To fulfill the requirements for the Certificate in Organization Dynamics and Leadership, students complete six courses / 18 credits: three from the Required Core Courses and three electives. A letter requesting the Certificate in Organization Dynamics and Leadership is required when all six courses / 18 credits have been completed. All credits in the Certificate in Organization Dynamics and Leadership Program are transferable to the Master’s Degree.
Admission Requirements
Those with a B.A./B.S.
A completed online application.
A $35.00 non-refundable application fee.
Official transcripts of all coursework from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended.
A letter of intention outlining the candidate’s professional goals and educational objectives for attending the program of their choice.
A current resume detailing professional work experience.
Two letters of recommendation.
Those with a M.A./M.S.
A completed online application.
A $35.00 non-refundable application fee.
Official transcripts of all coursework from the graduate institution attended.
A letter of intention outlining the candidate’s professional goals and educational objectives for attending the program of their choice.
A current resume detailing professional work experience.
Two letters of recommendation.
Three Required Core Courses (CPODL)
ODL 655 Organization Change and Culture (TOD 4165) - 3 credits
This foundation course provides the conceptual framework for all the other courses in the Organization Dynamics and Leadership concentration. Course focuses on understanding the critical leadership characteristics and competencies required for guiding the organization through strategic and operational change initiatives. Relationship between cultural issues and successful change implementation is explored. Students learn how to close the gap between knowing and doing through specific teaching and learning strategies. ODL Concentration Requirement
ODL 670 Facilitative Leadership and Organization Development (TOD 4175) - 3 credits
Course presents an overview of the fundamental competencies of facilitative leadership and their relationship to guiding organizational change. Practical skills and approaches are studied such as: individual behavior, change techniques, influence methods and management approaches. An integrated approach is emphasized that connects the critical leadership characteristics with facilitative leadership competencies. ODL Concentration Requirement. Prerequisite ODL 655
ODL 660 Strategic Leadership (TOD 4155) - 3 credits
This course emphasizes the integration of leadership theory and behavior with strategic planning. Students have the opportunity to review work projects and explore how communications, perceptions, behaviors, culture, and current events impact the outcome of projects and initiatives. Relationships between organizational dynamics, culture, and leadership are explored through the lens of strategic change initiatives. Specific strategies are considered and students begin to explore new ways of looking at leadership and their own behaviors in order to successfully implement strategies. Students attend a skill weekend where they reflect on the assumptions underlying their leadership actions. ALT Concentration Requirement.
Choose Three Specialized Electives (CPODL)
EDL 655 Interpersonal Relations (4315) - 3 credits
A study of the dynamics of interpersonal, intragroup, and intergroup relations. Emphasis will be placed on the teaching/learning process as well as the counselor/client relationship. A variety of instructional approaches, including lectures, discussions, and group activities will be utilized to develop interpersonal skills.
HED 580 Leadership Principles (4825) - 3 credits
An introductory course to acquaint the learner with needs and roles in supervisional activity. Management styles, functions, and analyses, as well as behavioral theory, are evaluated. Planning and decision-making, dealing with the change process, motivation, coaching and counseling techniques, performance appraisal, and control are examined.
HED 575 Stress and Crisis Management (4855) - 3 credits
Study of health problems related to stress and exploration of methods to reduce the impact of stressors to improve bio-psychosocial health. Demonstrates how to identify, isolate, and manage a crisis and how to foresee future crises, as well as how to develop contingency plans. Physiology of stress, relaxation, biofeedback, fear control, and cognitive reacting are skills studied in relation to stress management.
ODL 646 Career Development (ORG 7025) - 3 credits
Course provides students with an experiential understanding of the process of career development. Through a primarily experiential approach, where students craft their own career vision, students have an opportunity to engage key concepts in the field of career development.. In addition, topics such as assessment, gender, choice, interventions and career management are experienced and discussed.
ODL 630 Leadership and Team Development (ORG 7035) - 3 credits
Course focuses on theories and practices required in leading and developing teams. Issues of leadership behavior, interpersonal relations, group roles and stages of development are examined in an experiential laboratory. Requirement OPD.
ODL 605 Performance Consulting (TOD 4135) - 3 credits
Course presents to the Organization Development and Leadership professional the practical tools necessary to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of learning and change programs. A specific technology is presented in a step-by-step approach, which links the collaborative consulting process with performance assessment. The course focuses on increasing students' ability to communicate and work with leaders in their organizations. ALT and OPD Concentration Requirement
ODL 648 Conflict and
Negotiation (TOD 5205) - 3 credits
The course involves students in a process that includes research, conflict
analysis and communication. Modeled in part upon the Harvard Negotiation
Project's Getting to Yes methodology, the course also involves newly emerging
practices that challenge the notion of argument and encourages exchange between
disputing parties. The focus of the course is to help students hear and
understand one another's stories who are embroiled in a conflict.
ODL 690 Creative Problem Solving (TOD 5215) - 3 credits
Creative problem solving is an essential skill for people working in complex organizations. Creative thinkers reflect on the assumptions underlying actions and consider new ways of looking at and living in the world. They use methods to identify new alternatives. This course is a comprehensive guide for making worthwhile, influential and creative contributions at work. Students have an opportunity to identify and overcome personal and organizational barriers to develop breakthrough thinking.
ODL 680 Coaching and Mentoring Skills (TOD 5245) - 3 credits
Interactive course focuses on increasing the student's ability to communicate and influence leaders, peers, participants, and clients. Specific topic areas include giving and receiving feedback, identifying and understanding communication style preferences, learning how to listen for the "real issues," coaching and influencing skills and corporate mentoring programs. Required 625 or 680 OPD
TOD 5295 Implementing Change 3 Credits
Course aids students in designing and effectively implementing change programs and projects while achieving and sustaining performance. Students have an opportunity to create change models and processes form both experience and research. Major issues impacting change will be discussed. One major aspect of the course is to understand resistance and learn techniques to overcome resistance to change. Models, processes and issues focus on corporate, group and the individual level.
ODL 665 Leading Teams (TOD 5255) - 3 credits
Course focuses on working within groups to explain the major concepts in group dynamics and learning skills/techniques to work with groups in a training environment. Areas of discussion include advantages and disadvantages of problem solving in groups, identifying constructive and destructive group behavior, mechanics of participation, function of group norms in group process, influence and power in groups, stages of group maturity, and roles taken by group members.