Course Schedule for Spring 2018

MPS HR Capstone

This three-credit course will be the culmination of the student’s academic and professional experience in the MPS program. Over the course of the semester, students will work with an organization to help address a real life problem in the organization. The problems will be based on the concentrations of International Human Resources Management, Diversity and Inclusion or Strategic Human Capital Management. Working with their advisor, students will present the resolution to an issue to the sponsoring organization in a reasoned, systemic way. In an effort to ensure a high quality project, the capstone will also include research methods which will provide a foundation in research methods for students for their capstone. Students will learn how to design a research proposal, how to define with specificity and particularity, objectives of research, how to conduct literature reviews and how to assess and implement appropriate research methods based on the needs of the project. The course covers both qualitative methods such as case studies, questionnaires, surveys and interview techniques and an introduction to quantitative methods and data analysis. The faculty advisor will work closely with the student and the sponsoring organization to ensure that the project comprehensively addresses the issue and demonstrates the depth of competency the student gained through the Master of Professional Studies program. In addition to other requirements, students must earn a grade of "B" or higher in the Capstone course to qualify for graduation.

MPS HR Capstone

This three-credit course will be the culmination of the student’s academic and professional experience in the MPS program. Over the course of the semester, students will work with an organization to help address a real life problem in the organization. The problems will be based on the concentrations of International Human Resources Management, Diversity and Inclusion or Strategic Human Capital Management. Working with their advisor, students will present the resolution to an issue to the sponsoring organization in a reasoned, systemic way. In an effort to ensure a high quality project, the capstone will also include research methods which will provide a foundation in research methods for students for their capstone. Students will learn how to design a research proposal, how to define with specificity and particularity, objectives of research, how to conduct literature reviews and how to assess and implement appropriate research methods based on the needs of the project. The course covers both qualitative methods such as case studies, questionnaires, surveys and interview techniques and an introduction to quantitative methods and data analysis. The faculty advisor will work closely with the student and the sponsoring organization to ensure that the project comprehensively addresses the issue and demonstrates the depth of competency the student gained through the Master of Professional Studies program. In addition to other requirements, students must earn a grade of "B" or higher in the Capstone course to qualify for graduation.

Coaching Skills for HR Profs

The Human Resources field is changing with increasing pressure to serve as strategic business partners and help organizations use human capital to gain an advantage over competitors. This includes increased emphasis on employee development and change initiatives, making coaching skills increasingly relevant for HR professionals. Depending on the position (e.g., internal, external) or role, HR professionals may encounter the need to sponsor, coordinate, or even offer coaching services. This course provides students with an understanding of the coaching domain and how HR can use it to enhance organizational performance. Students will practice coaching skills relevant to HR professionals and explore the application of those skills to a variety of HR topics through case studies and role play exercises.

Found of Training & Dev

This class will give students an overview of strategic training and development. Students will examine the issues involved in the design and leadership of a organization-wide training function, as well as a hand’s on understanding of the process of developing training initiatives. Topics include training needs assessment, instructional design, training development and training evaluation. This hands on course will give students the opportunity to develop a training solution for an organizational issue. Students may choose to work on training initiative in a variety of topics including training focused on diversity and inclusion, as well as international/expatriate training.

Found. of Comp & Benefits

An organization's compensation and benefit plans are critical to building and keeping an engaged and motivated workforce.. In this course, students learn about the basic tools and diagnostic approaches used in effective compensation and benefit planning and administration, legal requirements, and how to achieve balance between external equity (what other employers offer), internal equity (what others in the organization receive), and individual equity (self-perceptions of worth and relative contribution).

Foundations of Empl Relations

This course focuses on one of the core competency areas that are essential for effectively working in Human Resources (HR). The critical role of HR practitioners in employee and labor relations is the primary topic. They must apply legal and practical approaches to building positive employee/labor relations and solving related problems. HR practitioners should be involved early and often, continually scanning the workplace and championing pro-active problem-solving before and when symptoms of problems appear. Students will be provided with the basic skill-set and framework, and through the use of readings, research, lectures, group presentations and real-world case studies, students will build their knowledge of concepts and issues relating to employee/labor relations and law. These issues include advising managers, building collaboration and engaging employees, protecting employee, management and union rights, dispute resolution, dealing with misconduct, discrimination and harassment, disciplinary action, managing and acting on performance, labor issues, workplace violence, judicial proceedings and other matters.

Foundations of HR

This course focuses on the core competencies that are essential for effectively working in the field of Human Resources (HR) and lays the groundwork for a successful journey through Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies Master of Professional Studies in Human Resources Management program. The semester begins with a macro view of the field and its role as a critical strategic business partner to the organizations in which it functions. This “helicopter view” of HR will examine the role of HR from a strategic perspective as well as a tactical or operations perspective, and the nature of HR in different types of organizations (private enterprise, government, nonprofit, academia) will be introduced. This initial focus on the macro organization level will help establish the importance of systems thinking as a critical skill from the beginning of the course. In addition to looking outward at the field of human resources, students will be asked to look inward at themselves in order to begin their journey to increased self-awareness and personal development. Self-awareness is a cornerstone of effective interpersonal interaction, and HR professionals who have insight into their own personalities, needs, tendencies and styles can consciously choose behaviors that will allow them to be most effective in their roles as Human Resources professionals interacting with individuals, groups, and organizations. Throughout the semester, the major functions of Human Resources will be examined, along with the Human Resource professional’s role in each of those functions. Human Resource Competencies (or, what makes a Human Resource professional successful in the major functions) will be discussed in relationship to different career stages (Early Level, Mid Level, Senior Level, and Executive Level). In addition, the skills, competencies, and individual characteristics that students will be expected to gain by the time they complete the HRM program will be clearly laid out and explained, so that students can learn to manage their own growth and development throughout the program. Students will be provided with the basic skill-set and framework required for the more specialized and advanced concentration courses in the curriculum. Moreover, through the use of readings, lectures, group presentations and real-world case studies, students will gain a basic understanding and appreciation of concepts and issues relating to core HR areas including: Strategy, Talent Management, Total Rewards, Employment Law, Human Resource Development, Employee and Labor Relations, and Risk Management. Students will be expected to learn these basics while developing an awareness of the challenges facing the HR profession today.

Human Capital Analytics

Leading companies are using Human Capital Analytics for workforce reporting and to help make better, more informed decisions about their human capital. There is a continuum of the value that analytics bring to an organization: basic data reporting, benchmarking and advanced reporting, survey analytics and predictive analytics. Organizations are looking for Human Resource professional who can improve their impact on the business by using the latest analytical tools and techniques. In this course we will focus on developing a foundation in statistical techniques and data management using IBM-SPSS. We will explore workforce reporting and the analytics traditionally used to improve decision-making. We will also introduce advanced analytical tools and techniques, such as predictive modeling, which is making it possible for organizations to glimpse into the future and make informed predictions.

Note: This class meets in the MAC lab.

Research Process and Methodology

This course is an overview of research methodology in applied settings (e.g., organizations). Over the course of the semester we will cover both qualitative and quantitative approaches to conducting research (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups) in organizational settings. Students will develop a conceptual understanding of research design and quantitative analysis options for the consumer of research, learn the appropriate use of vocabulary and interpretation of research findings, and learn how to critique research articles and develop a small-scale proposal. This is an interactive course, where students will share their intellectual passions, collaboratively create ideas, and actively write and/or research during class sessions. This approach allows students to learn hands-on the skills necessary to be competent researchers and scholar-practitioners.

Note: Foundation requirement for all HRM students admitted in Fall 2013 and after.

Research Process and Methodology

This course is an overview of research methodology in applied settings (e.g., organizations). Over the course of the semester we will cover both qualitative and quantitative approaches to conducting research (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups) in organizational settings. Students will develop a conceptual understanding of research design and quantitative analysis options for the consumer of research, learn the appropriate use of vocabulary and interpretation of research findings, and learn how to critique research articles and develop a small-scale proposal. This is an interactive course, where students will share their intellectual passions, collaboratively create ideas, and actively write and/or research during class sessions. This approach allows students to learn hands-on the skills necessary to be competent researchers and scholar-practitioners.

Note: Foundational requirement for all HRM students admitted in Fall 2013 and after.

Strategic Human Capital Development

This interactive, theoretically anchored, and applied course is aimed at understanding the process and practice of developing human capital. It focuses on the strategic development of talent framed within the context of talent leadership. It is anchored in business strategy and views the arena of talent management as a critical means to achieve competitive advantage. As human resource competencies have become a significant competitive advantage both in North America and globally, the pace and intensity of organizational training has increased dramatically. Organization Development/Effectiveness groups must demonstrate not only that their programs provide enhanced employee competencies, but that those competencies are of strategic value to the organization. Some organizations now include continuous learning, often called the "learning organization", as part of their strategy. As a company's strategies change, and the types of management competencies and profiles need to change as well, Human Resource Development is responsible for this alignment. We will address these and related issues based on the belief that effective development practices are determined by the organizational context in which they occur.

Strategic Planning & HR Strat.

Significant attention is often placed on the role of the HR practitioner as a “Strategic Partner.” “Strategic Planning and Human Resources Strategy” provides an introduction to the business strategic planning process and the role that the human resources process plays in it. Guided by the company’s purpose and mission, an organization develops a strategic plan to ensure that all its activities are integrated and reflect long-term goals. This course will examine the strategic planning process, with an emphasis on the financial, market, and organizational forces that impact strategic choices. Having laid a general foundation in strategy formulation, the course will explore the role that the human resources function plays in the development of organizational strategy. Finally, the course will turn to the responsibility of human resources to develop HR strategies that are aligned to the organization’s strategy and empower HR to advance the company’s purpose and mission. Throughout the course, practical examples of organizational strategic plans supplement assigned readings and classroom discussions. By the conclusion of the course, students will feel comfortable participating in and contributing to the strategic planning process. Students will also have an understanding of how to position the HR function to contribute strategically to the organization.

Strategic Thinking in HR

The most concise definition of “strategy” is also the most elegant: a strategy is an integrated set of choices. Creating an integrated set of choices and then implementing them can be a powerful prescription for change, but doing so is also fraught with challenge. Among other things, the capable strategist must: See past the presenting problem(s). Unearth the underlying problem(s). Employ systems thinking, which includes understanding that in organizations, nothing operates in a vacuum. Rather, any one element affects every other element. “If you pick up one end of the stick, you pick up the other.” Complete a comprehensive analysis—often quantitative and qualitative—of factors contributing to the underlying problem(s). Draw thoughtful conclusions from the analysis, and use those conclusions to create a strategic solution to the underlying problem(s), often one that considers the impact of the solution now and over the long-term. Articulate specific and detailed tactics and action steps that directly support the strategic framework. Communicate, socialize, and sell the strategic solution to key stakeholders, establishing commitment over compliance. Implement each tactic of the strategic solution with focus and discipline, often over a long time horizon. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the strategic solution, course-correcting when necessary. This approach is essential to the modern, 21st century HR practitioner, who is increasingly central to most organizations’ effectiveness. Today, organizations compete on three criteria: (1) ideas, (2) speed, and (3) talent, with talent being the lynchpin of the three. Talent gives rise to innovative ideas, and talent executes those ideas rapidly, enabling an organization to reach the market faster than its competitors. The principles also hold in the public and non-profit sectors. Hence, a strategic approach to Human Resources can enable a business and its employees to thrive and grow.

Note: Additional 150 min. distance learning component required.

Theories of Diversity and Inclusion

The study and practice of diversity and inclusion are based on the social and normative construction of differences. This course provides a solid analysis of foundational and current diversity theory and practice, the social construction of differences, the theoretical underpinnings of diversity and oppression theory/practice in a U.S., and world historical context. It also provides a framework for the differentiation of diversity and inclusion theories, respectively. Practitioner values, ethics, agency and competencies are closely examined throughout the course. In this way, the course provides an in-depth and solid theoretical grounding for HR professionals, and others with responsibility for diversity and inclusion initiatives within organizations. To broaden individual competencies, students become familiar with the “big eight” facets of diversity in the U.S. through experiential learning at all levels of system, including the intra- and interpersonal levels, group, system and societal. In this way, students learn to identify which level of system is most open to being leveraged in support of diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Note: The study and practice of diversity and inclusion are based on the social and normative construction of differences. This course provides a solid analysis of foundational and current diversity theory and practice, the social construction of differences, the theoretical underpinnings of diversity and oppression theory/practice in a U.S., and world historical context. It also provides a framework for the differentiation of diversity and inclusion theories, respectively. Practitioner values, ethics, agency and competencies are closely examined throughout the course. In this way, the course provides an in-depth and solid theoretical grounding for HR professionals, and others with responsibility for diversity and inclusion initiatives within organizations. To broaden individual competencies, students become familiar with the “big eight” facets of diversity in the U.S. through experiential learning at all levels of system, including the intra- and interpersonal levels, group, system and societal. In this way, students learn to identify which level of system is most open to being leveraged in support of diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Workplace Ethics

This three-credit core course is required for all MPS students. It will emphasize core values endemic to the professional world, cutting across several disciplines but with a particular focus on the connections between applied ethics and human resources and diversity. Professionals in various fields, such as H.R., diversity, business, and government, will guest lecture and present the students with real-world case studies which gives them the opportunity to apply ethical principles to their work. The Ethics course is required of all MPS students and should be taken in the first semester of study. In addition to other requirements, students must earn a grade of "B" or higher in the Ethics course to qualify for graduation.

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

Workplace Ethics

This three-credit core course is required for all MPS students. It will emphasize core values endemic to the professional world, cutting across several disciplines but with a particular focus on the connections between applied ethics and human resources and diversity. Professionals in various fields, such as H.R., diversity, business, and government, will guest lecture and present the students with real-world case studies which gives them the opportunity to apply ethical principles to their work. The Ethics course is required of all MPS students and should be taken in the first semester of study. In addition to other requirements, students must earn a grade of "B" or higher in the Ethics course to qualify for graduation.

Note: This three-credit core course is required for all MPS students. It will emphasize core values endemic to the professional world, cutting across several disciplines but with a particular focus on the connections between applied ethics and human resources and diversity. Professionals in various fields, such as H.R., diversity, business, and government, will guest lecture and present the students with real-world case studies which gives them the opportunity to apply ethical principles to their work. The Ethics course is required of all MPS students and should be taken in the first semester of study. In addition to other requirements, students must earn a grade of "B" or higher in the Ethics course to qualify for graduation.