Courses

Penn State's 30-credit online Master of Professional Studies in Organization Development and Change can help you prepare to implement quality and continuous improvement initiatives in an organization. Throughout the program's curriculum, you will have the opportunity to:

obtain a critical knowledge base in organization development, appreciative inquiry, collaborative engagement, evaluation, and change
strategically lead both small group and large group change initiatives
cultivate and demonstrate your competence in using various resources for developing, implementing, evaluating, and marketing organization development programs and initiatives
learn about addressing ethical issues when performing development activities
grow your competence in observing group dynamics and facilitating change
become confident of your skills and effectiveness as an organization development practitioner through practical hands-on experience

The curriculum includes five prescribed courses (15 credits), 4 elective courses (12 credits), and one required field-based project course (3 credits).

Course List - Master of Professional Studies in Organization Development and Change

The Master of Professional Studies in Organization Development and Change (MPS–OD&C) will be conferred upon students who earn a minimum of 30 credits of course work while maintaining a grade-point average of 3.0 or better in all course work, and who complete a quality culminating field-based project course in consultation with a graduate adviser.

Core Courses (15 credits)
Title	Abbreviation	Description	Credits
Foundations in Organization Development and Change	WFED 572	Development of major concepts, skills and techniques required by workplace learning professionals to support and facilitate organization change.	3 credits
Appreciative Inquiry	WFED 884	This course provides a foundation in the theories, principles, and techniques of Appreciative Inquiry (AI).	3 credits
Process Consultation in Organization Development	WFED 578	This course provides a foundation in process consultation. Process refers to how groups interact and how people get along.	3 credits
Assessing Data: Organizational Diagnosis	WFED 582	This course familiarizes students with approaches to assessing and feeding back data in organization development (OD) and consulting services.	3 credits
Facilitating Groups and Teams	WFED 880	This course provides students with necessary skills to facilitate small groups and teams.	3 credits

Select from Concentration Areas or Electives (12 credits)

In addition to the required courses, you may select courses in concentration areas that align with your career interests, or from the list of electives. The purpose is to develop skills tailored to your professional goals.

Four concentrations are currently available. The following lists of concentration areas and electives may expand or change over time in response to market demand.

Consulting
Title	Abbreviation	Description	Credits
Marketing Organization Development	WFED 881	Examines issues involved in marketing organization development consulting services	3 credits
Appraising Organization Change and Development and Consulting	WFED 585	Describes approaches to evaluating organization development and consulting services.	3 credits
Implementing Training as an Organization Development Intervention	WFED 865	Reviews standard approaches and then examines the processes associated with planning, developing, and implementing training and development programs in the whole organization.	3 credits

Operational Excellence
Title	Abbreviation	Description	Credits
Project Management for Professionals	WFED 405	Discusses concepts and skills needed to facilitate projects that deliver results on time and within budget. This course has been reviewed and approved by the PMI® Authorized Training Partner Program.	3 credits
Lean-Sigma for Professionals	WFED 451	Explains essential lean and six sigma concepts used to improve processes in any industry.	3 credits
Needs Assessment for Workforce Development Professionals	WFED 573	Describes skills required to identify training and development needs, distinguish management issues versus training problems, develop and evaluate training solutions.	3 credits

Analytics
Title	Abbreviation	Description	Credits
Evaluation of Investments in Workforce Education and Development	WFED 543	Explains the use of labor supply models to evaluate investments in workforce education and development.	3 credits
Appraising Organization Change and Development and Consulting	WFED 585	Describes approaches to evaluating organization development and consulting services.	3 credits
Needs Assessment for Workforce Education and Development Professionals	WFED 573	Describes skills required to identify training and development needs, distinguish management issues versus training problems, develop and evaluate training solutions.	3 credits

Technology-Leveraged Organization Development
Title	Abbreviation	Description	Credits
Facilitating Organization Development and Change Through Technology	WFED 876	Equips OD/HRD professionals with the technological acumen necessary for consulting and working efficiently.	3 credits
Technologies for Work Effectiveness	WFED 403	Reviews contemporary workplace technologies, tools, and platforms and how to make informed decisions for using them. Provides opportunities to share experiences.	3 credits
Project Management for Professionals	WFED 405 or ENGR 405	Discusses concepts and skills needed to facilitate projects that deliver results on time and within budget.	3 credits

Electives
Title	Abbreviation	Description	Credits
Program and Facilities Management for Workforce Education and Development Professionals	WFED 806	Examines advanced learning laboratory organization and management processes to facilitate learning and skill development in a safe environment.	3 credits
Leadership Competencies for Professionals	WFED 410	Discusses leadership competencies for workforce professionals who do not currently have supervisory responsibilities.	3 credits
Occupational Safety and Health for Workforce Education and Development Professionals	WFED 411	Describes how to develop and maintain workplaces and educational environments free of occupational health hazards.	3 credits
Engineering Leadership for Corporate Innovation	ENGR 501	Surveys traditional and contemporary leadership theory and analyzes effective strategies for leading projects and innovation.	3 credits
Engineering Across Cultures and Nations	ENGR 802	Explores cultural differences and the impact on business practices and group dynamics when people work on virtual project teams.	3 credits
Engineering Product Innovation	ENGR 804	Describes how to lead new product and process development in an organization using entrepreneurial skills and how to participate in corporate spin-outs.	3 credits
Implementing Training and Development Programs	WFED 865	The critical analysis of theories, strategies, and techniques for planning and implementing TRDEV programs to enhance employee learning and performance. The prerequisites TRDEV 460 and TRDEV 465 will be waived for World Campus students.	3 credits

Culminating Experience (3 credits)
Title	Abbreviation	Description	Credits
Field-Based Internship (Capstone Experience)	WFED 595A	Provides students with the opportunity to conduct a supervised, professional, and off-campus capstone project.	3 credits

Course Availability

If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.

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