Organization Development (MAOD)
The Master of Arts in Organization Development at St. Edward’s empowers you to manage and influence change — a crucial competence in today’s fast-moving, often turbulent workplace. You’ll master the discipline of helping an organization solve problems and be prepared to lead successful transitions, and even transformations, in any industry or organization.
This unique program is often a catalyst for personal growth, as students examine factors that influence their beliefs and behaviors, then develop themselves as agents of change. Through focused coursework and completing a project for an established organization, you’ll expand your leadership potential and strengthen your ability to influence the dynamics of individuals and groups to create synergist processes that add value to an organization's bottom line.
Master of Arts in Organization Development
Overview:
In the MA in Organization Development program, you’ll bolster your analytical and leadership skills while learning to initiate process improvement programs, employee education and other interventions for positive change. You’ll study ethical issues and human systems theory — including why there is often so much resistance to change — and how to help employees grow during accelerated or unpredictable shifts. And you’ll learn effective approaches to conflict resolution, as well as preventive measures to address human resource management policies.
The MA in Organization Development paves the way for leadership roles that are both personally and financially rewarding. Career paths for graduates include working as training and development professionals, mediators, program directors, human resource and labor specialists, and other positions dedicated to improving outcomes. Graduates may also use their MA in Organization Development to pursue their own practice in management, as well as a change management consultant, assisting managers and executives to achieve organizational goals.
Course Preview:
MA in Organization Development majors take courses from these groups:
CORE COURSES
Students complete core courses that include Organization Development Principles and Practices; HRD/Performance Improvement; Leadership Development, Legal and Ethical Issues; Conflict Analysis and Resolution; and Human Resource Management, among others.
CAPSTONE COURSE
Your final course, a Capstone, applies what you’ve learned in Organization Development to a real-world experience, one that adds value and depth to your résumé. Using action research methodologies, you’ll design and implement a change initiative — such as improving system efficiencies, quality or group performance — in a business, nonprofit, government or educational organization.
View the Degree Plan (PDF) for sample course information for the Master of Arts in Organization Development.
Opportunities
St. Edward’s University offers opportunities for professional-level research and sophisticated learning experiences that parallel the real workplace — above and beyond those required for your degree. You might choose to join a faculty-led consulting project abroad, contribute to the Sorin Oak Review (the university’s award-winning creative journal), or present your academic research at a national or international conference. These activities, and more, expand your expertise and build your credentials, preparing you to advance your career or move into a new one.