Online MA/OC Degree Requirements (Effective Fall 2011)

The Master of Arts in Organizational Change (MA/OC) program requires a minimum of 42 credit hours of graduate work. The 42 credit hours are divided into 36 credit hours of core courses and 6 credit hours of capstone courses.

Click on a course name for more information.

OC Core Classes (33 credit hours)

• OC 6005

  Scope and Methods in Research

  A course designed for entering graduate students. The course: acquaints students with the theories of current and historical importance; introduces or reinforces the tenets of the scientific method; introduces the faculty, and previews key concept areas being taught in the program; discusses research designs and methods appropriate in graduate programs; and introduces students to research materials, knowledge technology, communications skills, and both quantitative and qualitative methods to be used throughout the program of studies.
  Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

• OC 6440

  Organizational Change and Development

  OC 6440 is the foundation for all MA/OC and Professional Certificate in OCD courses. Students first learn the basic nature of human culture and organizational change. Then the practice of OCD is studied within larger holistic and comparative contexts for global and local change. Discussions and assignments are designed to assist the student in differentiating between change and adaptation. Change and development initiatives in governments, communities, and corporations are discussed.
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

• OC 6441

  National and Community Change and Development

  National and community-level change and development is being experienced in almost every area of our contemporary world. Resolving ethnic and religious conflicts, developing market economies for global competition, resource acquisition, technology transfer, education, and creating new approaches to governance are some of the related issues. This course presents a holistic perspective on the issues of change and development at the macro levels of government and community organization. Models for change and development are reviewed as well as their applications in various human and environmental contexts. Specifically, change and development initiatives in economic development, public health improvement projects, stakeholder reconciliation, urban and environmental planning and educational programs are reviewed and analyzed.
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

• OC 6442

  Culture and Human Organizations

  OC 6442 includes discussions and assignments intended to develop a working understanding of the influence of culture in various human organizations. Culture is presented as the fundamental knowledge we use to create adaptive solutions for human problems. National, corporate, community, and group organizations are fundamental expressions of culturally influenced world views and values. Frameworks for observing, analyzing, measuring, and changing culture are presented. Approaches for reconciling conflicts among stakeholders with seemingly different culture values and models for behavior are used in simulations and case discussions.
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

• OC 6443

  Change Leadership Models and Methods

  OC 6443 presents a globally relevant perspective for understanding the dynamics of change leadership. Issues such as power, stakeholders, and conflict are discussed via case studies. Students learn how their own world views, values, and personal behaviors can influence their effectiveness as leaders in different social and organizational contexts. Self-reflection is balanced with group and organizational understanding to analyze the appropriateness and utility of various models and methods for leading change.
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

• OC 6444

  Innovations and Creativity

  Innovation and creativity are critical aspects of organizational change and development in contemporary societies. This course explores the significance of innovation and creativity to the human experience. Relationships among creativity, change, and innovation are discussed within a multidisciplinary perspective. Practical methods for creating innovation in organization and group processes are illustrated via cases and simulations.
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

• OC 6445

  Organizational Behavior

  This course provides HPU graduate students with a broad overview of the OB field. Theoretical and methodological understandings of OB are discussed and analyzed via a combination of practically based cases and research studies. Fundamental aspects of human behavior, such as motivation, communication, decision making, problem solving, power, leadership, conflict resolution, and technology transfer are discussed in a globally appropriate are discussed in a globally appropriate perspective. Both non-Western and Western approaches to OB are compared and discussed.
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

• OC 6446

  Consulting Theory and Practice

  Consulting has become a global industry, with a wide range of professional disciplines involved. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the consulting profession, with particular focus on organizational structures and processes for providing consultation services, product development and marketing, and approaches for implementing effective projects and initiatives. Learning will be enhanced by the use of cases, simulations, and experiential assignments.
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

• OC 6447

  Consulting and Group Process Facilitation

  Participants in this integrative seminar will learn approaches for creating change interventions in organizational settings. Group process, facilitation methods, dealing with stakeholders’ resistance, aligning power systems, and organizational design will be among the issues to be discussed. Learning will be enhanced by cases, simulations, and experiential assignments.
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

• OC 6448

  Assessing Culture

  This course explores the perspective and methods for measuring culture. Included are cases from national, organizational, community, and group contexts. Profes¬sional and disciplinary differences in defining and mea¬suring culture will be compared and evaluated. Methods reviewed include traditional psychometric approaches such as surveys and interview, culturally-appropriate ap¬proaches such as ethnography, scenarios and dilemmas, simulations, and document analysis. Assessing cultural competency will also be a focus in the course. Students will be expected to develop instruments or processes to apply in professional situations.
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

• OC 6449

  Applications of Cultural Competence

  This course explores the applications of cultural compe¬tence in various professional contexts. Cases from orga¬nizational change, ethnic conflict, diversity, international business, education and training, international and com¬munity development, and leadership will be discussed. Students will be expected to develop a project to apply in professional situations.br />Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

Non-OC Core Classes (3 credit hours)

• IS 6010

  Applied Research Methods

  IS 6010 is a course in applied research methods. Its principal objective is to help students deepen their understanding of research analysis techniques and become proficient users and consumers of modern statistical analysis procedures. Participants in this course will learn to apply the scientific method to investigations of research problems arising from observations of social problems and organization-based phenomena. Students will study acceptable methods for collecting, organizing, analyzing, and testing data; and for communicating findings in a professional research environment.
  Prerequisite: IS 6000 or OC 6005.

Capstone Courses (6 credit hours)

• OC 7100

  Professional Paper I

  Initial design and development of the major research paper for students in the MA/OC program.
  Prerequisites: OC 6005, IS 6010 and graduate standing.

• OC 7200

  Professional Paper II

  Continuing design and development of the major research paper for students in the MA/OC program.
  Prerequisite: OC 7100 and graduate standing.