The Ivy College of Business has recently added multiple programs for students at Iowa State. These programs include a Human Resource Management (HRM) major and an exclusively online Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program.

“Our management department has done a lot of thinking about where are gaps for our students,” said Diann Burright, the director of undergraduate programs for the Ivy College.

The new programs were added to try and fill those gaps while also maintaining student interest and the needs of industries.

The HRM program officially started this fall and aims to integrate knowledge from human resource specific areas with professional skills and data-driven perspectives. HRM also puts students in line for a career path with major expected job growth as the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that job growth will be around 7% in the next eight years. 

“We’ve had discussions with industry, and industry is very excited about this program because human resources is a growth area in all companies,” said David Spalding, the Dean of the Ivy College of Business.

 Industry’s interest is also met with the BBA online program which will start next spring.

The BBA program is offered exclusively online, and students who participate must come into it already having 45 college credits. The program is designed for non-traditional students who are trying to finish a business degree. 

“Employers are very interested in having employees finish undergraduate degrees,” said Spalding, “They really like the option of having a highly ranked brand in-state available…”

The Ivy College has also reached out to community colleges throughout the state of Iowa to promote the BBA degree. Students can complete their Associates degree at a community college, then finish their Bachelors degree through the BBA program. This allows students to finish their four-year degree in their home community, helping further their careers.

“We’re excited about both of these programs. I think they’re both gonna fill a real need and interest of students, but are also really gonna fit the needs of industry,” Spalding said.

More information about the HRM program and BBA program can be found here, on the Ivy College of Business’s website.