Interested in Launching Your HR Career? Earn your aPHR® Certification
The aPHR certification is the first-ever entry level certification designed for people just beginning in HR or for non-HR managers who oversee people. This certification proves a candidate’s knowledge of HR fundamentals. The aPHR certification will show potential employers you have a great foundational knowledge upon which to launch a career. Here is a little information about the aPHR certification.
- Governed by: HRCI
- aPHR Jobs Title Examples: HR Specialist, HR Generalist, HR Coordinator, HR Assistant
- Salary Range of aPHR Certified Professionals: $15-$48/hour; national average $26/hour*
Class size is limited, register now!
Everyone needs help sometimes, and we want to help.
Knowing what to study is not enough. Being able to depend on industry experts who can guide you through the learning and application process ensures you are investing your valuable time and money in the best way possible. The University of Dallas has a team of SPHR certified faculty who will help you succeed in earning your aPHR certification.
Our next class starts Saturday, February 3, 2024. Register Now and take the first steps towards earning your aPHR certification and increasing your earning potential.
Key Benefits of aPHR Certification
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Enhances credibility: Obtaining an aPHR certification can help you establish credibility as an HR professional, as it demonstrates your knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles and practices of HR.
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Improves job prospects: Having an aPHR certification can make you more attractive to employers, especially if you're just starting out in the HR field or are looking to transition into a career in HR.
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Demonstrates knowledge and skills: The aPHR certification covers key HR concepts, including recruitment, employee relations, compensation and benefits, compliance and risk management, and learning and development, which can help you develop a strong foundation in HR knowledge.
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Enhances career advancement opportunities: Earning an aPHR certification can be a stepping stone to pursuing more advanced HR certifications, such as the PHR or SPHR, which can lead to higher salaries and more senior HR positions.
- Increases earning potential: Indeed surveyed aPHR professionals and found that 33% make more money from being certified, 100% said aPHR certification helped advance their careers, and 67% recommend aPHR certification to gain an edge over other candidates.
Overall, pursuing an aPHR certification can be a valuable investment in your career as an HR professional, helping you establish credibility, expand your knowledge, and advance your career prospects.
Register Now
Need help or want to speak with someone? Call Jennifer at 972-721-5299 or UDExecutiveEd@udallas.edu
*According to ZipRecruiter
Current Schedule (Fall 2023)
Fall 2023: September 30 - November 18, 2023 (Saturdays)
Students attend class on: September 30; October 7, 14, 21, & 28; November 4, 11, & 18
Times: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. CT
Modality: Online live instruction utilizing Virtual Classroom software
Schedule: Spring 2024
February 3 - March 23, 2024 (Saturdays)
Students attend class on: February 3, 10, 17 & 24; March 2, 9, 16 & 23
Times: 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. CT
Modality: Online live instruction utilizing Virtual Classroom software
Registration deadlines:
- Early-bird: January 3, 2024
- Standard: January 24, 2024
Please click here to read a public disclosure about this course.
Tuition & Discounts
Tuition includes the eight online live Saturday courses, and all course materials required to participate in the class. Tuition fee does not include cost of the aPHR certification exam.
Regular Registration Tuition Rates:
$995 - Standard Tuition
$895 - Discounted Tuition
Early-Bird Registration Tuition Rates:
Students can qualify for an early bird discount by completing the registration process (including full payment) by the early bird deadline. The early bird period ends 30 days from the start of the class. In order to qualify for the early bird discount, students must fill out and submit the online registration form, and submit full payment prior to the early bird deadline (see registration deadline section for deadline information).
$895 - Standard Tuition
$795 - Discounted Tuition
Other Discounts:
Discounts are offered for UD Alumni and Students, UD Employees, Government Employees (federal and local), US Veterans, and SHRM or Dallas HR members. To qualify for the discount, students will be asked to provide an active .edu or .gov email; UD ID; or membership number.
Registration & Deadlines
The maximum class capacity is 20 students. We reserve seats in class on a first-come, first-served basis. To secure a spot in the course, you must fill out the online application form and submit your payment. Application forms without payment do not guarantee a spot in class.
Early-bird registration deadline: January 3, 2024
Standard Registration deadline: January 24, 2024
Meet Your Instructor
Donna Howard, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
VP Human Resources, Fresenius Medical Care
Donna has extensive human resources experience and is Vice President, Human Resources for Fresenius Kidney Care, North America’s leading provider of dialysis services and products to more than 139,000 patients with chronic kidney disease. She’s held Vice President positions for previous organizations including Ernst & Young, Brink’s Home Security and ACE America’s Cash Express. Prior to Fresenius Kidney Care, she was CHRO for Sonic Healthcare USA, Inc.
Areas of expertise include mergers/acquisitions, strategic planning, and improving HR financials. In addition to teaching this certification course, she has also been an instructor of this course at UT-Austin and University of Houston. She’s been teaching this class for more than 20 years.
Donna served as Executive Director of the HRSouthwest Conference and is Past President of the Dallas HR Management Association. Her education includes an MBA in Human Resources from the University of Texas at Arlington and a BBA in Finance from Texas Christian University.
Payment Options
The University of Dallas accepts the following forms of payment:
- Cash payments: Our Office of Finance receives cash payments during regular business hours.
- Credit/Debit card payments: We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express using our online payment portal.
- Check payments: Make the check payable to "University of Dallas," write the student's name and id number in the memo, and mail it to University of Dallas - Business Office, 1845 E. Northgate Drive, Irving, TX 75062
- Letters of Credit: Please get in touch with Jennifer Howard at jlhoward@udallas.edu for more information on this option.
- Payment Arrangement: We have a payment arrangement option for students who need a little help. This option divides Tuition into multiple payments. Executive Education students who wish to participate must complete and fill out the Payment Arrangement section of the application to enroll in this option.
How payment arrangements work: Payments are billed monthly. You submit the first payment when you sign up for the payment arrangement. You can make all subsequent payments before the due date. The University must receive all payments in the agreement before releasing any certificate or transcript.
Payment arrangement for regular tuition rate:
| Payment Number | Tuition: $995 | Tuition: $895 | Tuition: $795 |
| 1 | $350 | $350 | $350 |
| 2 | $350 | $350 | $350 |
| 3 | $295 | $195 | $95 |
Payment arrangement schedule:
| Month of Payment Arrangement Setup | Payment 1 | Payment 2 | Payment 3 |
| November | Immediately | Dec. 30 | Jan. 30 |
| December | Immediately | Jan. 30 | Feb. 28 |
| January | Immediately | Feb. 28 | Mar. 23 |
IMPORTANT CLARIFICATIONS:
Payment Arrangement Participation Deadline: Due to the length of this class, no payment arrangements are available after January 2024.
To qualify for the early-bird tuition rates: We must receive your application and payment before the early-bird deadlines. No payment arrangement is available for early bird rates after the deadlines.
To submit payment: You will be taken to our payment portal to submit your payment upon completing the application form.
Register Now
If you have any questions about this process, please contact Jennifer Howard at 972-721-5299 or via email.
Why our program?
- Our experienced instructor will guide you through the body of knowledge required to pass the aPHR exam and earn your first HR certification.
- 75% pass rate
- Flexible payments
- The aPHR certification will open doors in the HR community for those starting their career.
Why HRCI certification?
The Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) has a 45+ year legacy of setting the gold standard for HR mastery and excellence around the globe as well as being the sole provider of HR certifications supported by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies’ (NCCA) rigorous standards. HRCI has over 500,000 certified HR professionals worldwide who have proven they have the knowledge to navigate the human resources field with efficiency and skill.
HRCI has created the first-ever entry level certification for individuals wishing to jump start their career in the human resource profession.
Course Materials
Our class uses the aPHR Study Guide (2023 edition) from Distinctive HR. The materials include:
- study guide (paperback)
- access to Learning Management System (1 year)
with interactive flashcards, sample tests, training games, and videos - downloadable Audio Set
mp3 files on test taking skills, glossary files, and content files covering the 6 exam areas - University of Dallas workbook
- Access to Brightspace LMS for the duration of the course
aPHR Exam at A Glance
- Eligibility Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
- Number of Questions: 90 – 25 of the 90 questions are “pretest” questions which are unscored and used to evaluate the validity of future exam questions.
- Format: Multiple Choice
- Duration: 1 hour + 45 minutes
- Passing Score: 500 (exam scores range from 100 – 700)
- Cost: $300 exam fee + $100 application fee
- Certification Retirement: 3 years after testing
- Recertification: To maintain your aPHR certification, you must earn 45 recertification credits over the 3-year timespan.
To schedule your exam, visit the HRCI website for details: https://www.hrci.org
Public Disclosure
Please click here to read a public disclosure about this course.
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