Franklin University Launches Business Analytics and Organizational Leadership Specializations in M.S. in Human Resource Management

Contact:

Sherry Mercurio
Executive Director, Office of Community Relations
(614) 947-6581
Email: sherry.mercurio@franklin.edu

New online specializations prepare HR professionals to use workforce data, lead organizational change and connect people strategy to business performance

Franklin University has expanded its online Master of Science in Human Resource Management program with two new specializations in Business Analytics and Organizational Leadership, giving HR professionals new pathways to build the analytical and leadership capabilities increasingly central to strategic workforce management.

The new M.S. in Human Resource Management-Business Analytics Specialization prepares students to turn workforce and business data into evidence-based recommendations that support organizational decision-making. The M.S. in Human Resource Management-Organizational Leadership Specialization strengthens the leadership capabilities needed to guide change, understand people and teams, and align talent and culture with broader business goals.

Both specializations build on Franklin’s SHRM-aligned human resource management curriculum and are offered 100% online, providing working professionals with the flexibility to develop advanced HR expertise while continuing their careers.

Expanding the Role of HR in Business Strategy

As organizations navigate changing workforce expectations, emerging technologies and increasingly data-informed decision-making, human resources professionals are being called upon to contribute beyond traditional HR functions. Franklin’s expanded M.S. in Human Resource Management portfolio reflects that changing role by helping students develop expertise at the intersection of people, data, leadership and organizational strategy.

Through the Business Analytics Specialization, students combine strategic HR knowledge with applied analytics to better understand workforce performance and organizational challenges. The curriculum develops capabilities in statistics, data visualization, SQL, databases and data warehousing while also exploring HR technology and emerging tools such as artificial intelligence. Students learn not simply to report workforce data, but to identify meaningful questions, analyze evidence and communicate findings in ways that can inform business decisions.

The specialization is designed to support professionals interested in areas such as people analytics, workforce analytics, workforce planning, HR business partnership and data-informed HR strategy.

Developing HR Leaders Who Can Guide Organizational Change

Franklin’s Organizational Leadership Specialization addresses another increasingly important dimension of the HR profession: the ability to lead people and organizations through change.

The program builds on foundational HR expertise with advanced study focused on leadership, decision-making, organizational change and the factors that influence people and teams. Students explore areas such as decision-making bias, groupthink, personality and follower influence while developing their own leadership approach.

The specialization is designed to help HR professionals move beyond administering people practices to contributing more broadly to organizational planning, culture, talent strategy and change initiatives. By connecting people decisions to business decisions, students develop capabilities that can support senior HR and organizational leadership responsibilities.

Flexible Online Pathways Built for Working Professionals

Franklin’s expanded M.S. in Human Resource Management gives students three options for advancing their HR expertise: the traditional M.S. in Human Resource Management, the Business Analytics Specialization and the Organizational Leadership Specialization.

All three options emphasize the strategic role of human resources in organizational success and combine theory with practical application. Students learn from experienced practitioners and develop skills they can apply to contemporary workforce challenges.

The Organizational Leadership Specialization is a 36-credit program that can be completed in approximately 14 months by students who stay on pace. The Business Analytics Specialization is also a 36-credit online program and adds focused study in analytics, data visualization and applied database management to Franklin’s strategic HR core.

By adding Business Analytics and Organizational Leadership to its M.S. in Human Resource Management, Franklin University is expanding the ways HR professionals can prepare for a field in which workforce decisions increasingly influence enterprise strategy, organizational performance and competitive advantage.

FACT BOX
What’s New: Two new specializations designed to strengthen the connection between HR and business strategy.

Business Analytics Focus: Workforce data and evidence-based decision-making that builds skills in analytics, data visualization, databases and HR technology to turn workforce insights into business recommendations.

Organizational Leadership Focus: People, leadership and organizational change that builds skills to lead change, strengthen teams and align talent, culture and people strategy with organizational goals.

At a Glance: 100% online, 36 credit hours, SHRM-aligned HR curriculum and designed for working professionals

Learn More: www.franklin.edu

About Franklin University

Accredited, nonprofit, and dedicated to educating adults since 1902, Franklin provides onsite course options at our Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and is an innovator in providing personalized online education. The University offers applied in-demand undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs that enable adult learners to achieve their educational and professional goals. Through agreements with partner institutions, the University also offers international academic programs, including its top-ranked MBA.

Franklin University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and holds specialized accreditations for specific academic programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Franklin University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).