Master’s Programs: Organizational Change Management
"It’s no secret that dramatic shifts in global and local economic landscapes are forcing organizations of all kinds to become significantly more adept at change. And as the ability to adapt becomes key to survival, Milano’s program is meeting the need for creative and skilled managers trained to implement and facilitate change within organizations.”
—Mark Lipton, Professor, Organizational Change Management
A Commitment to Professional Development
The Organizational Change Management Program is designed for those who wish to broaden and expand on their experience in organizational change management, either as line managers or change consultants, as well as those making a transition into the profession. In a commitment to individual professional development that is unique to Milano’s program, each student is assessed on their areas of competency, and the model is revisited as students move through the core curriculum to align competencies with skill sets.
The degree is intended as a part-time program for students with a minimum of three years work experience. The curriculum gives students the tools to implement planned change successfully at all levels, including:
- Individual, by changing behaviors through management leadership interventions
- Group, through team building, re-engineering work processes, and managing the diversity of group membership
- Organizational, by articulating vision and assuring that structure, culture, and the organization’s people processes are in alignment with the vision
In addition to core and elective courses, the Organizational Change Management program offers a unique “laboratory-type” pedagogy, known as The Portfolio, in which a series of Organizational Change Management courses lead students into increasingly complex organizational change situations with real clients. With the completion of the sequence, the student has a “portfolio” demonstrating a proven capacity for serious contribution to the field.
Curriculum
The curriculum of the Organizational Change Management program has been designed to develop competencies to support senior management's strategic change initiatives. With that purpose, the curriculum consists of three components through which students fulfill the degree requirement of 42 credits:
- A required school wide core of nine credits
- A required program core of twenty-one credits
- Twelve credits of electives
Curriculum requirements for students admitted before fall 2008
Schoolwide Core Courses
The Milano Schoolwide Core of three required courses equips students with critical thinking and problem solving skills. Students pursuing an MS degree must take all the schoolwide core courses within their first 24 credit hours of study.
Program Core Courses
Central to the Organizational Change Management program is the seven-course requirement which focuses on theories and skills critical to the organizational change professional.
Electives
To complete their individual course of study, Organization Change Management students will choose four electives that best fit their professional goals and/or competency needs.
Also see: Areas of Specialization/Cross-Program Options