Graduate Specializations
In our Master's degree programs, students choose a core program and then select a specialization area, consisting of 4 courses. Specializations allow you to select a concentration area in a career-relevant field to complement your program of study based on your professional and personal interests. Since specialization courses are highly-specialized and applied in nature, these courses should be taken once all core program coursework requirements are met.
Not all specializations are available with every program, so contact an adivsor for more information.- Applied Business Management
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The specialization will facilitate student acquisition of skills need for an analytic approach to organizational assessment for decision-making and leadership purposes.
Course Descriptions
ACT 500 - Managerial Accounting: Understand and apply accounting information for effective financial decision making in the strategic planning process.
FIN 500 - Principles of Finance: Understand the principles and theories of finance to analyze statements and fiscal information for effective decision-making in today's competitive environment.
MGT 510 - Strategy Planning: Examine and apply the concepts and theories of strategic planning in present-day organizations. Understand how strategy is developed and the affects of integration through the various disciplines of an organization.
ORG 505 - Organizational Change: Analyze and contrast the theories and decision processes of change management. Understand the various methods to instigate appropriate change within industries and organizations including technology, market opportunities, core competencies, and skills acquisition.
- Human Resource Management
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This knowledge-based program provides the theory and application information necessary to integrate the human resource role with the strategic goals of an organization to effectively manage people in today’s global and dynamic marketplace. The program emphasizes developing the skills needed to strategically manage, train, and develop human resources for enhanced organizational performance while providing the information needed to obtain HR certification by the Society for Human Resource Management and for the CSU-Global Certificate of Completion.
Course Descriptions
MGT 515 - Managing Human Resources: Analyze the implications of the recruitment, staffing, evaluation and development of employees in the strategic management of a high performance workforce. Examine the economics of labor and the effects of legislative and legal decisions in the administration and management of employees.
MGT 516 - Effective Labor Management: Analyze the collective bargaining process and the impact of public policy on industrial relations. Understand the administrative functions of human resource management and the field of labor relations.
ORG 520 - Managing Performance for Results: Understand the design and execution of successful management systems and processes. Examine utilization and outcomes of performance appraisals, compensation, and training on organization effectiveness.
ORG 522 - Global Human Resource Management: Examine the cross-cultural issues in managing organization behavior. From a global management perspective, explore bargaining behavior, recruitment, selection, training, and compensation issues. - Online Program Development
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This specialization provides the knowledge and insights needed by educators and trainers to create educational programs for nontraditional learners. It also examines and synthesizes key factors of online educational environments and effective strategies for online learning.
Course Descriptions
OTL500 - Administration, Management and Planning in Educational Organizations. Historical and contemporary perspectives of management and organization in educational organizations in the United States. Course surveys modern institutional concerns in both secondary and postsecondary institutions.
OTL520 - The Adult and Nontraditional Learner. Introduction to adult and nontraditional learners; current theory, research, and practice relating to various nontraditional student populations are examined.
OTL521 - Strategies for Teaching Adult and Nontraditional Learners: Advanced examination of adult nontraditional students in educational and training settings; with emphasis on distance learning instructional techniques, critical reflection, and application.
OTL542 - Online Learning Technologies. Survey of methods and critical reflection of various current and emerging technologies for online and distance learning, with emphasis on selecting appropriate technologies for effective instruction. - Online Teaching and Learning
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For the traditional educator or organizational trainer in all types of organizations, this specialization provides the knowledge of how to develop, manage, and teach online educational programs. When paired with the Core Courses, this specialization qualifies students for Sloan-C Certification.
Course Descriptions
OTL542 - Online Learning Technologies: Survey of methods and critical reflection of various current and emerging technologies for online anddistance learning, with emphasis on selecting appropriate technologies for effective instruction.
OTL550 - Curriculum Development and Design: Philosophies and theories guiding the development of curriculum and courses for effective learning. Practical application in establishing quality assurance models for teaching and learning at the instructional level.
OTL560 - Facilitating Learning and Transfer: An evaluation of contemporary learning theories, with emphasis on major issues, research findings, and application of learning principles to online teaching and learning. Students will examine online instructional strategies and practice facilitation techniques that promote learning transfer. The course also provides students with essential knowledge and skills in preparation for the capstone course.
OTL541 - Evaluation and Assessment in Online Learning: Examination of methods and techniques for evaluation and assessment of learning in the distance and online learning context. Analysis of contemporary issues in online assessment. - Organizational Leadership and Change Management
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This program is designed to equip and empower mid-to senior level managers for future corporate growth in the fast-paced and technologically driven reality of today’s marketplace. The program is ideal for established, mature managers who need new skills and a facilitated learning environment to acquire the knowledge and insights necessary to compete in a global economy over the next decade. The program enhances manager ability to learn and adapt to new ideas and new perspectives, while providing them with the critical thinking and evaluative skills vital to market innovation and adaption.
Course Descriptions
ORG505 - Organizational Change: Analyze and contrast the theories of change management. Understand the various methods to instigate appropriate change within industries and organizations including technology, market opportunities, core competencies, and skills acquisition.
ORG521 - Managing Dynamic Environments: Examine the factors and theories for effective change management. Examine strategies, structures, and techniques for facilitating organizational change for competitive success in today's dynamic business environment.
ORG515 - Dynamics of Power in Organizations: Focus on the influence of power in the organization. Examine the role of leadership and human behavior related to power issues encountered in organizations. Consider the positive and negative outcomes of the influence of power as a leader, manager, and team member.
ORG560 - Leadership Development: Explore the tools, models, and practices for leadership development. Gain a working knowledge of developing leadership skills and programs for future leaders to effectively compete in a global world. - Organizational Training and Instructional Design
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For the traditional and online educator or trainer in all types of organizations, this specialization provides instruction theory and applied basics to effectively teach and train.
Course Descriptions
OTL520 - The Adult and Nontraditional Learner: Introduction to adult and nontraditional learners; current theory, research, and practice relating to various nontraditional student populations are examined.
OTL531 - Models of Instructional Delivery: Examination and analysis of historical and contemporary models for delivery of instruction. Focus on applications of instructional methods in the virtual classroom, as well as other distributed learning models.
OTL540 - Instructional Theory and Design Principles: Introduction to instructional system design theories and models used in distance learning settings. Practical emphasis on application of these theories to effective course design.
OTL570 - Program Planning and Development: Establishing online learning programs for adult and nontraditional learners. Focus on research, strategic and business planning, development, and evaluation. - Strategic Innovation and Change Management
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Provides the information, skills, and strategies for managing organizational behavior in innovative and dynamic environments.
Course Descriptions
ORG505 - Organizational Change: Analyze and contrast the theories of change management. Understand the various methods to instigate appropriate change within industries and organizations including technology, market opportunities, core competencies, and skills acquisition.
ORG515 - Dynamics of Power in Organizations: Focus on the influence of power in the organization. Examine the role of leadership and human behavior related to power issues encountered in organizations. Consider the positive and negative outcomes of the influence of power as a leader, manager, and team member.
ORG520 - Managing Performance for Results: Understand the design and execution of successful management systems and processes. Examine utilization and outcomes of performance appraisals, compensation, and training on organization effectiveness.ORG521 - Managing Dynamic Environments: Examine the factors and theories for effective change management. Examine strategies, structures, and techniques for facilitating organizational change for competitive success in today's dynamic business environment.
- Teacher Leadership
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Gain the skills needed to lead in the classroom, institution, and within larger contexts through policy-making. Employ existing knowledge in teaching and learning to advance the concept of teachers as change agents to share experience and insights with policymakers, educators, and other stakeholders.
Course Descriptions
OTL505 - Educational Systems and Change: Examines the process of change in education, focusing on teacher’s role as leader and facilitator.
OTL510 - Teacher Leadership: Highlights skills needed in developing teachers as leaders of change in education systems and institutions.
OTL515 - Teacher as a Change Agent: Introduces strategies for professional growth including interpretation of research and professional collaboration to lead and advocate for effective change.
OTL560 - Facilitating Learning and Transfer: Synthesize factors affecting learning transfer and their application in organizations.
Please note that minor course name changes may apply. The Academic Catalog under which students are admitted supersedes general information provided on the website. In addition, students should be advised that actual degree plans may vary based upon a full transfer credit evaluation.