From employment relationships and workplace management, human resources professionals must navigate a complex landscape of legal requirements and business needs.

The concentration in Human Resources offers a deeper knowledge of the law relevant to the HR field. Specialized courses will introduce you to law and provide practical applications of the law to human resource situations as well as best practices and current topics, which include:

• Working with Lawyers
• Labor Law and Practice
• Employment Discrimination
• Employee Benefits

Wayne Law is now a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Academically Aligned Program, which means our program is viewed as a top choice for students seeking a career in human resources. Here, you will be provided with the opportunity to earn your SHRM-CP credential prior to graduating, providing you with a competitive advantage in the job market.

Whether you are a professional interested in a new and exciting career change or an experienced HR professional looking to grow your legal knowledge and employment opportunities, Wayne Law's MSL – HR degree will give you the tools you need to advance your career.

Core courses (12 credit hours)

• MSL 8900: Working with Lawyers (3 credits)

  An introduction to the language of the law and the basic structure of the legal system. It teaches legal research and writing for non-lawyers, with a focus on producing investigative reports. Much of the course will deal with the nonlawyer professional's interface with legal counsel, both within and outside the organization. The course will include instruction regarding the types of activities nonlawyers can handle and what activities should be reserved for lawyers, emphasizing the relevant ethical constraints.

• MSL 8901: Survey of the Common Law (3 credits)

  An overview of torts, contracts and property. It includes an introduction to basic legal concepts, especially those likely to be encountered in the business world, including agency, vicarious liability, the differences between civil and criminal liability, and how rights are enforced through legal remedies.

• MSL 8902: Civil Procedure and Introduction to Dispute Resolution (3 credits)

  How legal disputes unfold, from demand letters, pleadings, and service of process through discovery, trial, and appeal. It addresses both formal courtroom process the life-cycle of a lawsuit and informal processes such as negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. The course touches upon due process issues and includes an overview of evidence principles.

• MSL 8903: Government Organization and Regulation (3 credits)

  An introduction to the structures of government. The course covers the key concepts of our constitutional system, including the enumerated powers of the federal government, separation of powers, federalism, the role of the judiciary in constitutional interpretation, and criminal procedure. It also addresses the processes of legislation and administrative law.

HR concentration courses (18 credit hours)*

• MSL 8905: Administrative Law for Non-Lawyers (3 credits)

  This course introduces students to the function of administrative law in the United States. Administrative law impacts multiple sectors of life, for example health and environment, and understanding how it works is important for those who wish to understand or influence policy.  This course will provide information on what agencies do, how they fit into our governmental system, and how their power is limited.  Students will leave the course with a better understanding of how administrative law impacts multiple sectors of public life in the United States and how they can interact with and influence the administrative process.

• MSL 8910: Employment Law: Legal Obligations (3 credits)

  Focuses on the formation, duration, and termination of the employment relationship, including such considerations as the common law of contract, prohibitions on status discrimination, employment agreements, tort, duties of loyalty, trade secrets/copyright/patent rights, workplace privacy issues, and covenants not to compete. Primarily considers issues in the nonunionized private-sector employment relationship, its regulation and role in society.

• MSL 8911: Employment Law: Workplace Management (3 credits)

  Delves into more specialized issues that may be encountered in the workplace, including distinctions between public and private sector workplaces, the Fair Labor Standards Act and other wage, hour and benefits legislation, unemployment compensation, workers' compensation, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the WARN Act, and National Labor Relations Act issues commonly encountered in a nonunionized workplace.

• MSL 8912: Employment Discrimination (3 credits)

  Discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, and disability, including the role of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  Includes diversity and inclusion, affirmative action, unconscious bias, and disability accommodations.

• MSL 8913: Labor Law and Practice (3 credits)

  Right to organize, engage in collective bargaining, strike, and pursue grievances under the National Labor Relations Act and other labor laws. The role of labor unions and other organizations in both the private and public sectors. Collective bargaining agreements, unfair labor practices, and labor arbitration. May include some comparative content, such as European works councils.

• MSL 8914: Employee Benefits for Human Resources Professionals (3 credits)

  Employment-based retirement plans, health plans, short-term and long-term disability insurance, executive compensation, and fringe benefits. Coverage of relevant statutes, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, Internal Revenue Code (as applicable to benefits), COBRA health insurance coverage, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and Family and Medical Leave Act.

• MSL 8995: MSL Capstone-HR (3 credit)

  Group project or field placement project, drawing on concepts covered in other courses and focusing on a specific problem or area of interest.

*Students in the HR concentration may not take more than 3 credits outside of the HR concentration.