Oct 15, 2024  
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Human Resource Development, MS


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College of Technology  > Department of Human Development and Consumer Sciences  > Human Resource Development, MS

The Master of Science (MS) degree in Human Resource Development (HRD) is designed for the professional who seeks to lead and execute talent development, talent management, and performance strategies in diverse organizations. With a strong emphasis on data and value, students evaluate assumptions, clarify problems or opportunities, design and execute interventions (i.e. learning strategy, on boarding, process improvement, e-learning, performance evaluations etc.). Students evaluate the impact and value of these strategies through the lenses of change, learning, and performance.

Five challenges organizations face today:

  1. Embedding learning in the flow of work
  2. Addressing learning through the performance lens
  3. Identifying  the value and impact of talent related strategies
  4. Building capability for competitiveness and sustainability
  5. Executing strategies as “change”

The HRD master’s degree addresses these concerns and more by partnering with companies to create situated learning experiences that unearth the application of theories, and concepts. Through these partnerships, students better understand related concepts, transfer learning, gain work experiences, and build networks. The program strives to retain a timely and meaningful link between academic learning and the work that HRD professionals do within their organizations.

For more information, click here.

Admission Requirements


For more information on how to apply to this program and for additional admission requirements, click here.

Degree Requirements


Credit hours required for this degree: 30.0

The Human Resource Development master’s degree requires 30 credit hours, or 10 three-credit courses.

Thesis Track (6.0 Credit Hours)


Course Only Track (6.0 Credit Hours)


Two (2) courses from the approved list or by consent via petition from the graduate faculty advisor prior to enrollment.

Human Resource Development Executive Program (M.S.)


The Executive Master of Science in Human Resource Development is a unique, experiential program that develops participants to lead strategy execution by leveraging learning and change from a global perspective. The program enables graduates to leverage learning and change theory, frameworks, tools and techniques that facilitate strategy execution. An integral component of curriculum is immediate workplace application.

Students are required to complete action research projects that relate to change and learning in a work setting. The action research projects start during the first semester and extend throughout the program, resulting in a capstone presentation in the final semester.

Accelerated B.S./M.S. Degree Plan in Human Resource Development


The accelerated B.S./M.S. degree plan is open to qualified undergraduate College of Technology majors in Human Resource Development (HRD) who plan to continue their education at the graduate level upon completion of the B.S. degree. Students that are accepted into the accelerated program can take up to six (6) graduate credit hours that are applied to both the HRD bachelor’s degree and to a future master’s in HRD.

The B.S. degree will be conferred upon completion of the undergraduate curriculum requirements with appropriate graduate courses substituted for undergraduate courses. The graduate degree will be awarded based on existing requirements for the graduate degree in the term that the student applied and is admitted to the graduate program and must be completed within five years of completion of the first graduate-level course. Admission into the graduate program is not guaranteed based on admission to the B.S./M.S. degree plan.

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