Meeting Challenges of the 21st Century

During the past decade, the changing marketplace has fostered a reexamination of management strategies, leadership, and work. There have been increased demands on corporations to increase quality and productivity, meet the challenge of global competition, respond to change and uncertainty more effectively, create a friendlier work environment, and reduce costs.

These factors have had a profound impact on how we manage people and have broadened the domain in which human resource personnel and organizational behavior specialists function in an organization. These individuals now function as agents of change in organizational structure and culture. They help develop leaders, train employees, and help individuals adapt to change within the organization. Accordingly, the skills and abilities of human resource and organizational behavior specialists have had to broaden to include analytic, managerial, and counseling skills.

The Masters Degree Program in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Development (OB/HRD) is designed to address this broadened field. Its objective is to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the challenges of the profession.

The program examines multiple theories on organizational behavior and organizational development, with an emphasis on the importance of human resources. Systems approaches to planned organizational change are emphasized. The curriculum emphasizes the practical application of theories to complex issues facing organizations today.

Students learn about the consultation process and methods designed to improve an organization’s effectiveness. They also learn about professional and career development, issues related to workforce diversity, the transformation of organizational cultures, and understanding individual and group behavior in the context of the organization. Students examine and engage in the practice of change strategies such as team building, conflict resolution, role analysis, job design, organizational design, and instructional design, all of which can be used to assess and implement changes in their own organizations.

Real World Programs for the Real World

The Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Development (OB/HRD) Program is designed for human resource development specialists and others who work in human resources or aspire to an organizational leadership or development role, including managers, administrators, supervisors, personal specialists, and organizational research and development consultants.

The curriculum is designed to provide a broad theoretical understanding of human resource development and organizational behavior, and to develop in students the assessment, diagnostic, and problem solving skills necessary for implementing changes and for responding to the demands of rapidly shifting social and technological environments. Application of theory is crucial throughout the curriculum.

This program provides unique opporunities for study, as it is designed for the working professional's schedule. Through a combination of on-line, residential and mentored independent study, students are able to have minial disruption to their work and family schedules, and still enjoy the benefit of establishing networks among students and faculty.

The program is a 48 credit hour lock-step Masters Degree tat can be completed in as little as 18 months. Each quater students complet a class via Mentored Independent Study While simultaneously completing an on-line or In-Residence Immersion course and a Seminar. In-Residence Immersion courses meet for two weekends (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) approximately 6 weeks apart.