Organization Development Course Descriptions

OD - 600. Organizational Behavior, Diagnosis, and Change (6)

Explores the phenomenon of organizational change through the lens of micro (individual-level) organizational behavior. Topics include perception, decision-making, motivation, and diversity/individual differences. Using a diagnostic approach, students explore the nature and impact of change.

OD - 601. Organizational Analysis, Diagnosis, and Change (3)

Uses a diagnostic approach to introduce major macro (organization-level) concepts, perspectives, and theories to analyze organizations, large-scale change, and the problems inherent in implementing change. Topics include organizational strategy, structure, culture, innovation and globalization.

OD - 611. Applied Organization Development Research and Statistics (6)

Students are introduced to research methods and statistical methods relevant to the practice of OD (qualitative and quantitative). The emphasis is on applied research methods and statistical techniques to develop research methodology and perform data analyses utilizing a statistical software package.

OD - 633. Foundations of Organization Development Practice (3)

Explores three foundations of OD practice: a) the emergence and development of the field of organization development; b) values and ethics underlying OD as applied to business practice; and c) essential skills for the OD practitioner, including entering, contracting, developing client capability, and managing unplanned events in the change process.

OD - 634. Organization Development Interventions (3)

Focuses on the design and implementation of a variety of organizational interventions. Students learn to design/choose appropriate interventions to move an organization from a current to a desired future state.

OD - 645. Fundamentals of Business Practice (3)

Provides an overview of business and economic concepts for an understanding of how organizations use financial information to make strategic decisions. This course reviews key financial topics (e.g., income statements, balance sheets, cash flow, ratios and ROI, and relevant ethical practices) to help the student understand a firm's financial performance and to interpret an annual report.

OD - 646. Group Process, Communication, and Facilitation (3)

Students are introduced to major theories of group process and team dynamics, as well as practical techniques for facilitating productivity as a team member or outside facilitator. Topics include group structure; cohesion; power, conflict, and negotiation; decision-making; and group facilitation.

OD - 680. Leadership for Organization Development (3)

Students explore, critique, and synthesize various theory-based and popular approaches to leadership using a case analysis approach. Topics include: team leadership, transformational leadership, virtual leadership, approaches to leadership, leadership and power, and leadership development.

OD - 682. Culminating Project in Organization Development (6)

Students conduct an applied research project within an existing organization. Students use a diagnostic and data-based approach to analyze the organization's current state and recommend strategies for change.