MSHRD Program Prepares Graduate for Career Transition

Before he enrolled in Villanova’s Master of Science in Human Resource Development program, Alec Tare had some concerns about online learning. The program had the right curriculum, a faculty of expert practitioners, a competitive price point and the specialization he wanted. But could online learning be as satisfying as learning from an on-campus classroom?

The answer, it turned out, was yes. He enjoyed the program so much he became a member of the school’s Online Student Advisory Council, a role he looks forward to continuing as an alum.

“Ultimately, I could not be happier with my choice of the HRD program,” said Tare. “I went through a lot of program research, and I was initially nervous about doing an online program. After I took the first class, within the first couple weeks, I was 100% sure I made the right decision.”

Tare said he felt hesitant at first about online programs because other schools he researched featured communication through a discussion post format. One of the reasons the Villanova program attracted him were the synchronous online classes that allow professors and students to come together once a week in a virtual environment.

“As someone who enjoys learning, I believed an interactive classroom experience was essential for my master’s degree experience,” Tare said. “With readily available technology, the live classes really do feel live. You are able to form bonds with your professors and classmates that are real and interactive.”

Earning the master’s degree also prepares him for the next step in his career: transitioning from operations management into an HR Business Partner role.

Experience in Operations Management

A native of Plainview, N.Y., Tare earned his bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in business from the State University of New York – Geneseo. He works as a Senior Operations Manager at the central distribution center for National Convenience Distributors (NCD), the fourth-largest convenience store supplier in the United States. NCD serves 17,000 customers in 12 states in the Northeast.

Tare has worked at NCD for a decade. “My experience there has been both challenging and rewarding,” he said. “I grew with the company, starting out as a part-time associate in college and rising to a senior leadership role reporting to our VP of Operations.”

Like many professionals, Tare aspired to one day earn a master’s degree. However, the timing never seemed right. Also, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. However, inspired by a professor who encouraged him to continue his education, Tare never kept the topic too far out of mind.

His interest in HR finally blossomed at work. He discovered that a good partnership with human resources provided the key to success in his position in operations management. He became interested in learning more about HR to support that aspect of his work. 

“Over time, I found that the HR aspects of my job at the strategic level were the ones I enjoyed the most,” Tare said. “Ultimately, I wanted to learn how to implement and build policies that drive companies forward through well-executed HR management.”

Choosing the Villanova Graduate Program

As his interest in HR grew, Tare began to explore his options to further his education. He considered earning advanced degrees in law or business management; however, he decided on a graduate human resources degree because of its combination of practicality and versatility.

The MS in HRD program curriculum provides knowledge that proves useful inside and outside of HR, Tare said. He felt the curriculum provided a good fit to leverage his current skills and expand his expertise into areas he wanted to learn for career growth.

Why Villanova? Tare said he researched several other programs but listed key factors of Villanova’s program that influenced his decision making.

• It was offered at a reasonable price point.
• The synchronous class format (live classes through Zoom) gave him the full classroom experience, including interaction with classmates and professors.
• Live class sessions were scheduled at times that worked well with his work schedule
• He was able to complete coursework at his own pace.
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) certification opportunities are built into the program for the capstone senior experience.

Tare’s busy schedule was his main concern, underscoring why online degree programs are popular with professionals.

“The professors were extremely understanding of everyone’s work responsibilities and were great for accommodating those needs,” he said. “Working a full schedule and balancing the coursework could be tough, but I found that the keys to success were good time management, consistent work, and strong communication with my classmates and professors.”

Choosing a Specialization

Villanova encourages students in the MSHRD program to tailor their elective courses toward earning a graduate certificate, which can be earn simultaneously with their degree. Tare chose courses related to the Graduate Certificate in HR Business Partner because he felt it expanded naturally on his work experience and also prepared him for a career transition. 

“Ultimately, I would like to become an HR Business Partner once I start my career transition,” Tare said. “I enjoy cross-functional roles, linking HR to various business units. I believe that finding the links between various business units is a source of untapped potential for HR that is just starting to come to the forefront.”

The Online Graduate Program Experience

With a class schedule that meshed with his work schedule, Tare said he had “a fantastic experience in all my classes.” He mentioned two professors who stood out to him: Joe Kwiatkowski and Gerard Brandon, PhD. 

Professor Kwiatkowski teaches the Financial and Human Capital course. Tare said that finance “can be a challenging subject for some of us in HR who hate numbers. What I loved about Joe’s class is that he held an extra hour of office hours every week for his students and would work through the curriculum until the student was able to succeed.”

Dr. Brandon, the HRD program director at Villanova, teaches the research and writing methods course. “Dr. Brandon was great about reviewing the writing, giving me critical feedback and support. His encouragement allowed me to take an in-class assignment to the next level. I think it is this extra effort on part of the professors to help their students succeed that makes the program shine.”

Tare said that Bryan Becton, his Bisk student success representative, also provided a “huge part of my success in the program.” He said Becton guided him through registration, selecting classes, extracurricular opportunities and progress in the program. 

“I received more attention and guidance than I have in some in-person programs,” Tare said. “They understand that everyone is busy with work and school and do a great job of being responsive to help the student.”

Winning the 3MT Competition

Tare used the research conducted in Dr. Brandon’s class as a basis for his entry into the Villanova Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT), which he won in 2021. The academic competition requires students to take an original research paper and explain it in three minutes or less to a non-practitioner audience. Tare used the opportunity to address an issue he has become familiar with in his work at NCD – the high turnover rate of warehouse employees and how it impacts a business.

His winning thesis, “Training Warehouse Managers to Decrease Turnover,” involved research into the potential for businesses to train warehouse managers as a means for reducing turnover.

“I think the program element that inspired me was the ability to take a scholarship in HR and apply it to a practical problem that I face every day. It made the research more real in that sense,” Tare said. “In this program everyone from the students to the professors are practitioners which is what makes it great.”

Valuable Lessons and Experiences

Tare said his own success in the program provides an example of what students can get out of a high-quality, online graduate degree program. In addition to earning a degree and graduate certificate, winning the 3MT competition and serving on the HRD advisory council, Tare also won a scholarship from the Convenience Distribution Association, will graduate with a 4.0, and plans to soon earn his SHRM certification.

He said his most valuable takeaway from the program was his experience with classmates and professors. “They all come from various levels of experience and industries,” he said. “Due to the format of the program while learning the material as a student, I was able to see what others in HR were doing and take some of those new ideas to the workplace.”

For anyone on the fence about enrolling in the MSHRD program, Tare had this message:

“I would tell them that if they were serious about getting a master’s degree in HR, this is 100% the program they should apply for. The program is exceptional in its structure, faculty, format, curriculum, organization, and extracurricular opportunities. As soon as I took my first class, I knew I had made the right decision and never looked back.”