Paul College
SaInT PauL COLLeGe, a community and technical college located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, was recently ranked by Washington Monthly magazine as the number one community college in the nation for student engagement in active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction and support for learning. The college offers 39 associate degree programs and 60 career certificate and diploma programs. It also provides students with pathways to four-year colleges and universities where they may continue their education and training. In addition, Saint Paul works with more than 500 business, industry and labor representatives to help its graduates find employment. Among the programs at Saint Paul is human resources, in which students have options to pursue an associate’s degree, a Human Resources Specialist Certificate, and a Human Resources Professional Certificate. The Human Resources Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree is intended for students who desire immediate employment upon graduation or who plan to transfer to another institution of higher education. In addition to general education requirements such as macroeconomics, communications, science, math and humanities, the AAS degree has a required business core that consists of Introduction to Business, Legal Environment of Business, Business Communications, Principles of Accounting I, and either Business Information Applications or Management Information Systems. Additional courses in the 60-credit requirements include Human Resources Management, Compensation and Benefits Administration, Employee/Labor Relations, and Employment Law and HR Policies. There is also a human resources internship element that is designed to be a
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capstone experience, as well as to provide students with the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge they have learned in the classroom in a real-world setting. The Human Resources Specialist Certificate program is designed for an individual who desires to enter the human resources field with a general grounding in human resources and within a short period of time. This certificate program is for someone who has a background in computer and office skills, and it is transferable to the AAS degree program. There are 29 credits, including 23 required courses such as Business Career Resources, Human Resources Management, Talent Management, HR Information Systems and Records, Employee/Labor Relations, and Employment Law and HR Policies. The electives also include an HR internship. The Human Resources Professional Certificate is an accelerated program offered completely online and is designed for an individual who is currently working in the human resources field or has management background dealing with HR issues. It also is transferable to the Human Resources AAS degree. The 15-credit program includes Human Resources Management, Talent Management,

Human Resources Information Systems and Records, Compensation and Benefits Administration, and Employment Law and HR Policies. Students in the Saint Paul HR program note that having smaller classes and instructors who bring world issues into the classroom creates a rewarding learning experience. Moreover, there are many opportunities for graduates of the program since they may find employment as a human resources specialist, benefits specialist, compensation analyst, recruiter, training and development coordinator, human resources generalist or human resources assistant. With its reputation for supporting its students as well as engaging them in active learning, Saint Paul College is preparing its graduates for entry into fields—such as human resources— where the projected future growth will help to ensure their success. For more information about Saint Paul College and its human resources program, visit www.saintpaul.edu.

Susan Reese is a Techniques
contributing writer. She can be contacted at susan@printmanagementinc.com.

September 2012

Techniques

Techniques September 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Techniques September 2012