Master of Science in Organizational Behavior
and Human Resource Development
Program Info | Program Goals | Program Formats | Courses | Tuition

Scheduled Classes for Upcoming Quarter

   OBHR 501 - Principles of Organizational Behavior and Development - ( Core Course )

This course familiarizes students with models of individual, group, and social change. Major theories of organizational development and behavior are explored. Emphasis is placed on diagnosing the relationship between an organization’s mission and its culture, and facilitating system-wide planned change efforts to improve organizational effectiveness. The interface between the individual, the work group, and the organization is also explored with an emphasis on the importance of communication in the organization. (Credits: 3)

   OBHR 502 - Managing Human Resource Flows - ( Core Course )

This course develops an understanding of how managers can design basic human resource practices that support the strategic objectives of their organization. Students will explore methods to manage the flow of personnel through an organization from entry to exit, including recruitment, selection evaluation, compensation, and termination. This course will place particular emphasis on linking each of these activities with the firm’s strategic objectives. (Credits: 3)

   OBHR 509 - Training and Development - ( Core Course )

Employee training and development are critical to an organization’s success in today’s rapidly changing world. This course focuses on methods used to assess an organization’s training and educational needs, and designing and implementing training programs to address these needs. Analysis and application of adult learning theories in relation to program design are explored. Methods of instructional design and course development are emphasized. Topics include linking training to organizational goals, objectives and strategies; cost/benefit analysis of training, training needs assessment’ training design considerations and learning principles; training methods and process; and training evaluation. Relevant laws and regulations will also be covered. (Credits: 3)

   OBHR 510 - Compensation and Benefits - ( Core Course )

In this course you will master a variety of approaches to determining and implementing equitable wage and salary programs in both private and public organizations. Fundamental issues in wage and salary administration will be covered including techniques of job evaluation, salary surveys, and methods for designing, implementing and monitoring fair and objective performance appraisal systems, as well as methods for the effective use of incentives and bonuses to enhance performance. Also covered are benefit programs; how they fit into the organization’s overall compensation plan and how they can be used to improve the organization’s position as it competes for qualified employees. (Credits: 3)

   OBHR 512 - Understanding and Managing Human Differences - ( Core Course )

Students identify, analyze, and plan for those elements within the cultural, economic, and political environments of international business that require specialized understanding and strategy for successful management of organized enterprise. (Credits: 3)

   OBHR 602 - Marketing (Core Course)

This course demonstrates the role of marketing in the company, explores the relationship of marketing to other functions, and helps students learn to make marketing decisions that match organizational resources and objectives with market opportunities. The course consists of three main parts that correspond to the stages involved in developing a marketing plan: (1) understanding the market, including consumer, competitor, and company analysis; (2) the marketing play, including market selection, positioning, product, price, promotion, and distribution; and (3) marketing plan implementations. Core Course (Credits: 3)

   OBHR 603 - Technology and Operations - (Core Course)

During this course, business students learn how to develop the skills and concepts needed to ensure the ongoing contribution of a firm's operations to its competitive position. Typically this requires the firm to achieve at a minimum cost, quality and economic parity, responsiveness and adaptability to customer needs and desires, rapid time to market, process technology leadership; sufficient and responsive capacity. Topics encompass all elements of coherent operation systems process analysis, cross-functional and cross firm integration, product development, and technology and operations strategy. Core Course (Credits: 3)

   OBHR 702 - Business Research Methods I - ( Core Course )

An interdisciplinary seminar centering on specific business issues. The seminar requires students to conduct a multi-company project, and in-depth company case study, a feasibility study or a new business venture, or a strategic plan for a specific company or industry. Students will learn how to conduct and present their projects. Students will complete the project in MBA 706 Business Research Methods Seminar II (Credits: 2)

   OBHR 703 - Leadership Strategies: Intergrative Seminar - ( Core Course )

This seminar probes the central ideas of management such as power, leadership, strategy, organizational structures, and group behavior. The readings explore the "non-market" aspect of work and life, provide character studies of decision maker, and show the consequences of insensitivity to the realities of the market place, the limits of laws, and the consequences of managerial decisions. (Credits: 2)

   OBHR 706 - Business Research Methods Seminar II - ( Core Course )

Students complete the project begun in OBHR 702: Business Research Methods I - in this seminar as well as further hone their abilities to critically examine relevant business issues, statistical methods and research approaches as they relate to each others’ projects. (Credits: 2)

   OBHR 708 - Ethical Responsibility in Organizations Seminar - ( Core Course )

This seminar is designed to develop communication skills in students using an experiential framework - topics such as active listening, focusing and following communication, and handling conflict will be explored and practiced. (Credits: 2)

   OBHR 904 - Enhancing Quality and Productivity - ( General Elective )

This course explores factors affecting human performance within the context of planned change in organizations. Fundamental concepts and methods of quality and productivity improvement are examined. Forces that make quality and productivity critical organizational issues are examined. Multi-disciplinary approaches to assess and improve the ability of employees to learn new skills and work within teams are explored. Knowledge of individual learning theory is a prerequisite to working effectively with groups and whole organizations, and therefore, is discussed. (Credits: 3)

Course name changed

   OBHR 511 - Workforce Recruitment & Development - ( Core Course )

This course examines methods needed to build a highly skilled workforce through effective staff planning, development, expansion and replacement. Topics to be covered include strategies and practices for recruiting and selecting valued personnel, legal considerations, interviewing methods, assessment centers, making the best job match, conducting reference checks, documentation, selection and orientation programs. Relevant laws and regulations covering selection and placement will also be covered. (Credits: 3)

course name changed crosses with MBA 705

   OBHR 705 - Persuasion and Presentation Skills - ( Core Course )

This seminar continues to develop skills in defining organizational problems and designing and implementing appropriate research and analysis strategies. Students will begin to develop their Master's thesis project during part two of this seminar. (Credits: 2)

course was OBHR507

   OBHR 753 - Management and Leadership Development - ( General Elective )

This course focuses on the unique aspects of management and leadership development. The emphasis is on the essence of leadership and management, including the behaviors, attitudes, and perspectives that distinguish leaders. Effective strategies for developing managers and leaders in the context of modern organizations are emphasized. Leadership dilemmas and issues are analyzed (e.g. ethics, decision making, power and authority, conflict management). The human side of the enterprise and how managers become effective leaders is the focus of this course. A multidisciplinary approach will be used to explore topics such as the nature of leadership, the difference between leaders and managers, different constraints on male and female leaders, achieving styles that help leaders to accomplish their goals. Using both classical and contemporary literature, the course will look at new demands and relevant strategies for tomorrow’s leaders. Individuals will be helped to identify their leadership style. (Credits: 3)

crosses with MBA 702

   OBHR 701 - Communication and Interpersonal Skills Seminar - ( Core Course )

This seminar develops skills in defining organizational problems and designing and implementing appropriate research and analysis strategies. Using their own organization as laboratories, students will learn how to define a useful focus for data gathering, identify appropriate sources of data, efficiently analyze data, and present findings in ways that are useful to others in the organization. Students will learn how to conduct interviews, and observations, analyze documents, and develop questionnaires and strategies for conducting action research in an organizational context. (Credits: 2)

name changed

   OBHR 506 - Group Dynamics: Theory & Practice - ( Core Course )

This course develops skills and knowledge about groups in organizations, interpersonal relations, facilitating groups, and group dynamics. Topics considered include membership, leadership, authority, cohesiveness, goals, attraction, norms, and group process. The use of theory in applied settings is also explored. The course will help students develop skills in facilitating group interaction and group meetings. (Credits: 3)

name of course changed

   OBHR 508 - Professional Development & Career Planning - ( Core Course )

Theories of human growth and development and career planning development as a foundation for understanding the developmental challenges facing individuals during their lifespans are introduced. Specific implications and applications are made that relate to how human growth and development are integrally related to career planning and organizational life. Students will become familiarized with various self-assessment tools and diagnostic instruments to evaluate data on their own working histories, interests, skills, and values. (Credits: 3)

this course was OBHR 503

   OBHR 608 - Ethics, the Law and the Business Environment - ( Core Course )

Exploration of business and employment law including contracts, torts, property, secured transactions, commercial paper, and business organizations, labor relations, civil rights, compensation, safety, health, retirement, dispute resolution techniques in a nonunion setting including negotiation, arbitration, and mediation. (Same as MBA 608.) (Credits: 3)

this was OBHR 504 it cross lists with MBA 601

   OBHR 601 - Financial & Managerial Accounting - ( Core Course )

This course develops a sophisticated and coherent approach to the use of financial accounting information. An examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the information produced in financial reports, the pressures faced by management and auditors as they prepare financial statements, the set of information available to business decision makers beyond the information presented in audited financial statements, the difficulties involved in evaluating decisions after outcomes are known, and the impact of accounting information on strategic decisions. This course provides a broad view of how accounting contributes to an organization and how managers can make optimal use of accounting information, accounting records and systems, and accountants as internal resources. (Credits: 3)