College of Business and Economics

Selections

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Placement

Student Placement Success

Graduates from the MSIR program enjoy successful placement in a diverse group of high quality employers. Recent graduates have accepted challenging positions with national firms such as General Electric, Pepsi Bottling, Sony Erickson, PPG Industries, Nestles Waters and Marathon Oil. The public sector also finds great value in the WVU MSIR with students going to the United Way, West Virginia University Department of Human Resources, and Pac- Tech to name several. The consulting arena has sought graduates with recent placements at Accenture, Mercer Consulting and Korn- Ferry International.

The active, on-campus recruiting by large national firms, the use of the College's Center for Career Development and the strong involvement of an active alumni group all combine to provide an excellent placement rate for WVU MSIR Graduates. While placement is a function of employer needs and graduate matches, the WVU student is seen as highly competitive in the market place by employers who actively seek Human Resources graduates at the Masters level.

Salary Considerations and Total Compensation

The graduating classes of 2006 and 2007, accepting positions with national firms, have enjoyed a most competitive starting package of base salary, incentives and relocation assistance. The accepted offers have ranged in total from the high $50's to the low $80's depending on the firm, geography and industry segment. Starting base salaries average in the mid $60's.

For students seeking and accepting employment in a more local labor and geographic market, the compensation packages, based on competitive factors, are less than national firms. Base salary offers for these graduates range from high $20's to the mid $40's and total compensation packages from $30,000 to near $50,000.

The Positions, Their Content and Nature

Typical entry level positions accepted by WVU MSIR graduates include the areas of Staffing, Selection, Placement and Talent Management. Other graduates have been placed in the critical roles of Business Partner, Human Resources Generalist, and Labor Relations Specialist. Students with an interest in Organizational Development successfully find opportunities in Training and Development, Human Asset Planning, Change Management, and Human Resource Information Systems. Students with strong analytical backgrounds have been placed in the functional specialties of Compensation Design and Administration, Employee Benefits, and Healthcare Plan Operation.