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Employee relations specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an employee relations specialist. Employee relations specialists usually study business, human resources management, or psychology. 67% of employee relations specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,183 real employee relations specialist resumes to see exactly what employee relations specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for employee relations specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online employee relations specialist courses to help get the education required to be an employee relations specialist.
There are certain employee relations specialist certifications that you should consider. These employee relations specialist certifications include Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).
What education do you need to become an employee relations specialist?
What degree do you need to be an employee relations specialist?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an employee relations specialist?
- Business, 33%
- Psychology, 8%
- Communication, 5%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for employee relations specialists
| Employee relations specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 22.19% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.13% |
| Michigan State University | 4.69% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 4.38% |
| Cornell University | 4.38% |
Best majors for employee relations specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 32.9% |
| 2 | Human Resources Management | 18.0% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.4% |
| 4 | Communication | 5.2% |
| 5 | Management | 4.6% |
Best colleges for employee relations specialists
The best colleges for employee relations specialists are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
An employee relations specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for employee relations specialists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become employee relations specialists.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$52,687
Enrollment
9,392
5. Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$41,870
Enrollment
8,200
6. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$8,958
Enrollment
2,486
20 best online courses for employee relations specialists
Advertising disclosure
1. Sexual Harassment Training for Employees in the Workplace
Learn about sexual harassment in the workplace and the ways to identify, report, and prevent it...
2. Labor Relations for Human Resources
Understand the basics of the collective bargaining agreement process...
3. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0
Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...
4. Sexual Harassment Training for Managers
Learn how to create a safe, secure, and inclusive work environment...
5. Certification Course in Human Resource Management
Curriculum commensurate to Top B School's Management Program : with downloadable resources, quiz, assessments & exercise...
6. Ultimate HR Generalist and Human Resource Management Course
Hands-on HR Certification: All HRM topics. Master Employee Life Cycle, Payroll, Recruitment, Engagement, EXDesign and AI...
7. Effectively Managing Employee Performance
Learn how to prevent performance problems, identify, counsel, and take action...
8. Preventing Workplace Harassment 101
Avoid inappropriate or questionable conduct and respond properly to harassment situations...
9. Management Coaching Employee Performance Coach Certification
Set expectations, assess performance, provide feedback, increase productivity, develop employee potential...
10. Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, India 2013
A complete guide to prevent, prohibit and redress sexual harassment at workplaces in India. Detailed overview on Sexual...
11. Management Skills - Build Employee Engagement & Performance
8 Practical Management & Leadership Skills and Techniques to Develop Higher Employee Engagement and Performance + E-book...
12. Introduction to International Relations
International Relations for beginners: history, theories, states, sovereignty, war, peace, int. organisations, economy...
13. Press Coverage, Publicity & Public Relations For Branding
Public relations to reach 100,000+ people with influencer marketing, publicity, and press coverage for personal branding...
14. The Human Resources Certification Program (HRCI - PHR/SPHR)
An Exam Preparation Guide to the Human Resource Body of Knowledge...
15. Human Resources For Beginners
A guide to learning the fundamentals of human resource management...
16. Intro to Business • HR: Payroll Fundamentals
Understand the Basics of Processing Employee Payroll...
17. Effective Human Resource Administration
Effective Human Resource Administration...
18. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications
Public Relations: You Can Shape and Control Your Media Messages at The Worst Possible Times...
19. Diploma Course in Human Resource Management (HRM)
Become top-notch HRM Practitioner - Get Live Projects, Ready-to-use Templates, Demos, Quizzes, Articles, Case studies...
20. Management Coaching: Coaching Employees for High Performance
Management Coaching and Communication Course, that Enables Any Manager to Achieve Better Employee & Team Performance...
Top 10 most affordable universities for employee relations specialists
The most affordable schools for employee relations specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for employee relations specialists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for employee relations specialists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Cost of attendance
22,990
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for employee relations specialists
The hardest universities for employee relations specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for employee relations specialists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for employee relations specialists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for employee relations specialists
The easiest schools for employee relations specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, gwynedd mercy university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an employee relations specialist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for employee relations specialists.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average employee relations specialist salary by education level
| Employee relations specialist education level | Employee relations specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,632 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $52,082 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,067 |
| Doctorate Degree | $74,049 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,222 |
Employee relations specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025