Curriculum

Human Resource Development (MS)

Human Resource Development (MS) Curriculum Apply Immediately to Impact Your Current Workplace

Barry’s Master of Science in Human Resource Development program offers a cutting-edge curriculum that emphasizes best practices and current research. The coursework integrates research with real-world experiences and has a strong skill-building focus. You’ll have the opportunity to learn with scholar-practitioner faculty through project-based learning.

Courses are aligned with competency models put forth by leading professional organizations as the Association for Talent Development (ATD), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Organization Development Network (ODN), and International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI).

Our curriculum allows you to apply learning immediately to impact your workplace. Learn with scholar-practitioner faculty through project-based learning. At the core of our curriculum is the focus on learning as the vehicle to strategic long-term individual and organizational performance improvement.

Core Courses

  • Students will gain foundational knowledge and skills in leveraging people analytics and AI in workforce intelligence to advance learning and development, optimize performance management, and drive human performance improvement. Through an HRD lens, the course explores how analytics and emerging technologies can enhance employee experience, well-being, and strategic talent development initiatives.

  • Delves into the key Human Resource Development (HRD) processes, competencies, and tools required to effectively lead science-based training, performance management, and leadership development functions in organizations.

  • Introduces HRD students to organization development (OD) and exposes them to the foundational knowledge and skills to be able to lead organization-wide change initiatives. Students will learn how to create and apply behavioral-science-based interventions to manage the process of change in today’s complex organizations.

  • Examines the principles of designing and conducting learning experiences in organizations. Students acquire knowledge and skills to strategically use innovative e-learning technologies to impact organizational results and drive performance improvement.

  • Students will learn how to develop and maintain effective learning processes for organizational success.

  • This course strengthens analytical skills for rigorous management research and evidence-based decision-making.

  • Requires students to combine research and consulting skills to design, develop, and implement a hands-on evidence-based project to address an HRD-related problem in an organizational setting.

    *The course holds an official Service-Learning Course designation.

Electives

  • This course introduces the foundational research and practice of professional coaching, exploring its role as a strategic leadership and organizational tool for growth and performance. Students will learn key coaching frameworks, models, and ethical principles while developing essential coaching skills through hands-on practice. The course also examines how advanced technology is shaping coaching in leadership, performance management, and organizational development.

  • Develops an understanding of the process of communication in the context of individual, team, leadership, and organizational effectiveness.

  • Emphasizes knowledge and skills necessary to build an effective team and team relationships to carry out a work-related goal.

  • This course explores the science of inclusion and bias and how they shape leadership behaviors and organizational systems. Students will examine how unconscious patterns, systemic barriers, and decision-making practices influence workplace dynamics. Grounded in research and applied practice, the course equips students to critically analyze organizational contexts, reduce bias, and implement inclusion-focused practices that promote fairness, engagement, and inclusive leadership across a range of professional environments.

  • Overviews the major theories and skill areas in educational planning, career development, and work motivation including understanding career decision-making.

  • The course develops knowledge and mastery of competencies and presentation skills necessary for effective training delivery and facilitation for learning, talent, and leadership development professionals.

  • Focuses on the fundamentals and best practices of the organizational consulting process and design and implementation of an effective performance consulting project. An emphasis is placed on the relationship-building and interpersonal skills required for a successful consulting engagement.

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