Organizational Performance and Change

Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Education and Human Resource Studies 

The Organizational Performance and Change (OPC) PhD program of study is designed for individuals intending to occupy scholarship, research, planning and/or implementation roles associated with strategic human capital development processes, which advance and sustain organizations, industries, and economies engaging in the global imperative.

The course work addresses skill development and understanding of human resource capacity building within the complexities associated with the domestic and international dynamics of culture, economic, politics forces.

Degree candidates are required to actively engage in research with faculty regarding theoretical and applied OPC issues throughout their program of study.

Admission Guidelines

Candidates must have completed a master's degree in a related or supporting discipline, and have a GPA of 3.0.

Experiences in human resources, economic development, multi-national organizations, and/or cross-culture or international programs are appropriate professional background for this program.

View Admission Procedure and Forms

Pre-requisite Course Requirements

All students must have completed - and be able to show competence at elementary level statistics and analysis. Remediation courses taken in preparation for required Ph.D. research courses do not count toward the Ph.D. degree.

Policy on Transfer Credits

Frequently students will take some their elective course work from another university. The advisor must give prior approval to include these courses in the program of study. Up to nine (9) semester credits of graduate course work may be transferred from other universities to partially meet the electives course requirement.

Program of Study (90 Credits)

Research (15 Credits)

EDRM 700 Quantitative Research Methods
3
EDRM 707 Quantitative Data Collection Methods/Analysis
3
EDRM 704 Qualitative Research
3
EDRM 705 Qualitative Data Analysis
3
EDRM 792BV Proposal Development
Var

Specialization Studies (15 Credits)

EDUC 709 Leadership Development
3
EDOD 765 Strategic Planning
3
EDOD 665 Consultation & Analysis in Organizations
3
EDOD 768 Workforce Development
3
EDOD 769 Theory and Practice of Change
3

Concentration Studies (15 Credits)

Select 5 courses from the following the areas of:  Business, Psychology, Education, Sociology, Agriculture, Liberal Arts, Economics, or others areas as approved by the student's academic committee. Suggested courses could include the following or ones approved by your advisor.

EDOD 667 Power, Politics, & Influence in Organizations
3
EDRM 666 Program Evaluation
3
EDOD 668 Learning Transfer
3
EDOD 669 Performance Management
3
EDOD 670 Strategic HRD
3
EDOD 671 Performance Consulting and Causal Analysis
3
EDOD 672 Change Facilitation
3
EDOD 767 Cross-Culture and International Training
3
EDUC 628 Model of Teaching
3
EDUC 629 Classroom and Communications
3
EDUC 713 Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development
3
PY 644 Industrial/Organizational Psychology I
3
PY 645 Industrial/Organizational Psychology II
3
S 633 Theories of Modern Organizations
3

Dissertation (15 Credits)

Faculty

The principal OPC faculty includes:

  • Dr. Jerry W. Gilley, Program Chair, Professor of Organizational Performance and Change
  • Jeff Boulter, Department of Management, Colorado State University
  • Dr. Thomas Chermack, Assistant Professor, OPC
  • Dr. Rich Feller, Professor, Career Development
  • Dr. Ann Gilley, Associate Professor, Department of Management, Ferris State University
  • Dr. Don Venneberg, Assistant Professor, OPC
  • Alina Waite, Instructor, OPC

In combination, the OPC faculty present over 150 years of world-of-work professional experience and over 75 years of service as university professors. Their aggregate contribution to the field is over 24 books and 300+ published items.