Online Organizational Psychology Degree

This is a learning experience that complements the Introduction to the Sciences course. Since the course addresses how scientific thinking and the resultant technology has changed modern life, this lab will provide students with experiences in the scientific approaches of different sciences covered, such as: biology, chemistry, physics, geology and astronomy. This lab will be constructed specifically to extend the learning from each unit of the Introduction to the Sciences course, designed to provide experiences which deepen students’ familiarity with the scientific method and way of asking questions and solving problems.

This is a relatively new area of study in the field of psychology. It focuses on understanding how psychology and media work together and how people perceive, interpret, use and respond to information and images that come to them from television, radio, movies, texts, and the Internet. So much of our behavior is shaped by messages we receive from mass media, e-learning, cyber networking and digital technologies. This course uses a socio-psychological perspective to understand the dynamics of persuasion and propaganda. It applies selected theories and research on social influence, persuasion, and attitude change to such areas as political and educational campaigns, product advertising, mass media and public opinion. Students examine how their own behavior is influenced by the cyber-age of popular media and mass communication.

The world is full of numbers. But, what do the numbers mean? Statistical approaches dominate the field of social scientific inquiry and psychological research. Not a day goes by that we don’t hear a pundit say, ''Research shows…'' This course addresses the fundamental principles of statistics, emphasizing not how to do the quantitative mechanics of it, but rather how to interpret statistical studies and cull the insights for action or decision-making. This course emphasizes statistical reasoning and when causality can be claimed, as well as how to work with statisticians to set up meaningful inquiry and valid data collection and analysis. Students practice effective ways to display and present data as well as analytics, in support of research findings including how to use graphs, charts and data representation to formulate a position or hypothesis.

This course presents the psychology of out of the box thinking and coloring outside the lines. As Albert Einstein said, ''you cannot solve problems with the same thinking that created them.'' Most of us would say that we were creative as children, but what happened? This course provides a variety of methods for energizing creativity, as well as providing tools to work with individuals and groups to solve problems with fresh perspectives and limited resources. The psychological concept of re-framing, as well as looking at the same thing as other people and seeing something different, will be the cornerstone of this learning experience. Students learn to make work engaging, fun and uplifting, re-kindling the child within spirit of creativity we were all born with and harnessing that brain power for practical organization purposes. These are times that call for creativity and ingenuity.

There is a new, but powerful wing of psychology called Positivist Psychology. The course is based on compelling research that people thrive when they feel good self esteem and receive positive encouragement from others around them. The Pygmalion Effect, or the Power of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, teaches us that students are more likely to learn when their teachers believe they can do it, and, similarly, workers are more likely to perform well when their leaders hold out positive expectations of their performance. This course builds upon the insights of positivist psychology to study the concept of value-based servant leadership, a philosophy and practice defined by Robert Greenleaf which has gained prominence over the end of the last century and the beginning of the 21st. The philosophy resonates with the popular work of Stephen Covey on the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and the best-selling business book Good to Great by Jim Collins. By examining these approaches, students develop their own personal creed or leadership mantra based on the psychology of the positive and the seven key practices of servant leaders.

This course introduces students to the study of social psychology. The course includes an exploration of human behavior in groups and the impact on interpersonal relationships and the workplace: how individual behavior is impacted by group dynamics, and, how group identity is shaped by individual and team membership. The course will include topics such as: group processes, relationships, group thinking, conforming to group norms, individuality, as well as, stereotypes and prejudice. During this course the student will examine examples of individuals interacting within the social environment. Students will analyze theoretical perspectives and themes that have emerged in the field of social psychology and how these perspectives have influenced the modern workplace and the field of psychology as a whole.

Organizational Psychology is a foundational course. Alternatively called Organizational Behavior, it provides perspectives and tools for understanding behavior in organizations of any kind and resources to help managers and leaders improve, enhance or change work behaviors. It operates from three frames of reference or levels of analysis: individuals, groups and the organization as a whole and often works to align the behaviors of all three. Topics to be addressed include structure and foundations of organization, stages of organization development, culture, power and politics, leadership, decision-making and communication. The role of the change agent or organization consultant will be explored along with the roles and responsibilities of managers, leaders and followers. All will be viewed in light of the constant change, permanent whitewater, which exists in today’s businesses, making the need for organizational expertise even more compelling. This course is useful for anyone who finds themselves inside an organization, tasked with improvement, innovation or managing change.

The human mind is housed in our brain. This course will focus on the biological and evolutionary function and structure of the amazing human brain—how biology and neuroscience deepen our understanding of the key mental processes we use every day to think, speak, and solve problems. Content will focus on the mental events and brain function involved in thinking, memory, learning, reading, recall and attention as well as some of the mysteries of perception, sensation and problem-solving. The course examines the controversies around left brain and right brain, and the specializations of the hemispheres, since many people in the workplace attribute their perspectives to being ''left'' (analytical) or ''right'' (emotions, feeling, intuition) brained. The role of the biological and physiological roots of human behavior will be addressed

What makes you the unique individual you are? The field of psychology called Theories of Personality studies enduring characteristics and traits that shape who we are and how we interact with others. Personality inventories have become highly prevalent as a tool for building relationships and communication in the workplace. This course will examine theories regarding how individuals are shaped, including examination of the Big Five personality factors, which provide the foundation for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and other popular personality assessments. The goal of this course is for students to appreciate the uniqueness of individual personalities within the human experience, and to be able use this insight to achieve greater versatility in inter-personal relationships at work, as well as in personal life.

This course examines how to distinguish normal from abnormal behavior and present the major perspectives regarding psychological disorders. The medical perspective, the psychoanalytical perspective, the behavioral and cognitive perspectives, the socio-cultural perspective as well as the humanistic perspective of diagnosis and dealing with behavior label abnormal are explored. The course reviews a historical perspective regarding unusual, out of the norm and or distressed behavior in the past, linking it to superstition, witchcraft and contrasting arrays of treatments and approaches available today. Common disorders are defined such as anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, psycho-somatic disorders, dissociative disorders, mood problems, schizophrenia, depression and personality disconnects. Those who deal with human behavior in the workplace need to understand behavior and assess when it has reached a level of concern that may require outside expertise.

Human beings have a distinct ability to think. The ability to contemplate, analyze, plan or remember sets us apart from other species although we share the ability to learn through operant conditioning and experience with other higher order mammals. This course examines the fundamental elements of how human beings learn, how they make meaning and how our minds work to perceive, remember, reason, speak and solve problems. The focus of this course will be to examine how mental processes operate in the midst of solving problems in life and at work. The course investigates current applications in computers and artificial intelligence and how thinking and behaving creatively are changing with the escalation of high tech high touch devices and applications. Understanding how adults learn and how to create learning organizations are especially crucial competencies for those who seek careers on the human side of the business world.

This course is designed to help students recognize valuable strategies of interpersonal communications and interviewing, as well as, increase knowledge of the theory, research, and practice of interpersonal communications in organizations. This course explores the core communication and interviewing skills necessary within contemporary organizations. Students will discuss communication theories and the principles and practices related to effective communication and interviewing. Students will examine the ways that effective communication and interviewing can increase our understanding of others, improve compliance, increase advocacy, and change attitudes and behaviors. Students will examine tools such as motivational interviewing and other available methods for helpful skills that can guide change-focused conversations. Students will apply communication strategies to developing effective, efficient, and ethical communications that reach targeted audiences and influence organizational strategies. Students will also demonstrate an understanding of basic interviewing skills including engaging, attending, listening, questioning, and responding.

Community psychology is the study of the relationships between individuals and social systems. This course will examine the history, theory, research, paradigms, and practices related to this reciprocal relationship. Students will identify relationships between the environment and the well-being of members of a community. Students will discuss effective modes of community intervention based on research and examine the relevance of community psychology for taking action to address social problems. Students will apply knowledge from the interdisciplinary field of community psychology to issues in the community context.

In this course, students will examine multiple concepts and theories of leadership to recognize the differing styles of leadership and identify the leadership styles that are preferable in certain situations. Students will also examine a variety of leadership approaches to identify the skills needed to keep production and morale at peak levels. Case studies will be used as tools to analyze multiple facets of leadership. Students will examine concepts of ethical decision making. Students will develop action plans as tools for applying knowledge of leadership principles to a variety of personal and professional situations.

Stress can come from many sources, both positive and negative, and managing that stress can lead to improved well-being. Well-being can be defined as a positive and healthy state of existing in the world. An individual’s well-being includes their physical, mental, emotional, financial, and spiritual health. This course identifies the many causes and effects of stress, as well as, the theories and concepts of stress management and self-regulation. Students examine the methods available for enhancing positive health and reducing unhealthy stress. Students will discuss stress management techniques such as relaxation, self-regulation, and other psychological strategies for reducing stress. Managing stress to improve well-being can help individuals adapt to changing circumstances. Developing emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and the psychological skills necessary to manage stress is of importance in our high-stress world. Stress management can help individuals adapt to changes in personal circumstances and work settings throughout their lifetime. Students will have an opportunity to personalize the principles of stress management to their own life. Students will explore ways to apply principles of stress management to well-being in a variety of settings and develop interventions that are helpful in personal and professional situations.

This course is a culmination of prior coursework leading to the demonstration of the achievement of the program competencies.  Students will be presented with assignments that will demonstrate integration of knowledge and application of concepts such as theoretical perspectives, psychological principles, and leadership skills to complex/adaptive settings.

This course is designed to provide the knowledge and application of effective career management strategies for career development and transition; through student self-assessment and research into potential career fields.  Students pursue the knowledge and skills to identify and communicate themselves as a brand.

This course will launch the concentration in Organizational Behavior, commonly referred to as OB. It will begin with defining ''what is an organization'' and what career opportunities exist for those with a concentration in this field. The course introduces the three levels of analysis that OB and organizational development practitioners address: the individual, the group and the organization. Since OB draws upon an array of diverse disciplines, this orientation to the landscape will touch upon psychology, management, sociology, organization theory, anthropology, systems theory, economics and ethics. The insights from these disciplines will be applied to illuminate the human dynamics that go on inside workplaces and to provide a tool chest of the skills organizational development practitioners employ to better understand and manage people—individually, and as collectives inside large systems. The metaphor of the learning organization will provide a framework for how to diagnose issues, develop strategies for change and improvement, and evaluate and measure success. Students learn the history and origins of this relatively young field of practice, as well as, become introduced to the major schools of thought and to the current challenges at the cutting edge of the field.

More and more work is delivered not through employees, but through consultants. This course introduces the concepts, foundations and methods of organizational consulting. The course examines the current use of consultants to assess and improve organizational performance and prepare students with foundational skills in organization diagnosis, data collection, client relationships, proposals for work, codes of ethics, and return on investment, as well as evaluation of impact. Key ethical and professional standards for organizational consults will be discussed. Students practice developing a consultation agreement and address scope of practice, common consultation activities, and reporting expectations. Students develop a mental model of the challenges and opportunities inherent in today’s world of consulting.

Learning never ends—for individuals and for organizations. This course looks at organizational change and development throughout history and into the 21st century. The concept of creating organizations that foster the learning and development of their people, that capture organization wisdom through knowledge management and that help people think in strategic systems-oriented ways has become a classic in the field of Organizational Behavior and Change. This course examines the elements and disciplines that can generate a culture of learning and change. Students have an opportunity to reflect on their own learning as they contemplate the work of growing people and organizations to achieve their highest potential.

One of the most critical capacities for success in today’s workplace is the ability to facilitate the development and learning of others. This course provides opportunities to examine the skills of corporate training and workplace education. Topics include: how adults learn, how to design and develop materials for a short or longer- term training program, and how to measure learning through return on investment for the energy invested. Students create a piece of workplace curriculum and present it to a selected audience as they learn about educational roles inside corporate workplace settings.

Companies that excel and sustain results over the long haul attend to the development of their people and ensure smooth transitions in key leadership roles when vacancies occur. This course examines tools and strategies used to assess and identify organizational talent among staff at all levels. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, developmental assignments are one of the most powerful ways to grow your talent. This course covers the concepts of leadership succession planning and talent development programs for high potentials. In addition, the content will include practices employed in leading companies to develop new skills and knowledge of competent and committed staff, as well as how to move less successful and less engaged staff to new opportunities that free up their calendars and redesign their resumes.

This is an advanced skills course for the concentration of Organization Behavior. Students play the role of an internal or external consultant, bringing their skills to bear on real organizational problems or challenges. Students plan an organizational improvement or transformation and draft a proposal for an organization development intervention to support the change. Transformational, rather than incremental change will be defined, as well as the capacities needed to be change leaders and change agents to support people through profound change. Parallel to this work, each student develops a plan for personal or professional change and charts a course of action for this transition to the next stage of development.

Recent developments in the neurosciences have revolutionized our views of common human experiences. Complex issues such as locomotion, substance abuse, mental illness, sleep, and memorization can now be viewed in a new light with advancements in the study of the brain. This course will examine the multi-disciplinary field of neuroscience and identify the fundamental concepts that have shaped our understanding of the brain. Topics from behavioral neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and comparative psychology will be discussed in relation to the study of the brain. Current perspectives on the mind will be examined within the neurosciences context. Students will explore the foundations of the neuroscience field and recent discoveries that forward our understanding of the brain. The overall objective of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of the field of neuroscience and its impact on the study and understanding of our brain and nervous system.