About
Bring effective learning into the business or nonprofit world. Find out the best practices and theory for developing learning programs for adult learners across different environments, including traditional schools. You'll also explore the best ways to develop and adapt instructional programs to not just help individuals grow, but to advance the organization’s goals. An internship ensures you leave with hands-on experience.
The Human and Organizational Development Bachelor of Arts, which is online, lends insights from psychology, sociology and management to foster a deep understanding of human behavior within organizations. Our experiential learning opportunities empower you with informed, compassionate leadership that helps individuals and organizations thrive.
Career Paths
- Corporate trainer and development leader
- Human resources/employee relations professional
- Talent development specialist
- Instructional designer
- Community outreach/nonprofit coordinator
- Training and development specialist
- Talent acquisition specialist
At a Glance
Degree Earned
Bachelor's in Education (B.A.)
Credits: 120
Application Information
First-year students
As of April 10, 2025, VCU is currently accepting applications for first-year students entering Fall 2025. Apply and check for updates here.
Transfer students
Transfer students may apply for entry in Fall 2025 until April 17, 2025. Apply and check for updates here.
International students
Undergraduate international first-year and transfer students, apply and check for updates here.
VCU enrolled undergraduates
Declare or change your major.
Program Entry / Delivery Mode
Fall or spring
Online
Estimated Completion Time
Full-time (at least 12 credits): average completion in 4 years for first-year students; 2 years for transfer students
Part-time (11 credits or less): average completion in 4 years for transfer students; 6 years for first-year students
Hear From Our Students
Program Highlight
“It’s tangible learning like project management, building and collaborating with teams. When I think about being a leader and building high-performing teams, this really felt like the right fit. I’m thankful that I found this program!"
“{Human and Organizational Development} is all of the pieces that come together to create a high-performing team. The human aspect of how to connect with people, how to get things done, how to plan and strategize…you can’t get the job done without the people, so how you’re investing in them and working towards those goals together.”
Leticia Cherry
B.A. in Human and Organizational Development
May 2025 graduate
Curriculum requirements
The B.A. in Human and Organizational Development will require a minimum of 120 credit hours. The program includes a required internship to provide students practical experience through experiential learning activities. The focus of the curriculum is to provide students with the practical courses which will prepare them for positions in human resource development and organizational development in for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
Degree requirements for Human and Organizational Development, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General education | ||
| Select 30 credits of general education courses in consultation with an adviser. | 30 | |
| Major requirements | ||
| • Major core requirements | ||
| ADLT 300 ADLT 300. Introduction to Human and Organizational Development. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the basic theories and concepts of organizational development and human resource development. Students will explore core aspects of the field of HRD including its foundations, basic theories, mission and goals, areas of emphasis, and issues and trends in the field. Students will also explore the definition and history of OD, fundamental theories, and the key steps of the OD process. | Introduction to Human and Organizational Development | 3 |
| ADLT 301 ADLT 301. Adult Learning Theory and Practice. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course provides an overview of learning and development in adulthood, beginning with the historical development of the field and its philosophical underpinnings. Concepts, models, theories and research in the field of adult learning will be addressed, with an emphasis on practical application of adult learning principles. The psychological and social aspects of adult learning are also addressed, as well as the effects of age on learning and motivations for learning. | Adult Learning Theory and Practice | 3 |
| ADLT 302 ADLT 302. Basics of Instructional Design for Adult Learners. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Instructional design has been described as the process used to design, implement and evaluate learning solutions for adults. This course provides an overview of the instructional design process, including how to assess the needs of an organization, build a learning product that relates to the identified needs and how to evaluate how well the learning solution addresses those needs. Modern instructional design models and frameworks will be discussed, with an emphasis on practical application. This course will be especially helpful for those that work, or plan to work, to support and improve the learning in their organizations. | Basics of Instructional Design for Adult Learners | 3 |
| ADLT 303 ADLT 303. Facilitation Skills for Human and Organizational Development. 2 Hours.
Semester course; 2 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 2 credits. This course provides an overview of the knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate and deliver professional presentations and group meetings in various settings. Participants will learn the basics of workshop and group facilitation, including how to plan for the session and how to select appropriate support materials. Participants will also identify effective methods for the facilitation of workshops, in-person meetings and virtual meetings. Instruction will involve dynamic group exercises, experiential role-plays and mini lectures, with a key emphasis on practicing and experiencing facilitation in a variety of settings. | Facilitation Skills for Human and Organizational Development | 2 |
| ADLT 304 ADLT 304. Designing Online Learning for Adult Learners. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Learning in an online environment is different when compared to learning in a face-to-face classroom environment. Online education can pose a variety of special challenges for both the students and the instructors, but it can also provide completely different opportunities to engage, collaborate and learn. This course is designed to provide an overview of how to design instruction for the unique needs of adult online learners. Participants will examine online teaching strategies and instructional design practices, as well as discover methods that can lead to online learning success, while developing an appreciation for how adult learning theory can inform effective online instruction. | Designing Online Learning for Adult Learners | 3 |
| ADLT 400 ADLT 400. Developing Intercultural Competencies in the Workplace: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course is designed to explore the intersection of personal and professional identity as it relates to workplace culture, climate and working relationships. Ultimately, it seeks to aid in the development and understanding of concepts and theories that underpin people relations in professional spaces. Throughout the course students are exposed to various theories and frameworks that situate social identity within larger social structures using the lens of sociological and psychological constructs. In an effort to enhance this understanding, students can expect to explore concepts and theories such as cultural competence, feedback, social cognitive career theory, organizational culture and social identity theory. Additionally, students will begin to contextualize prejudice and oppression and consider how they have operated historically in the workplace and continue to manifest within various social systems. The course intentionally focuses on issues of diversity, inclusion, cultural competence and equity. It is designed to prepare students to be knowledgeable of biases based on social identities (race, ethnicity, culture, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, social and economic status, political ideology, ability status, etc.) and how each of these contributes to experiences in the workplace. | Developing Intercultural Competencies in the Workplace: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity | 3 |
| ADLT 401 ADLT 401. Organizational Development and Change. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course offers a practical and realistic approach to the study of organizational development from the standpoint of its relationship to an overall program of change. While it introduces theoretical and historical foundations of the field, it uses a conceptual framework for understanding the relevant issues in OD coupled with an experiential learning approach which focuses on the development of interpersonal skills that can be applied to life and future job situations. Students will be able to readily experience OD through the use of concepts, theories, illustrations and company examples that show how OD is applied. By engaging in this deeper involvement in the learning process, a lasting impact and/or meaning should be produced, which will result in improved skill and performance. | Organizational Development and Change | 3 |
| ADLT 404 ADLT 404. Team Learning and Development. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course will explore basic issues and dilemmas fundamental to all groups, such as leadership, mission, goals, group member roles, stages of group development and issues in team performance. The course provides opportunities for learners to examine personal roles and contributions to groups through team assignments. Through an examination of group theory, models and practices, students will explore the nature of intragroup and intergroup behavior, along with the often unconscious processes that occur in the group-as-a-whole. | Team Learning and Development | 3 |
| ADLT 405 ADLT 405. Project Management in Learning and Development. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course focuses on a holistic and realistic sociotechnical view of project management, meaning that it encompasses both the technical and sociocultural dimensions of project management and how they interact to determine the fate of projects. It is framed through the lens of application for the learning and development field where emphasis is not only on how the management process works, but also on why it works. Throughout this course, students will learn practical techniques for rolling out performance improvement solutions through learning and development that solve a business problem. This course will also give a comprehensive and integrative understanding of the project management process which will be useful for those at any level of an organization assigned to work on projects. | Project Management in Learning and Development | 3 |
| ADLT 406 ADLT 406. Consulting Skills in Adult Learning Environments. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course is an introduction to the concepts, methods and skills required for effective process consultation, or helping, in a variety of adult learning environments including for-profit and nonprofit organizations, higher education, government and other community-based settings in which the adult educator is attempting to effect change. As such, this is a course in developing influencing skills. Implicit in the process consultation model is the assumption that all organizational problems are problems involving human interactions. No matter what technical, financial or structural problems are involved, humans are always involved in managing and implementing the solutions proposed for change strategies. Therefore, understanding human processes and the necessary requirements for change to occur are essential aspects of consulting. | Consulting Skills in Adult Learning Environments | 3 |
| ADLT 490 ADLT 490. Internship in Human and Organizational Development. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 field experience hours. 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students who have completed a minimum of 21 hours of 300-level ADLT courses course work from the B.A. in Human and Organizational Development core and with approval of the adviser. This course should be taken during the senior year of the program, or after 21 hours of study within the major, to ensure students have the background and experience to be successful during the internship. This program is designed to offer experiential learning activities in an off-campus environment. Ideal activities for an internship experience provide the student with an opportunity to explore human resource development career interests, while making lived connections between academic theory and practical application in a work environment. Proposed internship activities must first be discussed and approved by the academic adviser, and then completed under the guidance of an on-site supervisor and the faculty sponsor of this course. A minimum of 125 clock hours of learning activities are required. | Internship in Human and Organizational Development | 3 |
| EDUS 301 EDUS 301. Human Development and Learning. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. A study of human development through the life span with special emphasis on child and adolescent psychology, the nature of learning and basic concepts of learning theories. | Human Development and Learning | 3 |
| Ancillary requirements | ||
| PSYC 101 PSYC 101. Introduction to Psychology. 4 Hours.Play course video for Introduction to Psychology
Semester course; 3 lecture and 1 computer-assisted laboratory hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 4 credits. A survey of the basic principles, methods of investigation and fields of study and application. Includes individualized application of principles and methods in computerized learning activities. This course is a prerequisite for upper-level work in the field of psychology. | Introduction to Psychology (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and AOI for diversities in the human experience) | 4 |
| SOCY 101 SOCY 101. Introduction to Sociology. 3 Hours.Play course video for Introduction to Sociology
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. An introduction to the study of human society. The basic concepts of society and culture and their relationships to each other are studied and then used to analyze the major social institutions. | Introduction to Sociology (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and AOI for diversities in the human experience) | 3 |
| Restricted electives (Select 15 credits from the following.) | 15 | |
ACCT 202 ACCT 202. Accounting for Non-business Majors. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. The course is open only to non-business students. A nontechnical introduction to the principles of financial and managerial accounting with emphasis on the use and interpretation of financial reports, managerial planning and control. The course is for the individual who seeks a basic knowledge of accounting and its uses. It is designed for the user of accounting information rather than the preparer. This course cannot be substituted for ACCT 203, 204 or 205. Students graduating with a major in the School of Business cannot receive credit for this course. | Accounting for Non-business Majors | |
ADLT 305 ADLT 305. Technology for Learning and Development. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered in hybrid format). 3 credits. Technology, both current and future, is the backbone for creating online learning. This course examines tools that structure and support online learning and instructional design with particular emphasis on the unique affordances and challenges of each tool, including tools used for producing, delivering and supporting online/hybrid learning and technology-enhanced learning. This course will be especially helpful for those who work, or plan to work, to support and improve the learning in their organizations through developing online learning solutions. | Technology for Learning and Development | |
ADLT 407 ADLT 407. Culture and Instructional Design. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered in hybrid format). 3 credits. This course is intended to enhance knowledge and skills in the design and delivery of e-learning content for the increasingly diverse population of adult learners within the context of current global, national and regional current events. E-learning content includes hybrid, or blended, learning, online courses and learning modules, and face-to-face courses that integrate technology. Creation of successful e-learning requires skills beyond the integration of technologies, such as digital audio and/or video, animation, social networking tools, virtual worlds, screen capture software, digital images, collaborative document editing, as well as linked content. Successful e-learning in the 21st century demands an understanding of the context in which the designer works, including considerations of current events, diversity and inclusion, and an understanding of trends in emerging technologies. This course provides a survey of these trends and the understanding of instructional design methodologies within this context. | Culture and Instructional Design | |
BUSN 323 BUSN 323. Legal Environment of Business. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students who have achieved sophomore standing. Basic legal concepts applicable to business, including the legal aspects of operating a business, contracts, employment relationships, sales, and bailments and commercial paper. Also includes ethical considerations and social and political influences. Students may not receive degree credit for both BUSN 323 and ACCT/MGMT 481. This course was formerly numbered MGMT 323 and SCMA 323. | Legal Environment of Business | |
CLED 405 CLED 405. A Survey of Career Counseling. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course provides a broad overview of career counseling. Focus will be on current issues and problems facing individuals as they choose and manage careers during the lifespan. Students will also be introduced to the major career theories including how values, diversity, skills and interests shape career choices and development. | A Survey of Career Counseling | |
EDUS 202 EDUS 202. Diversity, Democracy and Ethics. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. This course engages students in critical exploration of public education in the United States within sociocultural, historical and philosophical contexts. It examines the relationships between an increasingly diverse society and education in a democracy. Students will be taught the ethical obligations of educational professionals and how to become active agents for democratic, equity-oriented schools. In addition, the course will explore legal and policy aspects of education. | Diversity, Democracy and Ethics | |
EDUS 304 EDUS 304. Educational Psychology for Teacher Preparation. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. The application of psychological principles to the teaching-learning process, with special emphasis on theories of learning and development. This course explores the application of psychological principles to the teaching-learning process, with special emphasis on learning and development. Intended specifically for pre- and in-service educators, the course will require students to apply theory and research in educational psychology to their prior, current and future teaching experiences. | Educational Psychology for Teacher Preparation | |
MGMT 310 MGMT 310. Managing People in Organizations. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students who have completed at least 54 credits (junior standing). Introduces students to the management of people in organizations, focusing on the managerial skills, knowledge and activities needed for a successful business operation. Topics include planning, organizing, staffing and leading; effectively utilizing human capital to achieve an organization’s objectives in today’s competitive environment. | Managing People in Organizations | |
MGMT 319 MGMT 319. Leadership. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MGMT 310. This course is restricted to students who have completed at least 54 credit hours (junior standing). Coverage of the major approaches to leadership considering individual, team, organizational and cultural perspectives. Emphasis on self-assessment and on historical and contemporary leadership cases. | Leadership | |
MGMT 331 MGMT 331. Human Resource Management. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SCMA 301, STAT 210 or STAT 212. This course is restricted to students who have completed a minimum of 54 credit hours (junior standing). Introduces students to the role of human resource management in attracting and retaining a productive workforce. Includes human resource planning, recruitment and selection; employee diversity and development; performance appraisal and reward systems; labor and employee relations; and public policy related to HRM practices. | Human Resource Management | |
MGMT 403 MGMT 403. Human Resource Development. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: junior standing. Designed to improve qualifications of those seeking employment in the human resources field. Focuses on human resource development and organization development and their relationship to human resource management. | Human Resource Development | |
SEDP 330 SEDP 330. Survey of Special Education. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Presents an overview of the historical basis and regulatory requirements related to special education, including the individual education program as a legal document and the rights and responsibilities of parents, teachers and schools. The characteristics of learners with disabilities and their educational and medical implications are also examined, as well as the cultural, familial and ethical issues involved. | Survey of Special Education | |
SEDP 495 SEDP 495. Universal Design for Learning and Transition. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. The purpose of this course is to provide students with evidence of each of the components of universal design for learning within access to the general academic curriculum -- multiple means of representation, expression and engagement. Students will engage in an understanding of theories of learning and development, including cognitive and learning processes, social-emotional development, practices for culturally and linguistically diverse learnings, such as English learners, gifted and talented students and students with disabilities, in individual and universal contexts. Additional focus is placed on UDL components linked to effective transition planning embedded within academic instruction targeting successful transitions to postsecondary educational settings. Emphasis is placed on beginning research on the use of this approach and its promising practice for addressing academic and transition goals as well as increasing student motivation and self-determination. | Universal Design for Learning and Transition | |
STUA XXX Study abroad | ||
TEDU 552 TEDU 552. Methods for Teaching Multilingual Learners. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Provides students who plan to teach people whose native language is not English with a variety of instructional/learning strategies. Presents and explores current approaches and methodology, as these relate to linguistic features and pedagogy. Crosslisted as: ENGL 552/LING 552. | Methods for Teaching Multilingual Learners | |
| Open electives | ||
| Select any course. 1 | 37-42 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Students may choose the number of electives credits needed in order to reach the degree program minimum of 120 credits.
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.
Recommended course sequence/plan of study
| Freshman year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall semester | Hours | |
| ADLT 300 ADLT 300. Introduction to Human and Organizational Development. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the basic theories and concepts of organizational development and human resource development. Students will explore core aspects of the field of HRD including its foundations, basic theories, mission and goals, areas of emphasis, and issues and trends in the field. Students will also explore the definition and history of OD, fundamental theories, and the key steps of the OD process. | Introduction to Human and Organizational Development | 3 |
| SOCY 101 SOCY 101. Introduction to Sociology. 3 Hours.Play course video for Introduction to Sociology
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. An introduction to the study of human society. The basic concepts of society and culture and their relationships to each other are studied and then used to analyze the major social institutions. | Introduction to Sociology (satisfies BOK for social/behavioral science and AOI for diversities in the human experience) | 3 |
| UNIV 111 UNIV 111. Focused Inquiry I. 3 Hours.Play course video for Focused Inquiry I
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Utilizes contemporary themes to give students opportunities and practice in writing, critical thinking, oral presentation, collaborative learning, information retrieval and evaluation, and social and civic responsibilities. Incorporates common reading materials and course activities across all sections. | Introduction to Focused Inquiry: Investigation and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| General education quantitative foundation course (MATH 131 MATH 131. Introduction to Contemporary Mathematics. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. Topics include optimization problems, data handling, growth and symmetry, and mathematics with applications in areas of social choice. Major emphasis is on the process of taking a real-world situation, converting the situation to an abstract modeling problem, solving the problem and applying what is learned to the original situation. The course does not serve as a prerequisite for MATH 139, MATH 141, MATH 151 or other advanced mathematical sciences courses. STAT 208. Statistical Thinking. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Prerequisite: satisfactory score on the VCU Mathematics Placement Test within the one-year period immediately preceding the beginning of the course, or a minimum grade of C in MATH 131, MATH 139, MATH 141, MATH 151, MATH 200 or MATH 201. An exploration of the use of statistics in the world around us through in-depth case studies. Emphasis is on understanding statistical studies, charts, tables and graphs frequently seen in various media sources. Some lectures involve activities centered on case studies. Students may receive credit toward graduation for only one of STAT 206, STAT 208, STAT 210, STAT 212, STAT 312 or SCMA 301. | 3 | |
| Open electives | 3-4 | |
| Term Hours: | 15-16 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| ADLT 303 ADLT 303. Facilitation Skills for Human and Organizational Development. 2 Hours.
Semester course; 2 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 2 credits. This course provides an overview of the knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate and deliver professional presentations and group meetings in various settings. Participants will learn the basics of workshop and group facilitation, including how to plan for the session and how to select appropriate support materials. Participants will also identify effective methods for the facilitation of workshops, in-person meetings and virtual meetings. Instruction will involve dynamic group exercises, experiential role-plays and mini lectures, with a key emphasis on practicing and experiencing facilitation in a variety of settings. | Facilitation Skills for Human and Organizational Development | 2 |
| PSYC 101 PSYC 101. Introduction to Psychology. 4 Hours.Play course video for Introduction to Psychology
Semester course; 3 lecture and 1 computer-assisted laboratory hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 4 credits. A survey of the basic principles, methods of investigation and fields of study and application. Includes individualized application of principles and methods in computerized learning activities. This course is a prerequisite for upper-level work in the field of psychology. | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| UNIV 112 UNIV 112. Focused Inquiry II. 3 Hours.Play course video for Focused Inquiry II
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Prerequisite: UNIV 111 or equivalent. Builds on skills introduced in UNIV 111 by providing practice in expository essays, argument and contextual analysis. Focuses on practice in writing in a variety of genres, framing writing according to both purpose and audience and identifying academically valid sources. Students must earn a minimum grade of C to receive credit for this course. | Focused Inquiry II (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| General education course (select BOK for natural sciences) | 3 | |
| Open electives | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Sophomore year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| ADLT 301 ADLT 301. Adult Learning Theory and Practice. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course provides an overview of learning and development in adulthood, beginning with the historical development of the field and its philosophical underpinnings. Concepts, models, theories and research in the field of adult learning will be addressed, with an emphasis on practical application of adult learning principles. The psychological and social aspects of adult learning are also addressed, as well as the effects of age on learning and motivations for learning. | Adult Learning Theory and Practice | 3 |
| UNIV 200 UNIV 200. Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Prerequisite: UNIV 112 or HONR 250 with a minimum grade of C. Asks students to consider real-world applications of writing and research. Students will develop critical analysis, inquiry-based research skills, communication of argument and research across media. Work represents the culmination of foundational ConnectED competencies developed in UNIV 111 and UNIV 112. Students must earn a minimum grade of C to receive credit for this course. | Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | |
| Restricted Elective | 3 | |
| Open electives | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| ADLT 304 ADLT 304. Designing Online Learning for Adult Learners. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Learning in an online environment is different when compared to learning in a face-to-face classroom environment. Online education can pose a variety of special challenges for both the students and the instructors, but it can also provide completely different opportunities to engage, collaborate and learn. This course is designed to provide an overview of how to design instruction for the unique needs of adult online learners. Participants will examine online teaching strategies and instructional design practices, as well as discover methods that can lead to online learning success, while developing an appreciation for how adult learning theory can inform effective online instruction. | Designing Online Learning for Adult Learners | 3 |
| EDUS 301 EDUS 301. Human Development and Learning. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. A study of human development through the life span with special emphasis on child and adolescent psychology, the nature of learning and basic concepts of learning theories. | Human Development and Learning | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Open electives | 6 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Junior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| ADLT 302 ADLT 302. Basics of Instructional Design for Adult Learners. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Instructional design has been described as the process used to design, implement and evaluate learning solutions for adults. This course provides an overview of the instructional design process, including how to assess the needs of an organization, build a learning product that relates to the identified needs and how to evaluate how well the learning solution addresses those needs. Modern instructional design models and frameworks will be discussed, with an emphasis on practical application. This course will be especially helpful for those that work, or plan to work, to support and improve the learning in their organizations. | Basics of Instructional Design for Adult Learners | 3 |
| ADLT 401 ADLT 401. Organizational Development and Change. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course offers a practical and realistic approach to the study of organizational development from the standpoint of its relationship to an overall program of change. While it introduces theoretical and historical foundations of the field, it uses a conceptual framework for understanding the relevant issues in OD coupled with an experiential learning approach which focuses on the development of interpersonal skills that can be applied to life and future job situations. Students will be able to readily experience OD through the use of concepts, theories, illustrations and company examples that show how OD is applied. By engaging in this deeper involvement in the learning process, a lasting impact and/or meaning should be produced, which will result in improved skill and performance. | Organizational Development and Change | 3 |
| Restricted elective | 3 | |
| Open electives | 6 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| ADLT 400 ADLT 400. Developing Intercultural Competencies in the Workplace: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course is designed to explore the intersection of personal and professional identity as it relates to workplace culture, climate and working relationships. Ultimately, it seeks to aid in the development and understanding of concepts and theories that underpin people relations in professional spaces. Throughout the course students are exposed to various theories and frameworks that situate social identity within larger social structures using the lens of sociological and psychological constructs. In an effort to enhance this understanding, students can expect to explore concepts and theories such as cultural competence, feedback, social cognitive career theory, organizational culture and social identity theory. Additionally, students will begin to contextualize prejudice and oppression and consider how they have operated historically in the workplace and continue to manifest within various social systems. The course intentionally focuses on issues of diversity, inclusion, cultural competence and equity. It is designed to prepare students to be knowledgeable of biases based on social identities (race, ethnicity, culture, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, social and economic status, political ideology, ability status, etc.) and how each of these contributes to experiences in the workplace. | Developing Intercultural Competencies in the Workplace: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity | 3 |
| ADLT 404 ADLT 404. Team Learning and Development. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course will explore basic issues and dilemmas fundamental to all groups, such as leadership, mission, goals, group member roles, stages of group development and issues in team performance. The course provides opportunities for learners to examine personal roles and contributions to groups through team assignments. Through an examination of group theory, models and practices, students will explore the nature of intragroup and intergroup behavior, along with the often unconscious processes that occur in the group-as-a-whole. | Team Learning and Development | 3 |
| Restricted elective | 3 | |
| Open elective | 6 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Senior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| ADLT 405 ADLT 405. Project Management in Learning and Development. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course focuses on a holistic and realistic sociotechnical view of project management, meaning that it encompasses both the technical and sociocultural dimensions of project management and how they interact to determine the fate of projects. It is framed through the lens of application for the learning and development field where emphasis is not only on how the management process works, but also on why it works. Throughout this course, students will learn practical techniques for rolling out performance improvement solutions through learning and development that solve a business problem. This course will also give a comprehensive and integrative understanding of the project management process which will be useful for those at any level of an organization assigned to work on projects. | Project Management in Learning and Development | 3 |
| ADLT 406 ADLT 406. Consulting Skills in Adult Learning Environments. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course is an introduction to the concepts, methods and skills required for effective process consultation, or helping, in a variety of adult learning environments including for-profit and nonprofit organizations, higher education, government and other community-based settings in which the adult educator is attempting to effect change. As such, this is a course in developing influencing skills. Implicit in the process consultation model is the assumption that all organizational problems are problems involving human interactions. No matter what technical, financial or structural problems are involved, humans are always involved in managing and implementing the solutions proposed for change strategies. Therefore, understanding human processes and the necessary requirements for change to occur are essential aspects of consulting. | Consulting Skills in Adult Learning Environments | 3 |
| Restricted elective | 3 | |
| Open elective | 6 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| ADLT 490 ADLT 490. Internship in Human and Organizational Development. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 field experience hours. 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students who have completed a minimum of 21 hours of 300-level ADLT courses course work from the B.A. in Human and Organizational Development core and with approval of the adviser. This course should be taken during the senior year of the program, or after 21 hours of study within the major, to ensure students have the background and experience to be successful during the internship. This program is designed to offer experiential learning activities in an off-campus environment. Ideal activities for an internship experience provide the student with an opportunity to explore human resource development career interests, while making lived connections between academic theory and practical application in a work environment. Proposed internship activities must first be discussed and approved by the academic adviser, and then completed under the guidance of an on-site supervisor and the faculty sponsor of this course. A minimum of 125 clock hours of learning activities are required. | Internship in Human and Organizational Development | 3 |
| Restricted electives | 3 | |
| Open elective | 9 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Total Hours: | 120-121 | |
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.
The VCU Bulletin is the official source for academic course and program information.
Information for Transfer Students
