Build the Leadership Skills Organizations Need
UW-Stout’s 100% online Master of Science (M.S.) in Human Resources prepares professionals to lead effectively in complex workplace environments by strengthening the strategic, interpersonal, and organizational leadership skills needed in today’s HR roles. Designed for working professionals seeking career advancement, the program helps you build the ability to lead people and teams, strengthen workplace culture, support organizational change, and make informed decisions that improve organizational performance. Through applied, project-based learning, you will immediately apply what you learn to real workplace challenges within your organization.
Career-Defining Curriculum
Our polytechnic approach to human resources leadership emphasizes immediate workplace application, practical problem-solving, and organizational impact. Courses are taught by faculty with industry and leadership experience who understand the challenges facing today’s organizations and HR professionals. Throughout the program, you will apply evidence-based strategies and leadership practices to real organizational situations, helping you strengthen your professional expertise while creating meaningful value within your workplace.
Program Overview
Develop In-Demand HR Leadership Capabilities
Our program develops the specialized skills to lead, excel, and drive change in the human resources and employee culture sector. From forming strategic partnerships to improving employee performance and managing knowledge, our program addresses the gaps that general business degrees overlook.
- Lead the HR Function: Partner with leadership, support workforce initiatives, and use people analytics to improve organizational effectiveness.
- Improve Human Performance in an Organizational Context: Analyze workforce needs, develop evidence-based solutions, and evaluate employee and organizational outcomes.
- Facilitate Organizational Change: Support workforce planning, influence stakeholders, and help organizations navigate culture and change initiatives.
- Manage Organizational Knowledge: Leverage HR technologies and business systems to support collaboration, learning, and performance improvement.
No Thesis Required
Use what you learn to solve real workplace challenges. Our applied approach to human resources embeds project-based learning into nearly every course to ensure your career goals are directly supported by your courses. You will complete professional, real-world projects that can be tailored to your current organization or used to build relevant experience for new career opportunities.
"For working professionals seeking a flexible, practical, and immediately applicable program, I cannot recommend UW-Stout enough. I wanted more than a credential—I wanted meaningful growth as a practitioner and to advance my career. With a background in education, workforce development, and nonprofit management, the project-based curriculum strengthened how I develop curricula, design training, and lead programs as a program manager. It even transformed my approach as a martial arts instructor and made me a more intentional and effective facilitator."
~ Russell Chapman, CPPM
Program Manager
Coalition of Asian American Leaders
Fulfill Your Electives Earning a Professional Certificate
Use the Request Information form to receive a program summary and learn more about the Master of Science degree in Human Resources.
Request Information
"Completing UW-Stout’s Master of Science in Human Resources graduate program has yielded deep impact on my career growth. Each professor possesses subject matter expertise and industry experience to inform relevant and modern practices, systems, theories and concepts. These learnings are easily and practically applied to designing organizational effectiveness and development strategies. The results of executing these strategies include aligned talent and business growth plans; effective resource allocation; integrated talent architecture for acquisition training; engagement; learning & development; career progression; operational excellence; financial achievement; and the attainment of core human capital metrics. Stout’s program is excellent - I recommend for those looking to expand their academic, business and people acumen, along with industries wanting to recruit well-prepared HR practitioners."
~ Brenda Everson ('20)
Chief Human Resources Officer
Bio-Techne
100% Online: Complete Your Degree at Your Own Pace and Schedule
Earn Credit for Prior Learning
Some required credits for this program can be earned through academic testing, portfolio submission, or a demonstration of competency. Learn more by reviewing the program-specific details on our Credit for Prior Learning page.
Industry-Experienced Faculty Instruction
At UW-Stout, building close relationships with our industry-experienced and academically accomplished faculty can play a key role in your career. Guided by a program alumnus and accomplished faculty with 40 years of combined industry experience in human resource management and talent development, our program bridges academia with industry realities, aligning your education with professional demands. Learn more about your future instructors!
"The hands-on projects are immediately applicable to real on-the-job problems. It is so much more meaningful than rote memorization; it's learning by doing, and it has exponentially enhanced my work performance! The Cultural Analysis project allowed me to work with leaders and front-line staff across the organization to identify gaps and strengthen culture across numerous locations. Executive leaders were very excited when I approached them about completing the project."
~ Bonnie Wittman, SHRM-CP
Director, Talent Acquisition
Easterseals PORT Health
Impactful Research Applied to Your Career
Throughout the program, you will complete applied, action research-based projects that address real organizational challenges. Each core course culminates in a project focused on an area for improvement within your organization aligned with the course focus, such as conducting a culture analysis or developing a change management initiative. Using theory to guide your approach, you will collect and analyze data to develop practical, evidence-based solutions. These projects produce tangible results for your organization, such as improved employee engagement or more effective change implementation, while strengthening your readiness for advanced HR roles and increasing your competitiveness for promotion.
Embedded Train-the-Trainer Apprenticeship
True excellence in training and talent development doesn’t come solely from classroom instruction—it’s cultivated through immersive, real-world experiences. A partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, this comprehensive apprenticeship is your stepping stone to becoming a recognized expert in the realm of training and talent development. Turn academic achievement into practical, industry-relevant proficiency; gain an edge with a nationally acknowledged credential; and shape the future of the workforce.
Graduate Ready to Train Tomorrow’s Talent & Elevate Company Culture
Each year, Stout human resource graduates enter the workforce or return to their employers equipped with the specialized HR management skills to elevate employee culture and performance in the workplace. Why? Our program's diverse curriculum prepares you for a multitude of industry sectors and career pathways, and everything you learn at Stout enhances the skills you'll use on the job. Where others list their education, you’ll be able to identify your experience.
- Organizational Change Manager
- Talent Development Manager
- Employee Experience Manager (LXD)
- Senior Instructional Designer
- Director of Organizational Development
- Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
- Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP)
- Director of People and Culture
- Organizational Development (OD) Consultant
Recent Employers
- 3M
- Apple
- Aprimo
- Cintas Corporation
- Compass Group USA
- Continental Properties
- Gundersen Health System
- Medtronic
- Oregon State Bar
- Simms Restaurants
- SONOCO
- Target Corporation
- Uline
- University of Minnesota
100% of Graduates Are Employed Within 6 Months
General UW-Stout Graduate Studies Application
All prospective graduate students at UW-Stout must follow a standard application process through Graduate Studies. Beyond that, each graduate program has specific requirements that must be met to be successfully admitted to the program:
Program-Specific Admission Requirements
Eligibility
To be admitted with full status to the M.S. Training & Talent Development program, you must:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
- Have earned an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
Program-Specific Application Requirements
To successfully apply for the program, first complete the UW System Application and receive your Application ID. Then, use this ID to fill out the UW-Stout Graduate Studies Collection Form, where you will provide the following:
- Resume
- Professional Statement discussing short and long-term career goals
*The Collection Form Site requires an Application ID provided upon completion of the UW-System Application
Advisory Committee Members
| First Name | Last Name | Title | Organization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polly | Berendes ('23) | Business Agility Consultant | Gundersen Health System |
| Debbie | Cottrell | Vice President, Administration | Vertin |
| Michelle | Dingwall | Director of Development, Morrison Family College of Health/University Advancement | University of St. Thomas |
| Dr. Kelly | Droege ('07) | Assistant Professor; Program Director | UW-Stout |
| Brenda | Everson ('20) | Chief Human Resources Officer | Bio-Techne |
| Hagen | Gunderson ('12) | OU Regional CI Manager | Pactiv Evergreen Inc. |
| Dr. Kathryn | Hamilton | Professor; Chair, Psychology Department | UW-Stout |
| Joseph | Kessel ('23) | Training Specialist | Olympus Surgical Technologies America |
| Sarah | Kocken | Business Analyst, Financial Aid | UW-Stout |
| Lisa | Konkle ('14) | Human Resources Manager | Acendas Travel |
| Dr. Alicia | Stachowski | Psychology Professor | UW-Stout |
| Julia | Tronnier ('09) | Instructional Technologist, Nuclear | Xcel Energy |
| Emmy | VandenLangenberg ('13) | Human Resources Project & Transformation Analyst | ST Engineering North America |
| Dr. Sara Lynne | Willett | Assistant Professor | UW-Stout |
| Renee | Surdick | Associate Dean, CSTEMM | UW-Stout |
Customized Tuition & Fees
UW-Stout degree programs using the all-inclusive customized instruction model are designed with the adult learner in mind. Other universities will present costs and value differently, so make sure you're comparing apples to apples. If you're comparing UW-Stout's online degree customized instruction (CI) tuition to our competitors, keep in mind:
- Customized instruction tuition rate includes the textbook rental fee.
- There are no additional or hidden university-based semester or technology fees.
- Students in customized instruction programs pay the same rate of tuition regardless of where you live.
More Value for Your Money
Customized Instruction also provides:
- Program Director/Coordinator: Faculty with academic and industry expertise.
- Student Services Advisor: One point of contact, providing dedicated support throughout your degree program.
- Course Sequences & Matrices: Plan ahead with clear program outlines so you know what courses are offered when.
- Stackable Courses & Programs: Many of our courses and certificates can be applied to our degree programs.
- Flexibility: Courses are designed to offer the flexibility and convenience working professionals need to get ahead in their careers without sacrificing their current income and responsibilities.
