A quality human resource curriculum: Recommendations from leading senior HR executives

This article describes a high quality human resource management curriculum as perceived by one group of customers–senior human resource executives who hire, train, and work with university and college graduates. A Delphi research methodology was used to survey the opinions of 24 members of the Human Resources Council, an advisory body to the American Management Association. The study confirms that the major topics taught in most HRM curricula at the bachelor and masters levels are perceived by HR executives to be just about right. It also presents their views about the relative value of the topics and shares specifics about their conviction that graduates need a much deeper understanding of how and where the HR function fits into the overall business strategy of an organization. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.