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Master of Science in Human Resource Management and Development Course Descriptions

30 Total Credit Hours

Required Courses

  • BUS 616 – Business Ethics 3 credits. This interdisciplinary course explores and implements the critical thinking and managerial and ethical decision-making skills necessary for developing ethical organizations and an ethical society. The objective of this course is to design ethical organizations and create organizations of high integrity. Students explore real-life ethical dilemmas and benchmark their organization’s performance with the best practices in business ethics. 
  • ORG 605 – Employee Learning & Development 3 credits. This highly practical and relevant course emphasizes individual and organizational adult learning concepts and theories as well as pragmatic application that will accelerate effective organizational learning and development. Students learn and apply the techniques and procedures used in the development of adult learners, including employment settings in different organizations and at all organizational levels. Course topics include creating a culture of learning, theories of learning and teaching, practices that enhance adult learning (performance consulting, needs analysis, design and delivery). The course includes contemporary and emerging perspectives as they pertain to movements toward individualized learning, learning in a social enterprise, new discoveries in neuroscience, and technological advancements. 
  • ORG 610 – Organizational Theory and Design 3 credits. This course focuses on organizations as entities within a diverse social system. Organizations are striving to survive in an environment that is unpredictable and turbulent, where stakeholder demands for social and environmental responsibility are escalating, and where intense pressures to remain competitive drive strategy and leadership. As an introduction to current perspectives in organizational theory and design, the course explores how organizations as systems are designed and structured in relation to their environments, leadership, culture, capability, and processes.  Attention is paid to how an organization is equipped for organizational effectiveness and performance in order to sustain value creation.   
  • ORG 620 – Individual and Team Interventions 3 credits. This course focuses on how people’s behavior is influenced by their actions and the actions of others in organizational settings. This course examines individual and team interventions from a business perspective. Professionals in the workforce today are facing new challenges and the rapid pace of organizational change requires us to deepen our expertise and prepare for the demands of the present and future. Successfully designing, aligning, and implementing adaptive people management practices is an essential component of organizational effectiveness and value delivery. Topics covered include individual performance improvement, performance coaching, teams and teamwork, conflict resolution, change management, motivation and process consulting. The course is designed to be highly practical, current, and relevant. 
  • ORG 625 – Leading in a Global Context 3 credits. Leadership is a necessary factor for organizations to compete successfully in the global marketplace. This course introduces concepts and theories of leading organizations in a global context with particular emphasis on an organization’s global strategy and organizational factors within the context of its industry and the global economy. 
  • ORG 630 – Organizational Change 3 credits. Investigates the nature of change, forces for change, and the impact of change on its recipients. Introduces students to the practice of organization development with respect to change efforts in organizations as they examine their own roles and skill sets as change agents. Stresses the design and implementation of various organizational interventions. Students learn to choose between, and then design, appropriate interventions to transform an organization from a current state to a desired future state. 
  • ORG 640 – Sustain Decision-Making for Leaders 3 credits. Effective decision making is key to success in the workplace and beyond. In organizations, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making are among the most important tasks people perform on a daily basis. However, increasing levels of complexity can put a significant strain on our judgment, often leading to poor choices that can have a long-term impact. Learn key decision-making concepts and processes necessary for developing and implementing long-term strategies that create a competitive advantage to support sustainable organizations. Understand factors that impact individual and group decision-making processes as well as tools and techniques to improve strategic decision making with a focus on sustainability. Learn how to avoid common decision-making errors and blunders that lead to failure in the competitive marketplace. This course is essential for  leading the strategic decision-making processes and impacting the direction of the organization.  
  • ORG 6XXA – Workforce Management: Compensation & Benefits 3 credits. The course provides a holistic view of the total rewards available in an organization, addressing concepts such as designing a pay system that is efficient, legally compliant, and fair/ethical. The course also explores topics such as pay strategy, internal pay alignment, external competitiveness, pay for performance, and legal compliance. The course also explores how to design a benefits plan that supports company objectives through such topics as retirement plans, health insurance plans, and legally required benefits. Work-life programs and special pay structures are also addressed. 
  • ORG 6XXB – Employment Law 3 credits. The course provides an overview of employment law including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The course also explores legal issues with regard to staffing and employment contracts as well as the handling of unlawful harassment. Additionally, the course will provide legal considerations for businesses functioning within a global environment, including country specific laws, data security, and U.S. laws which apply outside the United States. 
  • ORG 6XXC – Human Resource Management & Relations 3 credits. The course explores the concept of managing a workforce within an organizational structure. The course focuses on building skills within bargaining and negotiations as well as maintaining constructive relationships with unions. The course will also present information relevant to union-related and labor relations legal considerations. Concepts regarding the creation, implementation, and maintenance of organizational policies and handbooks will also be presented.