Making a Case for Employment Law as a Core Requirement in the Undergraduate HR Curriculum

Abstract

Surveys of senior HR-practitioners, academicians, and students consistently agree that individuals seeking to enter the HR profession should be knowledgeable in employment law. Most university HR programs, however, do not uniformly require students to complete an Employment Law course. This article presents a case for Employment Law as a core requirement in the undergraduate HR curriculum. Data from course syllabi and professor comments demonstrate how this course can meet academia's need to promote higher education principles while providing learning opportunities for development of competencies that employers increasingly seek, such as critical analysis, communication, and having a strategic perspective.