The journey begins with SHRM membership and continues along the path from backpack to boardroom — supporting students as they learn, develop, connect and lead.
- Students
- Faculty & Advisors
Preparing for a career in HR is important. SHRM has Resources.
This centralized group of resources was engineered based on your feedback and input. Designed to meet students where they are and help prepare them for a career in HR. This catalog of resources mirrors what you’ve told us is important to you and addresses your needs. It all starts with membership—your key to unlock the door.
Learn More by reading the important information for each benefit.
Membership
A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. Unlock your potential with SHRM Student Membership — for $49 a year! Gain exclusive access to resources, networking opportunities, and career development tools designed to help you succeed in the world of HR. Join or renew now! Expand your options through SHRM’s student onboarding experience.
Certification
Students are eligible to take the SHRM-CP exam in their final year of study for the special student application rate. Students also receive discounted access to prepare for the exam with the SHRM Cert Prep System, or an instructor-led prep seminar. The System includes interactive study modules, practice exams, and resources to help prepare for the exam.
Career Development Tools
SHRM’s career development tools empower students to acquire essential HR skills through interactive workshops, resume reviews, and access to a dedicated HR job board, helping you secure internships and entry-level HR roles. Ongoing renewal and engagement are supported by continuous learning opportunities, networking events, mentorship programs, ensuring students stay connected and advance confidently through their HR careers.
Additional Student Resources
Student Tools
- Preparing for a Career in HR
- Introduction to the Human Resources Discipline of Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability
- Introduction to the Human Resources Discipline of Talent Management
- Introduction to the Human Resources Discipline of Compensation
- Student Marketing Toolkit
- Safety and Security 101: What HR Professionals Need to Know
SHRM communities, like our student and professional chapters, provide invaluable opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and real-world learning. Our goal: to help enable our members to build strong professional networks early in their careers. By being active members of these communities, students gain access to exclusive events, leadership engagement opportunities, and industry insights that help to foster both personal and professional growth.
Join, Start or Lead a Student Chapter
Visit the Student Chapter Management page; your home for all things SHRM Student, that includes everything you need to know to start, grow, manage your student chapter. The resource page includes the basics plus links to information, deadlines, and documents.
Join Your Local Professional Chapter
Are you a non-traditional student or are interested in networking with professional members in your area? Locate your chapter: connect in person or virtually with HR Pros at the local Professional Chapter.
Connect With Peers and HR Pros
Connect virtually through SHRM Student Connect available to all SHRM student members. SHRM Connect allows you to seek the expert advice you want by leveraging your peer and HR professional networks. Exclusive to SHRM members: join this popular, active community today online.
SHRM offers webinars, in-person and virtual events for students and more—with a wide variety of topics to help complement and supplement classroom learning.
In Person Programs
SHRM holds several conference events each year including the Annual Conference. A special complimentary student preconference event takes place right before the Annual Conference kicks off. States and local professional chapters offer in-person annual conferences and monthly programs. Some state event offering case competitions specifically designed for students.
Take advantage of SHRM’s centralized catalog of student resources, offering comprehensive information on educational programs and certifications to help enhance your studies. Access our suite of career development tools and explore new and exciting opportunities to connect with peers and HR pros on both a local and national level either in person or virtually through our robust networking platforms and events.
Mentorships, Internships, Coaching and More.
Explore this centralized catalog of resources for students including information on student and transitional membership, programs to supplement your education like mentorship, internships and certification, tools to support you in your career development and job search, and the many and varied ways to connect with each other and HR pros through networking locally and nationally—in person, virtually or both.
HR Pathways and Perspectives
National and local 60-90 minute virtual career mentoring events designed to increase awareness of HR career pathways, gather HR career insights, and expand HR professional networks.
HR Talent Accelerator
A 4-week virtual career development experience that explores trending HR career pathways and develops high-demand skills in a small group setting. Through group-based mentorship and weekly, project-based learning challenges, participants will dive into the world of HR and discover more about themselves and their career goals.
HR Career Mentoring
Participants are matched with mentors for a 3-month, structured mentoring experience designed to assist students in clarifying career goals, developing career plans and strengthening high-demand skills in HR.
Get involved in helping our students grow their professional skills through volunteering for one of our student programs. Fill out our survey today.
Funding: Scholarships, Grants, and Awards
Gain access to over $400,000 in scholarships grants and awards, ranging from free yearly student memberships all the way up to $10,000 graduate degree scholarships. Check the schedule today to see which application windows are open.
Academic Teaching Faculty and Chapter Advisor Resources
Welcome to SHRM’s command center for chapter advisors and HR faculty. Leverage these membership services, programs, events and activities to engage with SHRM as you support your students in their HR career journey.
Anchored in SHRM membership, the chapter advisor catalog of programs and services focuses on supporting and growing student chapters, facilitating access to learning and networking opportunities for your student members including events, certification and awards, and guidance on starting, managing and growing a student chapter. Resources are included for leveraging networking opportunities with HR professionals in the local or state communities to help your students connect. Learn More.
For academic teaching faculty, discover the benefits of the HR Teaching Faculty membership. Investigate, apply for or renew your university’s bachelor’s or master’s program in HR for academic alignment. Access teaching resources developed by HR educators for HR educators—SHRM’s Curriculum in a Box—six complete bachelor’s level courses for a major in HR, plus learning modules and case studies for use in classrooms, SHRM research, thought leadership and other HR-focused content and webinars that can be used to supplement or augment a student’s coursework under your guidance.
You guide and advise students pursuing a career in HR. SHRM recognizes your dedication to future HR leaders by offering 50% off the HR professional rate all year long. Turn to SHRM for resources you can use in your classrooms to highlight the latest trends, expert-backed guidance, tools, and trusted answers from SHRM.
Chapter Advisor
SHRM membership empowers student chapter advisors with access to cutting-edge HR resources, exclusive professional development tools, and a vibrant network of industry leaders. This support enables advisors to guide students effectively, foster leadership skills, and stay ahead of evolving HR trends.
SHRM membership for Student Chapter Advisors is 50% off the SHRM Professional Membership rate. In order to receive this discount each chapter must submit a SCIF annually for our system to reflect the active chapter advisor status. Reminder that the SCIF is due every year on June 30th.
Teaching Faculty
Teaching faculty benefit from SHRM membership by gaining reliable research, curriculum support, and direct connections to HR professionals. Membership enhances teaching effectiveness, bridges academia with industry practice, and ensures faculty remain current on HR innovations and standards.
Prepare your HR students to learn the practice of HR to meet the needs of today’s employers by aligning your HR program with SHRM’s Curriculum Guidelines. Based on extensive research, SHRM’s HR guidelines are based on the SHRM BASK and best prepare a student to possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors to perform competently as an HR professional.
Why Align Your HR Program With SHRM?
Leverage the Benefits of SHRM Student and Academic Teaching Faculty Membership
Both students and faculty receive membership at deeply discounted rates. Plus graduating student members are eligible for transitional professional membership for two years following graduation at one-half the HR professional membership rate in effect at the time of graduation. Faculty members gain access to SHRM’s many and varied research and teaching resources to supplement their teaching plans in the HR degree coursework.
Expanded SHRM Partnership Offerings
Receive complimentary status in SHRM’s Recertification Provider Program, which allows you to award professional development credits for programs or degree courses offered to SHRM Certification credential holders seeking to maintain their credential. You also have the opportunity to apply to become a SHRM Education Partner and offer SHRM Certification Preparation courses as an additional revenue stream for your school.
Promote Your Digital Badge
After aligning your program, you will receive a digital badge. Plus your school is listed in the SHRM HR Program Directory, a resource widely used by prospective HR students.
Support Your Students to Earn SHRM Certification
Give students enrolled in your HR program the opportunity to earn a SHRM-CP credential in their final year of study in the degree program. Earning a SHRM Certification along with earning a degree in HR provides your students with a career advantage as they enter the job market.
Participation Requirements
SHRM offers its alignment review service free of charge to colleges and universities interested in aligning their undergraduate or graduate HR degree program(s) with SHRM’s HR Curriculum Guidelines. To qualify, the program must contain curriculum content, detailed in the application form, that is based on the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge including:
- HR knowledge content areas across three Knowledge Domains
- Behavioral competencies that show how to put knowledge into practice through effective problem solving and decision making
- Multiple competencies grouped into three competency clusters
Additional Resources
HR Academic Program Directory
Includes HR- and HR-related undergraduate and graduate degree programs that align with SHRM’s Human Resource Curriculum Guidelines.
HR Curriculum Guidebook
Provided free of charge to academic institutions seeking quality HR content to supplement or enhance their HR curriculum. The guide provides an overview of SHRM’s extensive research in the area of HR education and defines the minimum HR content areas that should be included in an HR degree program.
Terms: SHRM academic partnerships with colleges and universities through the academic alignment program include an expectation of exclusivity and that partners will forego similar partnerships with other organizations upon approval and inclusion in the SHRM HR Program Directory online.
SHRM is committed to empowering HR faculty with the proper tools and resources needed to create better-prepared entry level HR candidates. These case studies and learning modules are available for faculty and educator use only.
This comprehensive resource includes six courses that a university can use to create a major area of study. Existing bachelor’s degrees in HR can also use these semester-long courses or parts of them to supplement or change existing curriculum. The series is designed to teach students the essential knowledge and skills in the field of Human Resource Management represented in the SHRM HR Curriculum Guidelines and Templates. Use the courses in their entirety to add a new course to your curriculum, or select teaching units from the courses to supplement and expand existing course offerings.
Introduction to Human Resource Management Course
The Undergraduate Overview – An Introduction to Human Resource Management Course introduces the major topics in Human Resource Management (HRM). The course will outline the overall History of HR, Managing Employment Opportunity, Planning, Recruitment, Performance Management, Section and Interviewing, Training, Compensation and Benefits, Employee Relations, Global HR, Health and Safety, and Discipline and Termination.
HRM is a fundamental component of the competitiveness, effectiveness, and sustainability of any organization, as it influences who is hired, how they are trained, evaluated, compensated, and what steps are taken to retain them. In turn, HRM plays a critical role in predicting employees' behavior, attitudes, and performance. In other words, if an organization wants good people, it must practice good HRM.
Download: Introduction to Human Resource Management presentations
Download: Introduction to Human Resource Management Facilitator Guides
Training and Development Course
In today's emerging and competitive global economy, only those organizations dedicated to continuous learning are expected to grow and thrive. This course provides faculty with the resources needed to provide students with an overview of the roles of training and development (T&D) in human resource management. Theoretical foundations and practical issues involved in employee T&D in business [profit and nonprofit] organizations are explored. Major topics include an Overview, Exploring Organizational Models, Strategic Training, Needs Assessment, Learning, Program Design, Training Evaluation, Traditional Training, Technology, Employee Development, Social Responsibility, and the Future of Training.
Download: Training and Development presentations
Compensation and Benefits Course
By Christi Sanders, PhD., SHRM-SCP, SPHR
Instructional Designer Lori Ann Roth, PhD., CPTD
The focus of the compensation and benefits course is to consider the applied issues in the direct compensation of employees. The course will help students develop skills in making compensation decisions and examine current issues in compensation administration. During this course, students will work with faculty to develop a compensation plan for an organization. The goals of the plan will be to control labor costs while maintaining the organization's ability to attract, retain, motivate, and develop a competent workforce. With twelve modules on the Intro, Legal Issues, Strategy, Employee Motivation, Base Compensation, Incentives, Benefits, Pay Equity, Establishing Pay Rates, Performance Based Pay, Performance and Compensation, and International application students will be able to quickly understand the basics and apply new strategies in the workplace.
Download: Compensation and Benefits presentations
Employment Law Course
By Christi Sanders, PhD., SHRM-SCP, SPHR
Instructional Designer Lori Ann Roth, PhD., CPTD
The employment law course is designed to provide a survey of the current employment laws in the United States, The twelve modules will provide an Introduction into Employment Law. As well as provide details is to the following areas EEO, Discrimination, Employment and Authorization, Diversity, Compensation, Benefits, Performance Management, Employee Relations, Job Safety, Employee Discipline and Termination, and Labor Law. This course will also provide the framework for the history and development of employment law in the United States.
Download: Employment Law presentations
Download: Employment Law Facilitator guides
Download: Employment Law study aids
Employee and Labor Relations Course
By Christi Sanders, PhD., SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Instructional Designer Lori Ann Roth, PhD., CPTD
The modern workplace is more complex, connected, and dynamic than ever before. The boundaries between work and life, employer and employee, and even human and technology have blurred. Within that complexity lies the core mission of employee and labor relations: building trust, fairness, and voice at work.
This course examines how organizations and employees interact within legal, ethical, and strategic frameworks that define the employment relationship. Students will explore the evolution of labor relations from the industrial era to the digital age, analyze the laws and systems that shape employee rights, and apply modern HR strategies for engagement, conflict resolution, and organizational justice.
By understanding both historical context and emerging trends, such as artificial intelligence, the gig economy, and global supply chains, students will develop the insight needed to navigate complex workplace challenges with fairness, empathy, and strategic foresight.
Each presentation is accompanied by a facilitator guide that includes exercises and cases throughout the entire course.
Download: Employee and Labor Relations Presentations
Download: Employee and Labor Relations Facilitator Guides
Download: Glossary of Terms
Workforce Planning Course
By Christi Sanders, PhD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Instructional Designer Lori Ann Roth, PhD., CPTD
Strategic workforce planning is where data meets strategy and people power meets organizational purpose. This course equips students with the analytical and strategic skills needed to align talent with business objectives in a constantly evolving labor landscape. Students will explore how workforce planning functions as both a human resources discipline and a critical business process that drives organizational agility, performance, and competitiveness.
Through applied learning, students will master tools such as PESTLE, SWOT, and forecasting models to analyze workforce supply and demand. They will also design actionable plans that address capability gaps, leverage data analytics for decision-making, and measure workforce return on investment (ROI). By connecting HR strategy to real business outcomes, students will learn to think like strategic partners who can anticipate challenges and build future-ready organizations.
This course blends theory with practice through case studies from industry leaders such as Deloitte, IBM, and Schneider Electric, focusing on how workforce planning enables transformation, innovation, and resilience across sectors.
Download: Workforce Planning Presentations
Download: Workforce Planning Facilitator Guides
Download: Definitions and Terms
SHRM Events
Student and faculty/advisor rates are available for SHRM’s annual conference and SHRM’s other national conferences. The annual conference includes a student-specific preconference event and the Student Union where students can relax, connect with peers and HR Pros, and recharge.
Professional Chapters and State Events
Want to connect locally too? Investigate programs offered in your local community or at the state level through the Chapter Network. Search by location, then connect.
SHRM offers a variety of member benefits to faculty and students to supplement classroom teaching and learning. Leverage SHRM’s resources to add a unit to a course or to schedule a focused discussion at a student chapter meeting.
Access all pertinent student chapter management information on the VLRC. Here you can find student chapter advisor resources, SHRM student chapter requirements and due dates and the Student Chapter Operations Manual.
Stay up to date with news and leverage our vast library of resources. Access SHRM research, compliance, tools & guides, the latest news and trends. Learn More.
Access the webinar catalog. Webinars are 1-hour programs available in-person weekly or on demand for flexibility in scheduling.
Encourage Connections
Engage with SHRM Mentoring Opportunities for Students
Accelerate your career by enrolling to join the first SHRM student and emerging professionals mentoring cohort of 2026. In partnership with the SHRM Foundation and Colabl, these programs connect participants with industry leaders, provide valuable career insights, and offer structured mentoring opportunities. Learn more and register at SHRM Student Mentorship Experience Events.
SHRM Connect for Students
Connect. Learn. Grow. Encourage your students to join the new SHRM Student Community on SHRM Connect — their space to build connections, gain real-world insights, and start shaping their HR career. Connect virtually with HR professionals and fellow students across the country. Learn about different HR career paths and industries. Find mentors, guest speakers, and professional guidance. Discover internships, certifications, and career opportunities. Engage with your local SHRM Professional and Student Chapters.
Visit SHRM Connect → Click “Join a Community” → Search for “SHRM Student” → Join and start connecting.
SHRM connects students, faculty and advisors with HR Pros to meet a variety of needs. Get involved today.