Bridgewater, Va. – As of June 2020, Bridgewater College will be offering a master’s program in human resources. This program is estimated to take one year to complete and requires applicants to have completed their undergraduate studies and have a 2.7 GPA. All professors teaching the course, including Roslyn Vargas, assistant professor of economics and business administration, have corporate experience in human resources.

Vargas said that the type of students applying for this masters program would be those who want to become human resource representatives. A role, she added, that is an integral member of a company.

Vargas believes that HR representatives are “game changers within the organization” who help maintain safe working environments. Those interested in this profession would be interested in helping enforce company policies and procedures. 

Lastly, Vargas stated that Bridgewater College is currently in the process of applying to collaborate with the Society of Human Resource Management. This would allow graduates of the master’s program to find plenty of job opportunities within their field right after graduation. 

According to Chron.com, the average salary of human resource representatives is $58,890 annually.

Applications are open on Bridgewater College’s website; further questions about the program can be directed to  Vargas at [email protected].

As of Sept. 2020, BC will offer a master’s program in psychology. This course is estimated to take one year to complete and requires applicants to have completed their undergraduate studies and have a 2.7 GPA. Current psychology faculty members, including Alan Eby, professor of psychology and current department chair, will be teaching courses in the program.

Planning for this program began when BC faculty wanted to revamp the psychology major; however, the state of Virginia released new regulations to require qualified mental health professionals to have “a masters degree in psychology, social work, counseling, substance abuse, or marriage and family therapy from an accredited college or university with an internship or practicum of at least 500 hours of experience with persons who have mental illness.” This program meets these requirements.

Applicants for the psychology program would be interested in areas of study such as psychology, social work, family and consumer science, or even criminal justice. 

“What we’re doing for those going into human services and through this program is that we’re preparing them for on-the-job experience,” said Eby. “With this extra year, they have a better path forward in the field of mental health than if they only had a bachelors degree, which gives a very dramatic yet positive impact on mental health services throughout the area.”  

Applications are open on Bridgewater College’s website; further questions about the program can be directed to Eby at [email protected]