Graduate Arts and Sciences 

Program Objectives

The Organizational Psychology and Development Concentration strengthens the ability of Organization Development Practitioners, Human Resource Professionals, Project Leaders, Management, Agents of Change, Internal and External Consultants, Mental Health Professionals and individuals in career transition to develop assessment, planning, facilitation and consulting skills in guiding and implementing change in self, groups and organizations. Learning objectives for the Master’s Degree Concentration in Organizational Psychology and Development are to:

• Collaborate with sponsors/clients by helping to assess their needs
• Collect and act on quantitative and qualitative data that identifies organization and individual strengths and weaknesses.
• Learn new skills to create strategies that align individual and departmental goals with organizational objectives
• Leverage internal/external resources to deliver excellent client services by concentrating on the work issues and problems that matter
• Develop measurements that help clients focus their behaviors on achieving specific outcomes.

Curriculum

The Master of Science in Training and Organizational Development Concentration in Organizational Psychology and Development consists of twelve 3-credit courses. The thirty-six credits are distributed as follows:

Foundation Courses
The Foundation Courses are designed to ensure that all students in the program have a common body of knowledge in performance consulting, strategic leadership and specific organizational psychology concepts. All seven Foundation Courses are required.

TOD 4135 Performance Consulting
TOD 4155 Strategic Leadership
ORG 7005 Psychological Assessments
ORG 7015 Psychology of Executive Coaching
ORG 7035 Laboratory in Leadership Psychology and Team Development
ORG 7045 Seminar in Organizational Psychology Issues

Elective Courses
The Elective Courses permit students to develop expertise in specific areas of interest. Students select one course. Course substitution is permissible under certain circumstances and advisor approval.

TOD 4825 Leadership Principles
TOD 5295 Implementing Change
ORG 7025 Career Development: Theory and Practice

Advanced Courses
The Advanced Courses are designed to provide students with advanced facilitation, influence, consulting and intervention skills. All four Advanced Courses are required.

TOD 6305 Organization Development: Theory and Application
TOD 6315 Intervention Skills: Strategy and Design
TOD 6325 Designing Research and Evaluation
TOD 6335 Advance Seminar

Order of Taking Courses
Students should take the two 4000 level Foundation Courses at the beginning of their studies and at least three 7000 level courses before taking the 6000 Level Advanced Courses. Students can take both 5000 and 7000 level courses at the same time. Refer to course descriptions for specific course requirements/prerequisites. Advanced courses are taken as the last series of courses.

Degree Requirements
To earn the Master of Science in Training and Organizational Development with a concentration in Organizational Psychology and Development, students must satisfactorily complete 12 courses/36 credits. Two courses (six credits) may be transferred as long as they are in accord with program requirements and university standards. Transcripts must be submitted prior to matriculation.

Course Descriptions for Organizational Psychology and DevelopmentOPD)

Six Required Foundation Courses (OPD)

TOD 4135 Performance Consulting  3 Credits
Course presents to the training and organizational development professional the practical tools necessary to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of learning and change programs. A specific technology is presented in a step by step approach, which links the collaborative consulting process with performance assessment. The course focuses on increasing the students’ ability to communicate and work with leaders in their organization.

TOD 4155 Strategic Leadership 3 Credits
Course emphasizes the integration of leadership thinking and behavior with strategic planning process. Students have an opportunity to review work projects and understand how internal as well as external communications impacts their ability to implement projects as they were planned. Students attend a skill weekend were they reflect on the assumptions underlying their leadership actions. Specific strategies are considered and students begin to consider new ways of looking at leadership and their behavior in order to successfully implement strategies.

ORG 7005 Psychological Assessments 3 Credits
The psychological theories and practices underlying various instruments used in assessing individual and group behavior in organizations will be examined. Issues and topics will include employee selection, performance, ability, attitude and development. Participants learn how to evaluate measures to answer organizational issues. Permission of Instructor

ORG 7015 Psychology of Conflict / Negotiation 3 Credits
Course views conflict and negotiation as an integral part of organizational life. Through a review of the current literature, participants learn functional and dysfunctional aspects of conflict, sources and types of conflict, conflict resolution and management approaches and methods of negotiating to resolve conflict.
Prerequisite 7005

ORG 7035 Laboratory in Leadership Psychology and Team Development 3 Credits
Course focuses on theories and practices required in leading and developing teams. Issues of leadership behavior, interpersonal relations, group roles and stages of development are examined in an experiential laboratory. Permission of Instructor

ORG 7045 Seminar in Organizational Psychology Issues 3 Credits
Course considers topical issues in the field of Organizational Psychology through critical reviews and discussions by participants.
Prerequisite – Completion of 3 or more Foundation Courses

Choose Two Electives (OPD)

TOD 5295 Implementing Change  3 Credits
Course aids students in designing and effectively implementing change programs and projects while achieving and sustaining performance. Students have the opportunity to create change models and processes from both experience and research. Major aspect of the course is to understand resistance and learn techniques to overcome resistance to change. Change models and processes focus on the corporate, group and individual level.

HED 4825 Leadership Principles 3 Credits
Course introduces the student to the concept of leadership and what behaviors are necessary to satisfy the needs and roles of being a leader. Topics for discussion include management styles, strategic planning process and decision making / problem solving theory. Dealing with change, motivation, coaching, performance appraisals and use of power / control are also examined in an experiential learning environment.

ORG 7025 Career Development: Theory and Practice 3 Credits
Course provides students with a basic understanding of the career development field. A general overview of theories, practice and research will be conducted. In addition, topics such as assessment, gender, choice, interventions and career management are discussed. Permission of Instructor  

Four Required Advanced Courses (OPD)

TOD 6305 Organizational Development: Theory & Application 3 Credits
Course presents an overview of the fundamental components of organization development. Case studies are discussed and analyzed to demonstrate the fundamental components of OD. Practical skills and approaches are studied, such as change techniques and strategies, influence methods in dealing with leaders and consulting / learning models. Focus of course helps students implement successful learning or change programs in their organization. Topics of discussion include developing sponsorship, action research methods, survey feedback approaches and dealing with conflict. TOD Students Only Prerequisite TOD 4135 /Completion of 4 Foundation Courses.

TOD 6315 Intervention Skills: Strategy and Design  3 Credits
Students have an opportunity to complete a project demonstrating action research methodology. Course centers on understanding how to use interventions and what the impact interventions can have within an organizational setting. Students have an opportunity to design and facilitate interventions both in class and in their organization to assure the successful implementation of change and/or individual learning takes place within their project.  Prerequisite TOD 6305

TOD 6325 Research Design and Evaluation 3 Credits
Course helps student’s design and evaluate research in their respective organization or field of study. Methods are presented for application to work situations. Topics include: the similarities and differences between theoretical and applied research, use of data-gathering techniques, writing of research reports and evaluation methods for change, learning and research projects.

TOD 6335 Advanced Seminar 3 Credits
A capstone course and the last course taken in the Training and Organizational Development Graduate Program. Course provides students the opportunity to complete a professional paper on a topic / issue of their choice utilizing research methods and statistics. Students also complete an independent/group project leading to the design and facilitation of a learning or change project. Prerequisite TOD 6325