College of Education and Human Development

Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development

Human resource development MEd

in Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development

The field of human resource development explores how people learn, change, and relate to one another in their work environments. Practitioners in the field aspire to help workers find a sense of meaning, satisfaction, and accomplishment in their daily work.

A Master's of Education in Human Resource Development (HRD) prepares you to lead training and development in organizations, assess when various development strategies are needed, and implement and evaluate solutions for organizational change. This program is designed for professionals seeking advancement in their careers in a variety of settings.

Benefits

M.Ed. students in Human Resource Development gain the capacity to:

  • Communicate effectively in front of both small and large groups of people.
  • Quickly assess and distill the necessary skills and knowledge needed in the subjects for which they design and implement training.
  • Present new ideas and concepts in persuasive and memorable ways.
  • Provide people-based solutions to their organizations or clients.

Careers

  • Manager of training programs
  • Learning coach
  • Consultant (both internal and external)
  • Trainer or program facilitator

Coursework

For students with an HRD undergraduate degree

Students holding an undergraduate HRD degree from the University of Minnesota will not be required to retake courses completed during the undergraduate program. Students must still take a total of 34 credits of graduate coursework in the program. Of this, students must complete at least 16 credits in HRD-designated courses as described below.
 

Core course requirements (22 credits)

  • OLPD 5605—Strategic Planning through Human Resources (3 cr)
  • OLPD 5607—Organization Development (3 cr)
    AND OLPD 8602—Advanced Organization Development (3 cr)
    OR OLPD 5615—Training and Development of Human Resources (3 cr)
    AND OLPD 8601— Advanced Training and Development of Human Resources (3 cr)
  • OLPD 5615—Training and Development of Human Resources (3 cr)
  • OLPD 5696—Internship: Human Resource Development (4 cr required; no more than 6 credits count toward the program)
  • OLPD 5819—Evaluating and Using Research in Organizations and Education (3 cr)
     

Additional HRD coursework (6 credits)

Six elective credits approved by faculty advisor.
 

Electives (12 credits)

Twelve elective credits approved by faculty advisor.

Standard coursework

Core course requirements (22 credits)

  • OLPD 5201—Strategies for Teaching Adults (3 cr)
  • OLPD 5605—Strategic Planning through Human Resources (3 cr)
  • OLPD 5607—Organization Development (3 cr)
  • OLPD 5615—Training and Development of Human Resources (3 cr)
  • OLPD 5696—Internship: Human Resource Development (4 cr required; no more than 6 credits count toward the program)
  • OLPD 5801—Survey: Human Resource Development and Adult Education (3 cr)
  • OLPD 5819—Evaluating and Using Research in Organizations and Education (3 cr) 
     

Electives (12 credits)

Twelve elective credits approved by faculty advisor.

Transfer credits

A maximum of 14 graduate semester transfer credits may be applied to the M.Ed. program. Credits may include any combination of the following coursework:

  • Up to eight graduate semester credits from fully accredited institutions other than the University of Minnesota.
  • Credits completed at the University of Minnesota before admission to the M.Ed. program.

Transfer courses must be completed at the graduate level and approved by a faculty advisor and the college. Contact the program’s faculty advisor for more information.

How to apply

    Admission Deadline

    Applications are due by July 1 for Fall semester start, November 1 for Spring semester start, and March 1 for Summer session start.

    Applications are not complete until ALL required materials and fees have been received. If anything is missing, your application may not be considered until the next review date the following year. It is strongly recommended to apply at least two weeks before any submission deadlines.

    Applications are processed by the Graduate School. A decision for admission notice will be emailed to you once your application is carefully reviewed by the department's admission committee and your transcripts and any credentials (test reports, diploma copies, etc.) are authenticated by Graduate School officials.
     

    Admission Requirements

    Degree: Bachelor's degree

    GPA: Undergraduate 2.8

    Note: Applicants should not submit GRE scores, as they will not be considered in the review process.

    TOEFL/IELTS Scores (Not required for U.S. students):

    • TOEFL: Internet based = 79 or above
      (21 writing/19 reading)
    • IELTS = 6.5

    Tuition and funding

    Tuition information: CEHD | OneStop

    Financial aid: CEHD | OneStop

    Readmission

    If a graduate student in an OLPD program has become inactive they must follow the readmission procedures.

    Whether you seek reactivation after accidentally being discontinued this term or want to return after a long absence these are the steps needed to re-apply.

    1. Complete the proper online readmission application.

      If you have been away from the program less than five years use the Express Readmission Application and email it to olpd@umn.edu. All others must submit the Online Application for Readmission
       
    2. Once received, the department will forward your application to the appropriate admissions committee. Readmission decisions are normally determined by the program’s admissions committee, not any one individual faculty member.

      Readmission is never guaranteed. Decisions for readmission are based on a review of previous progress toward degree completion, the proposed timeline for completion, the availability of faculty resources, and/or any additional application materials they may request from you. Individual programs/tracks reserve the right to readmit students under the current graduate program requirements, rules, and guidelines. They may also request an applicant to provide additional information prior to making a decision.
       
    3. Once the committee makes their recommendation, the department’s DGS will sign off on the decision and forward the result to the central Graduate Admissions Office for processing. Once processed, you will be notified of the decision.

    Individual department programs and tracks reserve the right to require readmitted students to retake coursework if they deem it appropriate. Readmitted students are also required to abide by current time-to-degree policies as determined by the University, which may differ from the policy in place when they first started the degree program.

    Individuals seeking readmission to the Ph.D., Ed.D., and M.A. program tracks in the former EDPA, WHRE, and WCFE majors can only reapply to the appropriate program track under the Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development (OLPD) major name.

    Questions?

    We’re here to help. Simply complete this form and a member of our department will be in touch.