Course work in this specialization provides a blend of theory and practice. Core courses build heavily on theories of learning, instructional design, and instructional methods. OD is defined as the application of social science knowledge to improve performance in work organizations at the individual, team, organizational, and inter-organizational levels. OD is an area of professional practice that is important for public and private organizations and institutions alike. LD is often seen as a subset of OD, but its prominence and high visibility in HRD and community college practice make it an important area of research and professional practice in its own right.
Leadership is conceptualized broadly.
The focus in this specialization is on the empirical research and professional practice of identifying, developing, and promoting leadership behavior in a variety of settings. The Evaluation and Assessment specialization is designed to prepare students for positions that utilize assessment and evaluation. These could include individuals who will direct evaluations within corporate universities or HRD and community college professionals with other responsibilities that use evaluation and assessment to support their work. This specialization concentrates on models and methods of evaluating programs, processes, and products in education, business, healthcare, the military, and non-profit and government organizations. Evaluation, at its most basic level, is defined as a process of determining worth and merit.