Human Resource Development (MS)

Take Your Workforce Development Skills To The Next Level With MSHRD

Develop. Coach. Lead.

The Master of Science in Human Resource Development (MSHRD) is for those who want to acquire expertise in developing and enhancing individual and organizational learning, talent, and leadership capabilities. HRD professionals are skilled at improving workplace performance through identifying performance gaps and designing strategic evidence-based solutions to improve individual, team, and organizational performance.

Who is this program for?

MSHRD prepares you to become champions of workforce development and to lead in the areas of learning and development, talent development, organization development, leadership development, diversity and inclusion, and HR.

MSHRD provides you with the skills necessary to effectively develop people in the context of work to drive individual, team, and organizational performance improvement initiatives within both public and private sectors.
You will be prepared to design, develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based learning, talent, performance management, and organization development solutions in a variety of organizational contexts.
MSHRD is based on competency models put forth by leading professional organizations such as Association for Talent Development and Society for Human Resource Management. You will be exposed to unique competencies that are not developed in traditional HRM programs, including:
- creating and managing learning programs
- training facilitation and delivery
- e-learning design
- talent development
- change management
- coaching
- inclusion and diversity
- performance management and improvement
- leading teams

MSHRD Online

We offer a fully online version of the program for students who prefer online learning and/or are not local.

Curriculum

Our curriculum allows you to apply learning immediately to impact your workplace. Learn with scholar-practitioner faculty through project-based learning. The program's coursework integrates research with real-world experiences and has a strong skill-building focus. At the core of our curriculum is the focus on learning as the vehicle to strategic long-term individual and organizational performance improvement.

Core Courses

HRD 644	HRD Theory and Practice	Delves into the key Human Resource Development (HRD) processes, competencies, and tools required to effectively lead science-based training, performance management, and leadership development functions in organizations.
HRD 645	Communication in HRD	Develops an understanding of the process of communication in leadership roles and the improvement of personal skills for effective communication.
HRD 646	Change and Organization Development	Introduces HRD students to organization development (OD) and exposes them to the foundational knowledge and skills to be able to lead organization-wide change initiatives. Students will learn how to create and apply behavioral-science-based interventions to manage the process of change in today’s complex organizations.
HRD 647	Digital Design for E-Learning	Examines the principles of designing and conducting learning experiences in organizations. Students acquire knowledge and skills to strategically use innovative e-learning technologies to impact organizational results and drive performance improvement.
HRD 659	Adult Learning and Motivation	Examines human learning and motivation for the purpose of creating and facilitating effective learning experiences for adults in a work-related setting.
EDR 601	Methodology of Research	Explores major research designs and methods emphasizing underlying assumptions, inquiry aims, participant selection, data collection and analysis, interpretation of findings, conclusions, and reporting.
HRD 678	Practicum in HRD	Requires students to combine research and consulting skills to design, develop, and implement a hands-on evidence-based project to address an HRD-related problem in an organizational setting.
HRD 679	HRD Internship (waived for HRD professional)	Students will engage in supervised field experiences in an HRD-related capacity.

ELECTIVES

HRD 648	Team Dynamics	Emphasizes knowledge and skills necessary to build an effective team and team relationships to carry out a work related goal.
HRD 652	Diversity in the Workplace	Explores the training and development of a culturally sensitive workforce.
HRD 653	Career Development and Life/Work Planning	Overviews the major theories and skill areas in educational planning, career development, and work motivation including understanding career decision-making.
HRD 667	Presentation Principles, Methods and Techniques	Develops knowledge and mastery of competencies necessary for effective training design and implementation.
HRD 669	Foundations of Organizational Consulting	Focuses on the fundamentals and best practices of the organizational consulting process and design and implementation of an effective performance consulting project. An emphasis is placed on the relationship-building and interpersonal skills required for a successful consulting engagement