Course Descriptions

HCD 630: CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS AND CONSULTING 

This course provides students with the skills needed to effectively communicate with clients, including those of large and small corporations, working with global partners and widespread teams. Drawing on real world case studies, students will learn the art of persuasion as well as how to conduct a comprehensive needs analysis for any potential client, and how to satisfy a client despite budget and methodology restrictions.

HCD 645: TRAINING A GLOBAL WORKFORCE 

This course will explore the current globalization and market forces that will affect training and development in future multi-national corporations. Students will learn how to use communication tools to meet with a global team and gain knowledge about cultural differences that might affect how training is designed and implemented. Students will gain a richer understanding of the barriers that still impact training global employees and customers.

HCD 650: SELF-ASSESSMENT FOR LEADERSHIP 

This experiential course emphasizes the importance of feedback and self-assessment for leadership development. It includes extensive assessment of each participant's management style and skills based on self-evaluations (using structured questionnaires) and feedback from co-workers, faculty, and other participants. Leadership development experiences emphasize time and stress management, individual and group problem solving, communication, power and influence, motivation, conflict management, empowerment, and team leadership. Each participant identifies skills he or she needs to develop and reports on efforts to develop those skills.

HCD 665: ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE CONSULTING PROCESS 

Prerequisite: HCD 650 
This course provides practicing and potential managers and consultants with an exposure to organizational change programs. It focuses upon the change process by addressing organizational diagnosis, implementation of change, and the evaluation process.

HCD 670: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT 

Prerequisite: HCD 650 
This course reviews a variety of approaches to developing human resources in organizations. There is special emphasis on needs analysis as well as the design, delivery, and evaluation of training programs or development initiatives. The role of performance and behavioral feedback in development is also discussed. The course includes hands-on experience in the design of training programs or development initiatives. Students may also examine special topics (for example, Web-based training, coaching, expatriate training, or executive development).

HCD 675: THEORIES OF CONFLICT ANALYSIS AND RESOLUTION 

This course begins with a study of the fundamental reasons for constructive and destructive conflict in workplaces, neighborhoods, classrooms, homes and religious institutions. The course covers conflict resolution through the use of different dispute resolution models including arbitration, mediation, peer review, assisted negotiation, ombud, mini-trial, private judging, conciliation, and a dozen other dispute resolution approaches collectively called Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR. The class places an emphasis on resolving conflict through mediation and negotiation.

HCD 680: ADVANCED NEGOTIATION THEORIES AND PRACTICE 

This course explores the theory and practice of negotiation. Successful negotiators adapt their negotiation strategies to match ever-changing circumstances. They must know when to apply a competitive, winner-take-all negotiation strategy as well as when to use a cooperative win-win approach. The former, distributive bargaining focuses on goals exclusively, while the latter, integrative bargaining, strongly considers relationships in developing interest-based solutions. Dispute resolution practitioners must correctly apply the proper distributive or integrative approach to a negotiation. This in-depth study of negotiation methodologies with practical application will equip learners with superior negotiation skills.

HCD 685: ORGANIZATIONAL INTERVENTIONS 

This course is designed to assist individuals interested in implementing organizational change and development programs. These issues include engaging employees in the change process, diagnosing organizational problems, effective methods for implementing change programs, and the techniques needed to evaluate the entire process.

HCD 710: INVESTING IN HUMAN CAPITAL 

This course will evaluate the tangible and intangible costs associated with developing people within an organization from a 360 degree perspective. Students will focus on continuous improvement of the talent management within an organization through long-term investment in leadership. Using case studies participants will learn to distinguish between management and mismanagement of human assets and then develop measureable criteria to accentuate positive practices, while minimizing counterproductive practices within an organization. Calculating profit per employee (PPE) will be considered along with other measurement tools.

This course will also link human capital knowledge with the strategic business activities of the organization from both theoretical and pragmatic perspectives, using case studies. Students will develop a workable theory of knowledge management concepts and tools unique to their individual fields of interest. Deliberating the mechanics of exactly how to successfully shift to the knowledge economy from the industrial age will be studied. Students will learn how to recognize opportunities where knowledge management can best be enhanced within a business community and how knowledge across the organization can be effectively shared.

HCD 720: LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT 

Drawing on real world case studies this course will provide students with a working knowledge of the HCD legal environment. Understanding the distinctions between legal and ethical HCD decision-making is only the beginning of the decision-making process. Fashioning a sound legal and ethical strategy from competing priorities will be pragmatically addressed. Appreciating both the global diversity and conflicting nature of legal environments under which HCD decisions are made will be emphasized. Occasionally, outside speakers will supplement the course material.

HCD 730: STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO HUMAN CAPITAL 

Accurately assessing and adjusting HCD policies, processes and practices will be the focus of this course as well as connecting individual and organizational learning to improve not just the organizations' "bottom line" but also the sustainability of highly competent talent. This includes reshaping human capital goals to meet continuously changing global political, social and economic environments. Advancing alternative solutions that are both tactical and ethical to long-established talent management practices will be emphasized.  Creating strategic environments that will turn organizational talent into a long-term competitive advantage will be addressed from pragmatic and theoretical perspectives.

HCD 900: HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT INTEGRATIVE CAPSTONE 

The Capstone Project is an opportunity to pursue an independent learning experience focused on a specific aspect of Human Capital Development that is of strong interest to the individual. The project is intended to stretch participants beyond what they have previously learned and to build on their skills and knowledge in ways that are relevant to their professional goals. Participants will complete a project such as a case study, research project, training, program design or evaluation, or paper. Each student presents his or her findings in an oral presentation and in a written document that contains a review of relevant literature as well as a description of how the project relates to that literature. In addition to working one-on-one with the Capstone instructor, students will work closely with one another on Capstone-Projects offering ongoing peer comments and constructive criticism as their projects develop.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has acknowledged that La Salle University's Master of Science in Human Capital Development fully aligns with SHRM’s HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates. The Human Capital Development Program has also been recognized by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for coaching credit.