Master of Organizational Effectiveness

Addresses the reality of ongoing change in organizations. Covers theories and processes of organizational development and change. Includes resources, tools, and personal capabilities needed to support change in organizations. Focuses on building practitioner knowledge and capabilities.

Introduces a rhetorical approach to the techniques and types of communication in professional contexts, including correspondence and reports. Designed to strengthen skills in effective business and professional communication in oral and written modes across multiple media. Prepares students to write professionally for audiences within and outside a corporation or nonprofit enterprise.

Introduces essential data literacy concepts and develops advanced critical thinking and analytical skills needed for professional practice in a data-driven environment. Covers foundational data concepts, basic statistical methods, and visualization techniques. Addresses data analysis, communicating data insights, data-driven decision making in leadership.

Involves students in intensive research or a community-based learning project to help them better understand critical issues facing organizations. Its purpose is to integrate the skills and knowledge learned from the other courses offered in the core curriculum and the student’s declared concentration.

This concentration develops expertise and essential skills in the rapidly growing field of data analytics. Emphasizes the digital data-driven methods and tools used most frequently in professional environments and real-world contexts. Designed for both recent college graduates seeking entry-level positions and seasoned professionals taking on new data and business analytics roles and responsibilities.

Required

4 courses

ISYS 504U Introduction to Analytics — Provides a foundational understanding of the uses and value of data analytics in the liberal arts environment and in personal affairs. Important data analysis and statistical methods that will help enable an organization to realize value from the data available to it are introduced, demonstrated and practiced. Fundamental probability concepts that underpin informed use of the results of the presented data and statistical analysis methods will be introduced and integrated into course materials and activities. Course materials and activities emphasize practical aspects of data and statistical analysis.

ISYS 506U Descriptive Analytics — Introduces statistical ideas and concepts, emphasizing methods and tools used in an organizational environment. Focuses on collecting, organizing, summarizing, displaying, and analyzing data. Includes interpretation of statistics reports by others, using qualitative thinking skills. Covers problem analysis, data selection, and methods for solving problems using data.

ISYS 508U Predictive Analytics — Predictive analytics explores concepts in data management, processing, statistical computing, and dynamic visualization. The purpose of predictive modeling is to be able to predict the behavior of new data. Activities include importing and exporting, cleaning and fusing, modeling, analyzing and synthesizing complex datasets using data analytics techniques.

ISYS 510U Data Visualization — Introduction to data visualization, with emphasis upon applied projects and issues. The goal of the course is developing the ability to turn data into descriptive graphics, communicate those graphics, and understand common pitfalls in the practice of data visualization in support of a data visualization project. Students will use data visualization tools, and will be introduced to data visualization evaluation.

This concentration explores principles related to human resources with a specific focus on traditional functions like talent development, employment law, and compensation and benefits. It’s designed for professionals who are exploring new career options in HR, non-HR professionals who manage others, and HR professionals seeking professional development to expand their current knowledge.

Required

3 courses

HRM 531U Human Resource Management — This course in human resources uses an HR development point of view in which employees are considered assets to be developed rather than costs to be minimized. Topics include recruiting, hiring, training, retaining, rewarding, and promoting employees; employment planning, performance management systems, and succession planning; and managing outsourced relationships. Special attention is given to quality of working life issues; the balance between work and non-work; traditional and nontraditional incentives; and generational, cultural, and ethnic differences in employees’ needs and values.

HRM 532U Legal Issues in Human Resource Management — Every manager and HR professional will face numerous legal challenges to managing people in a workplace. In fact, employment-related litigation is one of the greatest financial risks facing any organization. This class will explore in a practical way the federal and state laws associated with hiring, firing and discipline, medical leave (including FMLA, ADA and worker’s compensation), discrimination, harassment, immigration, labor law, unemployment compensation, religion in the workplace and state law torts including defamation and privacy. The course will also explore workplace investigations, workplace violence and employment-related legal processes, including EEOC Charges and lawsuits.

HRM 635U Managing Compensation & Benefits — Course examines the use of reward systems (especially monetary) in the motivation of goal-oriented behavior as a major factor in influencing behavior. The effects of reward systems on recruiting, performance, satisfaction, and tenure are examined. Explores pay system components such as: entry position rates, job evaluation systems, merit pay plans, and employee income security systems. Legal aspects such as federal wage and hour laws and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act are included.

Additional Course

Select 1 from the following

HRM 534U Strategic Human Resource Development — This course includes an overview of business strategy and emphasizes the role of human resource management and development for effective strategy implementation. Models of organizational diagnosis and change, transformational leadership, reengineering, divesting, merging, acquiring, and downsizing are examined from a strategic and operational human resource perspective. Students will learn project management skills and integrate their course work by undertaking a major company-based project.

HRM 638U Leadership Theory and Applications — Explores leadership theory as it pertains to an organizational environment. Focus will be given to the application of various leadership theories to address current challenges within organizations.

HRM 644U Diversity in Organizations — Introduction to the theoretical and practical ideas about diversity in organizations. Explores strategies to address diversity as a manager and employee. Examines diversity issues in organizations related to human resources (recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management and safety and health), marketing, and customer relations. Explores strategies to address diversity issues in various organizations and study legislation and trends in diversity management.

PSYC 530U Organizational Psychology — Students to gain a broad understanding of many areas critical to effective human resource management. Further, the graduate level course will allow an in-depth understanding of many social sciences grounded theories and practices as applied to the real world business setting. The course will help students when faced with real world decisions including: determining selection strategies and selecting valid tools, how to drive performance and development with a performance appraisal tool, how to assess needs and train for results, how to develop and select effective leaders, how to design teams and deal with conflict, how to impact morale through satisfaction and motivation strategies, and how to manage and cope with work-related stress. The ultimate intention of the course is to equip students with the knowledge and tools they will need to positively impact their organizations.

This concentration explores intersections among practices of leading an organization and human-centered approaches to being both a leader and a follower. The concentration blends leadership theory with practical application through real-world experiences across required and selected courses.

Required

1 course

HRM 638U Leadership Theory and Applications — Explores leadership theory as it pertains to an organizational environment. Focus will be given to the application of various leadership theories to address current challenges within organizations.

Additional Courses

Select 3 from the following

HRM 531U Human Resource Management — This course in human resources uses an HR development point of view in which employees are considered assets to be developed rather than costs to be minimized. Topics include recruiting, hiring, training, retaining, rewarding, and promoting employees; employment planning, performance management systems, and succession planning; and managing outsourced relationships. Special attention is given to quality of working life issues; the balance between work and non-work; traditional and nontraditional incentives; and generational, cultural, and ethnic differences in employees’ needs and values.

HRM 644U Diversity in Organizations — Introduction to the theoretical and practical ideas about diversity in organizations. Explores strategies to address diversity as a manager and employee. Examines diversity issues in organizations related to human resources (recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management and safety and health), marketing, and customer relations. Explores strategies to address diversity issues in various organizations and study legislation and trends in diversity management.

MLA 580U Leading Collaborative Teams — Exploration of the intricacies of internal and external team dynamics and how to manage them in a highly interactive environment. Introduction and application of leadership theories to real-time scenarios developing the necessary skills to build successful teams in an ever-changing global world.

MLA 581U High Performance Leadership — Study of the historical, psychological, and behavioral models of leadership, particularly in elite organizations and environments. Through case studies and identification of one’s own leadership profile, tools necessary to lead groups, teams, and organizations will be explored.

MLA 582U Leadership in Sport — Introduces students to the characteristics of the next generation of leaders in the field of sport, both domestic and abroad. Includes theoretical and practical approaches to leadership in sport, focusing on the characteristics of successful leaders in sport, past and present.

NPS 520U Financial Management and Budget Development — Focuses on assessing financial performance, establishing policies for fiscal accountability, financial management, including budgeting, resource development, outcomes measurement, assessment, technology, and capital project analysis.

NPS 530U Law, Ethics and Governance — Examines legal and ethical issues as they apply to nonprofit organizations.

NPS 562U Assessment and Program Evaluation — Provides an introduction and overview to the tools necessary to assess and evaluate programs in the nonprofit sector.

PSYC 530U Organizational Psychology — Students to gain a broad understanding of many areas critical to effective human resource management. Further, the graduate level course will allow an in-depth understanding of many social sciences grounded theories and practices as applied to the real world business setting. The course will help students when faced with real world decisions including: determining selection strategies and selecting valid tools, how to drive performance and development with a performance appraisal tool, how to assess needs and train for results, how to develop and select effective leaders, how to design teams and deal with conflict, how to impact morale through satisfaction and motivation strategies, and how to manage and cope with work-related stress. The ultimate intention of the course is to equip students with the knowledge and tools they will need to positively impact their organizations.

This concentration is designed for professionals exploring career options in the nonprofit sector and social entrepreneurs as well as professionals with roles in program management, public policy, and community advocacy seeking professional development and to prepare for leadership roles.

Required

1 course

NPS 501U Organizations & Community Change — Focuses on the origins and scope of the civil society sector and its interactions with the public and private sectors through the theoretical lens of politics, economics, philanthropy and social capital. Asks students to identify a societal problem, understand root causes and how organizations could or are creating solutions through advocacy, collaboration and innovation.

Additional Courses

Select 3 from the following

HRM 531U Human Resource Management — This course in human resources uses an HR development point of view in which employees are considered assets to be developed rather than costs to be minimized. Topics include recruiting, hiring, training, retaining, rewarding, and promoting employees; employment planning, performance management systems, and succession planning; and managing outsourced relationships. Special attention is given to quality of working life issues; the balance between work and non-work; traditional and nontraditional incentives; and generational, cultural, and ethnic differences in employees’ needs and values.

HRM 644U Diversity in Organizations — Introduction to the theoretical and practical ideas about diversity in organizations. Explores strategies to address diversity as a manager and employee. Examines diversity issues in organizations related to human resources (recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management and safety and health), marketing, and customer relations. Explores strategies to address diversity issues in various organizations and study legislation and trends in diversity management.

NPS 520U Financial Management and Budget Development — Focuses on assessing financial performance, establishing policies for fiscal accountability, financial management, including budgeting, resource development, outcomes measurement, assessment, technology, and capital project analysis.

NPS 530U Law, Ethics and Governance — Examines legal and ethical issues as they apply to nonprofit organizations.

NPS 562U Assessment and Program Evaluation — Provides an introduction and overview to the tools necessary to assess and evaluate programs in the nonprofit sector.

NPS 566U Public Policy and Advocacy — Explores public policy and the policy making process as it relates to the nonprofit sector, including from a comparative perspective. Includes an examination of advocacy and lobbying.

NPS 571U Social Entrepreneurship — Interdisciplinary exploration of the field of social entrepreneurship and the structures used by social entrepreneurs to affect change.