Abstract
This paper discusses some of the critical issues facing graduate HR programs and proposes how to increase the relevance of education in developing competent and ethical HR professionals in today's society. To gather information on graduate HR programs across the US, the second edition of the Society for Human Resource Management publication Graduate Programs in Human Resource Management was used combined with Web sites of various university HR programs and professional HR organizations and secondary literature sources. Given the need to increase the relevance of graduate HR education, the following issues are addressed and relevant recommendations are provided. The recommendations address critical areas designed to enhance the effectiveness of HR professionals in contributing to firm performance and creating sustainable competitive advantages. The recommendations highlight the role of graduate HR programs in developing the competencies to achieve higher individual and firm performance given the current business environment and future trends affecting organizations.