Flexible
The self-paced modules provide the flexibility to accommodate learning between your busy work schedule. The program can be completed in 9 to 12 months as your schedule and program selections demand.
Inspire transformational change
December 14, 2022
9 to 12 Months
Online + On Campus
Tuition Fee Benefit
US$2,000
The program fee is US$20,000. The amount payable after considering the tuition fee benefit is US$18,000.
This is only available to participants who apply by October 12, 2022.
Faced with today’s uncertain business landscape, HR leaders now play a pivotal role in what some say is a paradigm shift in the industry. Organizations are increasingly recognizing talent as a top priority and the importance of the HR executive, whose role has never been more integral or critical to the bottom line.
The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Program is a comprehensive, 9- to 12-month program that will help take you beyond your current role into one that transforms the future of the company. It is an opportunity for you to leverage organizational change and accelerate your impact.
If you want to discover powerful ways to drive change in your organization, then the CHRO Program is for you.
of leaders say the evolving role of HR is important for them.
of HR professionals say that HR's accountability will undergo expansion.
of professionals say they need to rethink their workforce experience to improve productivity.
The CHRO Program is designed with the needs of busy executives in mind. You will learn through online sessions, including fireside chats and guest lectures from leading researchers and global industry leaders. The flexible format of the CHRO Program allows you to customize your learning journey for maximum career and business impact.
The self-paced modules provide the flexibility to accommodate learning between your busy work schedule. The program can be completed in 9 to 12 months as your schedule and program selections demand.
A community learning experience with a limited cohort size facilitates weekly interactive discussions with peers, program coaches, faculty, industry speakers, and career advisors — allowing you to implement program learnings to real-world scenarios.
The multimodular learning journey experience, including the capstone project, allows you to learn and grow as an executive while enabling you to develop impactful HR strategies to improve your personal and organizational goals.
This robust program will empower you to embrace a more strategic mindset, hone your effective decision-making skills, and help you take your organization to the next level. Over 9 to 12 months, you will engage in a mix of thought-provoking, online, interactive modules where you will explore contemporary case studies and applicable best practices. You will also discover how to apply the latest concepts in performance management and people analytics that help your organization achieve competitive advantage in your industry. The program culminates with two days of on-campus networking and graduation event.
Interactive sessions
Leverage interactive sessions with faculty, fireside chats with practitioners, and networking sessions with peers.
Flexible
Learn at your own pace with online sessions and customize your learning journey with electives.
Choice of electives
Select from relevant topical electives to gain skills specific to your career goals.
Expert faculty
Learn from world-renowned Wharton faculty and global industry experts.
Capstone project
Guided by a learning facilitator, apply program insights to an HR initiative and prepare an action plan for implementation.
Comprehensive curriculum
Immerse in a learning journey of 9 to 12 months that includes in-depth sessions in the latest technology tools, trends, and strategies.
Real-world applications
Learn from real-world case studies and business challenges during the program, and apply the learnings to your job immediately.
Success coach
You will be assigned a success coach who will help craft your learning journey in line with your career goals.
Peer interaction
Interact with and learn from high-achieving peers from around the globe and build your network.
Pathway to alumni status
Following successful completion of the CHRO Program and subsequent open-enrollment programs, subject to further qualification criteria and additional tuition, you have a pathway to apply for Wharton Alumni Status.
Program participants will examine novel and emerging theories, valuable insights, and innovative approaches in the field. Along with global peers and faculty, you will discover new ways to identify turnaround strategies and the leaders who can implement them. You will also investigate the nuances of accessing data to measure, refine, and communicate HR goals. These core sessions will empower you to apply the tools you need to oversee leadership transitions and succession processes. Ultimately, you will emerge from this learning journey refreshed, reinvigorated, and inspired with a richer, deeper knowledge base and the sharpened skills to help you thrive in an accelerated role. Upon completion of the program, you will be prepared to use these newly honed skills to ensure your organization is more efficient, effective, and ready to address the HR challenges ahead.
As part of the CHRO Program, you will have a choice of three electives from a selection of topics that complement the core curriculum learning experience. These electives afford deeper exploration with your virtual community, as well as a chance to gain a broader perspective and useful insights into common HR challenges. Once back at the workplace, you will be able to immediately apply lessons learned for actionable results.
Note: Final list of electives is subject to change
*This event will occur annually in Philadelphia upon the completion of every fourth cohort of this program.
For more than 135 years, Wharton has been the place where visionaries, inventors, and trailblazers get their start. After completing the CHRO Program and subsequent open-enrollment programs, subject to further qualification criteria and additional tuition, you have a pathway to apply for Wharton alumni status.
Executives who successfully complete the CHRO Program have the option of applying to the General Management Program (GMP). The GMP provides further opportunity to enhance your leadership skills and business acumen with a flexible curriculum. The CHRO Program provides one credit towards the six required to complete the GMP and earn alumni status. More details on the GMP is available at Wharton Executive Education.
Upon qualifying for Wharton alumni status, you will be eligible to receive:
Matthew Bidwell, PhD
John Paul MacDuffie, PhD
Andrew Carton, PhD
Nicolaj Siggelkow, PhD
Chief Diversity Officer, Microsoft
Chief People Officer, Ralph Lauren
Former Global Head of Talent at Bloomberg LP
Former CHRO, Yahoo! Inc and Southwest Airlines
— Mark Schumann, Success Coach
— Lee Evans, Success Coach
— Anand Sivaraman, Success Coach
Earn a Wharton Executive Education digital certificate upon successful completion of the program. As an alumnus of this transformative program, you get exclusive access to a wide range of professionals, events, and networking opportunities. Furthermore, you can also benefit from additional tuition assistance upon enrolling in further online electives from Wharton Executive Education.
Note: After successful completion of the program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed to you in the name you used when registering for the program. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wharton School.
Download BrochurePlease also note that participation in the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Program (a) will not result in a degree from, alumni status with, or earned credit at the University of Pennsylvania or the Wharton School (or, to Wharton’s knowledge, any other institution), (b) will not be recorded on a University of Pennsylvania or Wharton transcript, and (c) does not guarantee or suggest that a participant will be admitted to the University of Pennsylvania, the Wharton School, or to any other university or institution.
Ideal candidates for the CHRO Program possess a deep understanding of all aspects of human resources management as well as industrial relations policies, practices, and operations. You are strategists, organizational orchestrators, and compliance regulators who are steeped in the complexities of human resources. You are often tapped for the counsel you offer to senior leadership or the board of directors. Designed for Chief HR/People Officers, the program also benefits senior HR leaders across talent, people management, compensation, engagement, performance, and HR operations.
Program eligibility criteria include:
What I really liked is that it has a very tangible and clear curriculum. You can explore things in bite-sized pieces and build on them and see the whole picture as the weeks unfold. It's definitely the best program that I researched.
The electives were really what drove me to want to do this, because I wanted to grow into a bigger role, but I didn’t know how to do that. The program has clearly shown me where I need to hone my skills. Every day I go to work, this program is making me feel like I'm learning how to perform better at my job.
If you want to become the head of HR, the CHRO Program gives you practical insights and the tools to be able to function more effectively. The curriculum is spot on for the work that we do as HR professionals. I highly recommend the CHRO Program.
The curriculum is a great blend of the business and the HR functional aspects of the CHRO role. Having an expanded network of colleagues that span the globe with whom I can discuss ideas and from whom I can gain insights has been one of the biggest benefits of the program.
Professor Matthew Bidwell has a unique and simple method of delivering messages and explaining topics. The richness of the information I’ve gathered is such that I have already begun to implement it in my work.
The program fee covers all program materials. The fee does not include accommodations for the on-campus networking and graduation event, travel expenses (domestic, international, visa fee, and more), and other expenses not specifically mentioned in the fees.
Flexible payment options available.