Quick Highlights
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- Choose Arkansas State University’s online MBA with a Concentration in Human Resource Management program to run the HR function with a full business foundation.
- Choose the online M.S. in Organizational Leadership program to lead people in any function.
If you’re considering a graduate degree to advance your career, choosing between a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in human resource management and a master’s in organizational leadership depends on where you want your career to go. Arkansas State University (A-State) offers two online graduate routes: the MBA with a Concentration in Human Resource Management program for HR professionals being pulled toward budgets and strategy, and the Master of Science (M.S.) in Organizational Leadership program for people who lead teams in any function. They differ in price, credits and coursework, and the sections below weigh each one against the work you do or want to do.
Organizational Leadership vs. Human Resources Master’s: Side by Side
The table below compares A-State’s online MBA in Human Resource Management, its HR-focused graduate degree, to the online M.S. in Organizational Leadership. They differ in credits, price and coursework; the course format and admission requirements are the same, which helps if you are fitting graduate school around a full-time job.
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MBA in Human Resource Management
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M.S. in Organizational Leadership
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Credits
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33
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30
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Total tuition and fees
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$17,292
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$10,500
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Per credit
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$524
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$350
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Time to finish
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As few as 12 months
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As few as 12 months
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Course format
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Seven weeks in fall and spring, five weeks in summer
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Seven weeks in fall and spring, five weeks in summer
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Accreditation
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Offered through the AACSB-accredited Neil Griffin College of Business
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Offered through the AACSB-accredited Neil Griffin College of Business
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Admission
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Bachelor’s degree, 2.5 GPA (or 2.75 over the last 60 hours), no GMAT or GRE
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Bachelor’s degree, 2.5 GPA (or 2.75 over the last 60 hours), no GMAT or GRE
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Core courses
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Accounting for Planning and Control, Managerial Economics, Corporate Financial Management, Business Analytics, Graduate Business Fundamentals, Project Management, Strategic Management, Strategic Marketing
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Communication Theory, Organization Theory, Crisis Communication, Seminar in Organizational Behavior, Management Development Strategies, Leadership Development, Business Ethics and Social Responsibility, plus 9 credits of MBA, MGMT or MKTG electives
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HR-specific courses
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Management Development Strategies, Industrial Relations, Law and Ethics in Business
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No HR concentration; Management Development Strategies is part of the core
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The $6,792 difference in total price comes from two places: 33 credits at $524 for the MBA versus 30 credits at $350 for the M.S. Both programs use the same course format, so the decision turns on how much business coursework you want behind the work you do now.
Important Note
Prices reflect A-State’s published rates as of October 2026 for all U.S. residents, may change yearly and are separate from the one-time $30 application fee. Confirm current tuition rates, application requirements and program information before applying.
What Employers Ask For
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education for human resources managers, along with five years or more of related work experience. BLS also reports that some jobs may require a master’s degree in human resources, labor relations or business administration (MBA), though most positions ask for a bachelor’s degree.
Because most positions require an undergraduate degree and relevant experience, a master’s degree is often pursued to build specialized skills and prepare for expanded professional responsibilities. The online MBA in Human Resource Management is a business administration master’s, one of the fields BLS names, with HR coursework included, and the online M.S. in Organizational Leadership program builds leadership and communication skills for managing people in any function.
Choose the MBA in HR If You Are Being Pulled Into Strategy
If you are an HR generalist and handle the hiring, the handbook and the hard conversations, your job spec may naturally evolve and expand over time. For example, finance may ask you to defend a headcount number or play a larger role in budgeting or broader corporate strategy. The online MBA in Human Resource Management program is designed for those demands: its business core includes Corporate Financial Management and Business Analytics, the courses closest to headcount and budget conversations, and its three HR concentration courses keep the work tied to your function.
The three HR concentration courses are Management Development Strategies, Industrial Relations and Law and Ethics in Business, so the degree that covers headcount and budget analysis in its core also puts management development, industrial relations and the law and ethics of business on the same transcript. A-State’s article on MBA pathways to strategic management covers the strategy and management development side of the degree, and its guide to MBA in HR career opportunities covers career paths and employer demand.
Student Spotlight
Kris Harmon, a data analytics manager who began A-State’s online MBA – General program in January 2025, commented on the value of working with classmates from other industries: “That’s something that I look for, even in my teams in the real world, because you’re not going to survive in a corporate environment without collaboration.”
Choose Organizational Leadership If You Lead People in Any Function
If you manage staff and operations in any function, including HR, the online M.S. in Organizational Leadership program fits that work. Its core includes Leadership Development, Seminar in Organizational Behavior and Crisis Communication, and the program’s learning outcomes include using communication to build team cohesion, motivate team members and handle crises.
Potential career opportunities include division director, team manager and general manager in industries such as financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and retail. Three electives (nine credits) drawn from MBA, management or marketing courses let you add depth in the function you lead.
Where a Standalone HR Master’s Fits
A-State offers its HR coursework as a concentration within the MBA rather than as a standalone master’s in human resources. A standalone HR master’s centers on HR practice, while the MBA pairs three HR courses with eight business core courses.
Nine of the MBA’s 33 credits are HR courses, and the other 24 are business core, so the degree trades some HR specialization for the finance, analytics and strategy skills behind headcount and budget decisions. That tradeoff fits an HR professional whose role is already widening toward budgets and strategy, which is the profile the MBA is built around.
Match the Program to Your Role
If your HR role is widening toward budgets and strategy, A-State’s online MBA in Human Resource Management program adds the business core behind your HR coursework. If you lead people and teams in any function, the online M.S. in Organizational Leadership program adds leadership and communication coursework.
Both programs share the same admission requirements: a bachelor’s degree with a 2.5 GPA (or 2.75 over your last 60 hours), official transcripts and a $30 application fee. As the application steps are the same for either program, the deciding factor is which role you are growing into.
Explore Arkansas State University’s online MBA with a Concentration in Human Resource Management program or its online M.S. in Organizational Leadership program to see each program’s full curriculum, course schedule and admission steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for an HR career: an MBA in human resources or a master’s in organizational leadership?
Neither is better in general; the right degree depends on the role you want. A-State’s online MBA in Human Resource Management program (33 credits, $17,292) fits an HR professional whose work involves budgets, headcount and strategy, because its core includes Corporate Financial Management and Business Analytics alongside Management Development Strategies, Industrial Relations and Law and Ethics in Business. The online M.S. in Organizational Leadership program (30 credits, $10,500) fits someone who leads people in any function, with a core built around Leadership Development, Seminar in Organizational Behavior and Crisis Communication.
Is an MBA in human resources worth it?
It is worth it when the coursework matches the role you are growing into, and BLS shows it is not a universal requirement. BLS lists a bachelor’s degree and five years or more of related experience as typical for human resources managers, adding that some jobs may require a master’s degree. A-State’s online MBA in Human Resource Management program costs $17,292 for 33 credits, and 9 credits are HR courses, so it suits an HR professional who expects to take on budget and strategy decisions. If you mainly lead people and teams across functions, the $10,500 online M.S. in Organizational Leadership program may fit that work more closely.
Is an MBA in human resources too finance-heavy for HR work?
The MBA leans on business coursework: 24 of its 33 credits are the business core, and four of those eight courses cover accounting, economics, finance and analytics (Accounting for Planning and Control, Managerial Economics, Corporate Financial Management and Business Analytics). The other nine credits are HR courses: Management Development Strategies, Industrial Relations and Law and Ethics in Business. Review that course list against the work you do now. If you would rather build leadership and communication skills, A-State’s online M.S. in Organizational Leadership program centers its core on those subjects instead.
I’m a recruiter or employee relations specialist, not a generalist. Does the MBA still fit?
Yes. Recruitment manager and employee relations consultant sit alongside HR manager and HR generalist among the careers A-State associates with the online MBA in Human Resource Management program. Industrial Relations and Law and Ethics in Business are the concentration courses closest to employee relations work, while the core’s Corporate Financial Management and Business Analytics courses connect to headcount and budget discussions with hiring managers.
Does either program lead to SHRM certification?
No, neither program awards SHRM certification. SHRM certification is earned through an exam. Under SHRM’s eligibility criteria, the SHRM-CP does not require a degree to apply. BLS notes that certification is voluntary and may enhance job opportunities, so it is a separate decision from choosing between the MBA’s business and HR coursework and the M.S.’s leadership coursework. Neither degree promises a promotion, a job or a salary. Admission to either program depends on meeting A-State’s requirements.