Launch Week Set for New WT Human Resources Graduate Degree Program

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University officially will launch its new degree program in human resources with a week of events beginning April 29.

The Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business’ new master of science in strategic human resource management program was approved by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents at its Feb. 8 meeting.

Classes are expected to begin in fall 2024, following final approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The new graduate HR degree, which will align with the Society of Human Resource Management’s competency model for HR professionals, will be unique in the state through a focus on how managers can form close partnerships with top management to achieve a firm’s strategic goals.

“WT’s unique master of strategic human resource management degree is one of few programs of its kind in the United States,” said Dr. Rahul Chauhan, WT’s McCray Professor of Business. “It’s affordable and available 100 percent online for people who are interested in elevating their career or finding a new career path.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, job opportunities in human resource management are expected to rise over the next decade.

The program’s new website will inform interested applicants about the difference between strategic and traditional human resource management, how this master’s degree is different from an MBA, and more.

Professors will meet students in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center food court between noon and 1 p.m. April 29 and 30. The Engler College of Business will share videos highlighting the program on its social media channels, and faculty members will be featured on an episode of BuffSpeak, the official Engler College podcast. The College’s official blog, ProfSpeak, also is featuring the new program.

For program admission-related questions, such as eligibility, application requirements, financial aids, and scholarship, contact Misty Hobbs at 806-651-2500 or COBGrad@wtamu.edu.

For program content-related questions, such as the curriculum, specific courses and course transfer, contact Chauhan at 806-651-4001 or rchauhan@wtamu.edu.

The new program directly helps address regional needs, a key mission of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: Dr. Rahul Chauhan, associate professor of management and McCray Professor of Business, Dr. Jillian Yarbrough, clinical assistant and professor of business management, and Randy Cazarez, human resources director at Panhandle Community Services know the importance of the new strategic human resources master's degree program at West Texas A&M University.

—WT—