Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations

Format: Online
Application Deadlines
  • Fall 2024 Priority Deadline: April 1, 2024
  • Fall 2024 Regular Deadline: June 17, 2024

Beginning in Summer 2021, the BA in Human Relations degree program will be offered as a fully online asynchronous program (with very few exceptions in Fall 2021 for upper-level in-person classes for students who began this program in-person). Starting in Spring 2022, all courses in the HRL program will be offered fully online asynchronously. Any questions pertaining to the program should be directed to Lianna Scull, Assistant Director, Sociology and Human Relations programs.

Human Relations is a field of study for those who enjoy working with people, and have good ideas about how to make the workplace more effective and satisfying. The BA in Human Relations degree prepares students to understand and skillfully respond to various challenges of human behavior, interaction, and relationships in our evolving and increasingly global, diverse, and technologically oriented world of work. Additionally, students gain the leadership, managerial, and supervisory skills to advance within their organizations.

Drawing on the fields of psychology, sociology, business, communications, and the humanities, students examine the organizational forms, practices, and policies that can foster or hinder the development of productive relationships and organizational success.  Students develop the necessary knowledge and skills to make these relations and their workplaces more effective.

Students in the program:

  • Evaluate workplace problems, and construct and communicate well-researched and relevant solutions. 
  • Utilize key human relations, sociological, and psychological concepts to foster collaboration, motivation, and employee engagement. 
  • Investigate how various forms of social inequality and difference impact human relations in the workplace, and contribute to efforts to improve organizational policy and culture. 
  • Develop relevant strategies for conflict prevention, negotiation, and resolution in workplace settings.

For Information About This Program

Please contact Lianna Scull at lianna.scull@cuny.edu.

Career Prospects

Students of the program are prepared to enter or further their careers in a wide spectrum of government, corporate, and non-profit organizations in areas such as health care, human and social services, education, public administration, business, coaching, and human resources. The degree also offers students a solid foundation to pursue graduate studies in organizational behavior and development, industrial/organizational psychology, human resources, social work, healthcare management, business and public administration, and applied sociology.

Articulation Agreements

Articulation agreements are formal agreements between CUNY School of Professional Studies, (CUNY SPS) and two-year colleges and universities, allowing students to transfer the maximum number of credits with ease to our BA in Human Relations program from institutions with which we have an established transfer process in place.

Scholarship Opportunities

Admissions Criteria

Applicants must possess at least 24 transferrable credits from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants need to demonstrate basic proficiency in reading, writing, and math.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall 2024 Priority Deadline: April 1, 2024
  • Fall 2024 Regular Deadline: June 17, 2024
Apply Now

Student/Alumni Profiles

Nini Larkin

BA in Human Relations 2022

"I hope to participate in CUNY SPS events as a proud alumna. I already see how quickly our School is evolving and can't wait to see its impact in the next five years!"

Parshotam Lal

BA in Human Relations 2021

"Coming to CUNY SPS and finding my passion in the Human Relations program really helped me understand who I am and where I want my education to be applied."

Krystyna Audain

BA in Human Relations

"I chose the BA Human Relations degree at CUNY SPS because I believe it is a degree that STANDS OUT. The course structure will challenge, motivate, and inspire you to not just be a better professional, but also a better person."

Samaya Yashayeva

BA in Human Relations

"My inspiration for completing the bachelor’s degree in human relations is to show my four children and me that anything is possible."

Recent News About Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations

CUNY SPS Sociology and Human Relations Professor Melanie Lorek

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CUNY SPS Associate Professor and Academic Director of Interdisciplinary Studies Regina Bernard was recently named as a faculty fellow in the SPCUNY educational network. The SPCUNY educational network amplifies the collective power of socially engaged artists, scholars, and advocates throughout CUNY's rich tapestry of faculty, staff, and students working for social justice. Based at the CUNY Graduate Center, SPCUNY’s theory of educational transformation fosters structures for diverse creative leaders who will empower New York City as an inclusive, justice-driven cultural landscape. This initiative is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
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