Human Relations is a field of study for those who enjoy working with people, and have good ideas about how to make the workplace more effective and satisfying. The BA in Human Relations degree prepares students to understand and skillfully respond to various challenges of human behavior, interaction, and relationships in our evolving and increasingly global, diverse, and technologically oriented world of work. Additionally, students gain the leadership, managerial, and supervisory skills to advance within their organizations.

Drawing on the fields of psychology, sociology, business, communications, and the humanities, students examine the organizational forms, practices, and policies that can foster or hinder the development of productive relationships and organizational success.  Students develop the necessary knowledge and skills to make these relations and their workplaces more effective.

Students in the program:

• Practice strategic judgement and decision-making skills, while evaluating workplace problems, and constructing and communicating well-researched and relevant solutions;
• Utilize key human relations concepts to foster collaboration, motivation, and employee engagement, with consideration of key stakeholder roles and relationships;
• Define long-term strategies, setting group and team priorities, and making complex decisions requiring contextual understanding;
• Learn to navigate organizational dynamics and build leadership and people management skills;
• Investigate how various forms of social inequality and difference impact human relations in the workplace, and contribute to efforts to improve organizational policy and culture;
• Apply relevant theoretical strategies for conflict prevention, negotiation, and resolution in workplace settings, including, but not limited to cross-functional collaboration across departments, diverse team alignment and partnering and consensus facilitation;
• Actively practice the skills of ethical oversight and compliance judgement by interpreting regulations in ambiguous situations, making judgement calls on complex matters.

For Information About This Program

Please contact Lianna Scull at lianna.scull@cuny.edu.

As of Spring 2022, all courses in the HRL program are offered fully online and asynchronously. Any questions pertaining to the program should be directed to Lianna Scull, Assistant Director, Sociology and Human Relations programs.

Career Prospects

Students of the program are prepared to enter or further their careers in a wide spectrum of government, corporate, and non-profit organizations in areas such as health care, human and social services, education, public administration, business, coaching, and human resources. The degree also offers students a solid foundation to pursue graduate studies in organizational behavior and development, industrial/organizational psychology, human resources, social work, healthcare management, business and public administration, and applied sociology.

Articulation Agreements

Articulation agreements are formal agreements between CUNY School of Professional Studies, (CUNY SPS) and two-year colleges and universities, allowing students to transfer the maximum number of credits with ease to our BA in Human Relations program from institutions with which we have an established transfer process in place.

• Borough of Manhattan Community College - AA in Communication Studies (PDF)
• Borough of Manhattan Community College AA in Human Services (PDF)
• Borough of Manhattan Community College - AA in Liberal Arts (PDF)
• Borough of Manhattan Community College AA in Sociology (PDF)
• LaGuardia Community College – AA in Human Services (PDF)

Scholarship Opportunities

• Human Services Advancement Scholarship