Course Schedule for Spring 2020

MPS HR Capstone

The HRM Capstone is the culminating experience of the Georgetown Master’s in HRM program. It represents a crowning achievement as a capstone does in architecture, and provides students with an opportunity to apply the knowledge, skills and competencies gained from all their coursework to complex real-world organizational challenges. Through the culminating experience, students complete unique and original projects that make a creative contribution that advances an organization or the HR profession. This contribution may take the form of a consulting engagement with partnering organizations or an applied research project, and requires students to demonstrate mastery of the seven program learning outcomes: creative & critical thinking; global competence; ethical reasoning and values; applied problem solving; information literacy; technological competence; and communication. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor, and can choose to work on a broad-based HR project, or in a specialized area, including: talent and organization development; global HR; diversity and inclusion; and HR analytics and technology. Note: This course is a core requirement for the MPS degree. A grade of “B” or higher is needed to pass this course.

MPS HR Capstone

The HRM Capstone is the culminating experience of the Georgetown Master’s in HRM program. It represents a crowning achievement as a capstone does in architecture, and provides students with an opportunity to apply the knowledge, skills and competencies gained from all their coursework to complex real-world organizational challenges. Through the culminating experience, students complete unique and original projects that make a creative contribution that advances an organization or the HR profession. This contribution may take the form of a consulting engagement with partnering organizations or an applied research project, and requires students to demonstrate mastery of the seven program learning outcomes: creative & critical thinking; global competence; ethical reasoning and values; applied problem solving; information literacy; technological competence; and communication. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor, and can choose to work on a broad-based HR project, or in a specialized area, including: talent and organization development; global HR; diversity and inclusion; and HR analytics and technology. Note: This course is a core requirement for the MPS degree. A grade of “B” or higher is needed to pass this course.

Note: This course meets online.

Consulting Skills in Human Capital

As internal Human Resource professionals learn to attain the balance between tactics and strategy, they will increasingly be called on to serve as consultants. External Human Capital Consulting is one of the fastest growing segments of the Professional Services Industry. This course provides students interested in either career with a blend of concepts and practice needed to build solid consulting skills. Emphasis is placed on understanding the nature of consulting, while also scoping and delivering consulting. In addition, students will be taught how to understand the dynamics of organizational culture, relationships and organizational life. Through a series of case studies, students will learn the practical skills needed in designing, facilitating and developing practical skills in consulting. To demonstrate their understanding of consulting skills concepts and their practical application, students will be required to participate in a project simulation involving the development of a client engagement and recommending Human Capital (HC) consulting services for that client. Its purpose is to improve your consulting skills through the simulated performance of a consulting assignment.

Coaching Skills for HR Profs

Coaching works. As organizations increasingly recognize its value in driving employee performance and business results, there has been a remarkable growth in demand for coaching. This trend poses opportunities and challenges for HR professionals, who are expected to play a critical role by instilling a coaching culture and integrating coaching into their organization’s talent management strategy. This course is designed to help you learn, practice and master evidence-based tools and techniques to function as an effective coach, whether you will be coaching internal or external clients. You will gain an understanding of the core phases of the coaching process, and learn how to align coaching with other core HR practices (for example, performance management, succession planning, and leader development). Through role-plays, case studies and group exercises, you will refine your own coaching skills, including active listening, empathizing and giving feedback, and learn how to leverage coaching to improve organizational performance.

Foundations of HR

The increasing professionalization of HR in recent decades has brought to the fore the importance of acquiring a body of competency and knowledge for practitioners in the field. Furthermore, organizations operating in dynamic and complex business environments expect their HR partners to have advanced technical knowledge in emerging fields of specialization, e.g. HR analytics and technology, talent and organization development, diversity and inclusion, and global HR. This course will provide you with foundational HR knowledge and skills, and prepare you to succeed on the advanced and specialized courses you will be taking on the Georgetown HRM program. The course begins with a macro view of the field of HR, examining the role of HR from a strategic, as well as a tactical or operational perspective. Through real-world case studies, application exercises and group projects, you will explore the key functional areas of HR, from Talent Acquisition and Management, to Learning and Development, Total Rewards Management, Employment Law, and Employee and Labor Relations.

Note: This course meets online.

Foundations of HR

The increasing professionalization of HR in recent decades has brought to the fore the importance of acquiring a body of competency and knowledge for practitioners in the field. Furthermore, organizations operating in dynamic and complex business environments expect their HR partners to have advanced technical knowledge in emerging fields of specialization, e.g. HR analytics and technology, talent and organization development, diversity and inclusion, and global HR. This course will provide you with foundational HR knowledge and skills, and prepare you to succeed on the advanced and specialized courses you will be taking on the Georgetown HRM program. The course begins with a macro view of the field of HR, examining the role of HR from a strategic, as well as a tactical or operational perspective. Through real-world case studies, application exercises and group projects, you will explore the key functional areas of HR, from Talent Acquisition and Management, to Learning and Development, Total Rewards Management, Employment Law, and Employee and Labor Relations.

Note: This course meets online.

Human Capital Analytics

The twenty-first century has ushered in a new era of data and analytics. This presents a unique opportunity for HR professionals to establish themselves as credible business partners, helping organizations to leverage analytics to make smarter talent and strategic decisions. This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to unlock the power of people data. From basic data reporting, statistical analysis, and benchmarking (descriptive analytics) to advanced quantitative analysis and modeling (predictive analytics), you will learn tools and techniques for data analysis. The course provides practical tips to help you translate your analytical findings into impactful HR solutions, and communicate your findings through persuasive visualization and storytelling. Ethical and legal issues that may arise from using analytics to make HR decisions will also be explored. Using real-world case studies, application exercises and group projects, you will learn how to develop a data-driven decision-making mindset, to improve the way organizations recruit, deploy, develop, assess, reward and retain talent.

Human Capital Analytics

The twenty-first century has ushered in a new era of data and analytics. This presents a unique opportunity for HR professionals to establish themselves as credible business partners, helping organizations to leverage analytics to make smarter talent and strategic decisions. This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to unlock the power of people data. From basic data reporting, statistical analysis, and benchmarking (descriptive analytics) to advanced quantitative analysis and modeling (predictive analytics), you will learn tools and techniques for data analysis. The course provides practical tips to help you translate your analytical findings into impactful HR solutions, and communicate your findings through persuasive visualization and storytelling. Ethical and legal issues that may arise from using analytics to make HR decisions will also be explored. Using real-world case studies, application exercises and group projects, you will learn how to develop a data-driven decision-making mindset, to improve the way organizations recruit, deploy, develop, assess, reward and retain talent.

Note: This course meets online.

Human Capital Analytics

The twenty-first century has ushered in a new era of data and analytics. This presents a unique opportunity for HR professionals to establish themselves as credible business partners, helping organizations to leverage analytics to make smarter talent and strategic decisions. This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to unlock the power of people data. From basic data reporting, statistical analysis, and benchmarking (descriptive analytics) to advanced quantitative analysis and modeling (predictive analytics), you will learn tools and techniques for data analysis. The course provides practical tips to help you translate your analytical findings into impactful HR solutions, and communicate your findings through persuasive visualization and storytelling. Ethical and legal issues that may arise from using analytics to make HR decisions will also be explored. Using real-world case studies, application exercises and group projects, you will learn how to develop a data-driven decision-making mindset, to improve the way organizations recruit, deploy, develop, assess, reward and retain talent.

Note: This course meets online.

Organization Development & Change

In today’s increasingly dynamic, volatile and complex world, change is inevitable. From private enterprises to public sector and nonprofit organizations, change initiatives have become more frequent and widespread, as organizations strive to cope with rapidly shifting environmental conditions, new technologies, demanding customers and stakeholders, and dynamic markets. But despite the necessity and frequency of change, several studies continue to cite a high failure rate of change initiatives. This presents serious challenges—and opportunities—for HR professionals, as they are uniquely positioned to promote employee buy-in and drive change forward. This course will prepare you to be a successful change agent. We will examine how Organization Development and Change concepts and methods can be used to effectively design and implement change initiatives. Through insightful readings, peer learning and dialogue, and a semester-long real-world application project, you will explore the OD process in depth: from the entry and contracting phase, to data gathering, diagnosis and feedback, conducting interventions, and evaluating and ending an engagement.

Note: This course meets online.

Organization Development & Change

In today’s increasingly dynamic, volatile and complex world, change is inevitable. From private enterprises to public sector and nonprofit organizations, change initiatives have become more frequent and widespread, as organizations strive to cope with rapidly shifting environmental conditions, new technologies, demanding customers and stakeholders, and dynamic markets. But despite the necessity and frequency of change, several studies continue to cite a high failure rate of change initiatives. This presents serious challenges—and opportunities—for HR professionals, as they are uniquely positioned to promote employee buy-in and drive change forward. This course will prepare you to be a successful change agent. We will examine how Organization Development and Change concepts and methods can be used to effectively design and implement change initiatives. Through insightful readings, peer learning and dialogue, and a semester-long real-world application project, you will explore the OD process in depth: from the entry and contracting phase, to data gathering, diagnosis and feedback, conducting interventions, and evaluating and ending an engagement.

Note: This course meets online.

Research Process and Methodology

As scientific research output on human resources management continues to grow rapidly, there is wide acceptance of the need for HR professionals to embrace evidence-based practice. This requires using the best available scientific evidence, as well as systematically gathering organizational facts, data, indicators, and metrics. The Research Process and Methodology course is designed to help you become a more sophisticated consumer and producer of research. As a consumer, the course will equip you with the skills to make informed, critical, and cautious use of published research. A central focus of the course is preparing you to produce high-quality research. You will learn how to formulate research questions, conduct a literature review, design research projects, and collect, analyze and interpret data using qualitative and quantitative methods. Employing a learning-by-doing approach, you will refine your research skills, develop a research proposal, and gain the foundational knowledge and skills to leverage HR research and analytics for effective problem-solving and decision-making.

Note: This course meets online.

Research Process and Methodology

As scientific research output on human resources management continues to grow rapidly, there is wide acceptance of the need for HR professionals to embrace evidence-based practice. This requires using the best available scientific evidence, as well as systematically gathering organizational facts, data, indicators, and metrics. The Research Process and Methodology course is designed to help you become a more sophisticated consumer and producer of research. As a consumer, the course will equip you with the skills to make informed, critical, and cautious use of published research. A central focus of the course is preparing you to produce high-quality research. You will learn how to formulate research questions, conduct a literature review, design research projects, and collect, analyze and interpret data using qualitative and quantitative methods. Employing a learning-by-doing approach, you will refine your research skills, develop a research proposal, and gain the foundational knowledge and skills to leverage HR research and analytics for effective problem-solving and decision-making.

Note: This course meets online.

Strategic Planning & HR Strat.

Significant attention is now placed on the role of the HR as a Strategic Partner, as HR practitioners are expected to collaborate with business leaders in strategy formulation and execution. To succeed in this role, HR professionals need to have foundational knowledge of the strategic management process, and understand how the economic, social and political environments in which their organizations operate impacts business results. This course provides a roadmap of the strategic planning process. You will learn how to develop a strategic plan that aligns with an organization’s purpose and mission, reflects long-term goals, and creates value for organizational stakeholders. Through real-world case studies, application exercises and group projects, the course provides practical tips on how to ensure strategic alignment between HR strategy and programs, and an organization’s strategic direction. You will also gain insights on how to incorporate a social dimension to strategy by creating shared value, and the key issues and challenges in translating HR strategy into action.

Note: This course meets online.

Strategic Planning & HR Strat.

Significant attention is now placed on the role of the HR as a Strategic Partner, as HR practitioners are expected to collaborate with business leaders in strategy formulation and execution. To succeed in this role, HR professionals need to have foundational knowledge of the strategic management process, and understand how the economic, social and political environments in which their organizations operate impacts business results. This course provides a roadmap of the strategic planning process. You will learn how to develop a strategic plan that aligns with an organization’s purpose and mission, reflects long-term goals, and creates value for organizational stakeholders. Through real-world case studies, application exercises and group projects, the course provides practical tips on how to ensure strategic alignment between HR strategy and programs, and an organization’s strategic direction. You will also gain insights on how to incorporate a social dimension to strategy by creating shared value, and the key issues and challenges in translating HR strategy into action.

Note: This course meets online.

Total Rewards Management

As organizations strive to create value and deliver results in today’s increasingly complex and dynamic environment, leveraging HR practices for competitive advantage has taken on a heightened importance. The ability to attract, motivate, retain and engage a talented workforce are critical to successful strategy execution, but continues to be an Achilles’ heel for many organizations. HR professionals have a strategic role to play here. They are responsible for designing and implementing a competitive mix of total rewards – compensation, benefits, work-life effectiveness, performance management, recognition, and talent development – while keeping the compensation budget (one of largest controllable expenses) under control. This course will prepare you to deal with these tensions, and help you to strike the right balance between the competing imperatives of internal equity, market competitiveness and individual performance. You will learn how to align total rewards strategies with organizational culture, HR goals and business strategy, and develop the skills needed to measure and improve compensation ROI.

Workplace Ethics

There seems to be a never-ending cycle of corporate scandals — employee mistreatment, accounting fraud, insider trading, bribery and corruption, among other types of misconduct — prompting debates about the role and effectiveness of HR in creating an ethical workplace culture. Unquestionably, HR professionals are uniquely positioned to identify, prevent and correct ethics scandals due to their outsize role in hiring, training and evaluating employees. This course will prepare you to act as an ethical agent. Combining theory with practice, you will learn how individual and collective values, belief systems, and moral philosophies impact individual and organizational actions. You will also explore critical factors that shape ethical decision-making and workplace ethics, from leadership styles, to gender and generational differences, and how to embed social responsibility, corporate governance, and sustainability into workplace practices. Through experiential exercises, case studies, and group projects, you will learn evidence-based tools and strategies to navigate common ethical landmines. Note: Core requirement for MPS-HRM degree. Minimum grade required is “B” to continue eligibility toward graduation.

Note: Core requirement for the Human Resources Mgmt program. Minimum grade of 'B' is required.