Organizational Performance and Change (OPC)

Degree Requirements and Curriculum

Requirements

This master's program requires the student to complete 33 credit hours. The program is designed in a cohort-based format to enhance networking, learn from a variety of applied experiences in the classroom, and create a sense of collegiality. Students can expect a mix of individual and group assignments.

Curriculum

This master's program is organized into six, 10-week semesters, consisting of two courses for the first five semesters. The final semester is a capstone project in which students apply their learning in a real organization to which they have access. The project is designed to provide a unique opportunity for students to synthesize their learning. Classes meet one evening per week from 5:00 - 9:30 p.m. at the Denver Learning Center. Registration and purchasing of textbooks are completed in Denver and does not require travel to the Fort Collins campus.

The course schedule is designed for working professionals and includes breaks between fall and spring semesters, and a substantial summer break to ensure that students can work and maintain outside responsibilities while pursuing the degree.

Read all of the course descriptions.

The Learning Experience

Class size is kept small to encourage student participation and interaction that has earned the program a reputation for excellence in learning. In addition to being research and content experts in their fields, faculty members serve as catalysts, facilitating debate on issues and ideas by experienced professionals with highly diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

The Organizational Performance and Change (OPC) master's program addresses skill development and understanding as you learn about diagnosing and analyzing workplace issues, designing interventions for improving effectiveness, enhancing performance systems, and designing change management workshops in organizations, all of which are applied to real-world work situations. Assignments are designed to analyze current organizational processes so you are able to produce viable, immediate solutions for your employer, thus instantly increasing your strategic acumen and credibility.

The faculty use action learning principles to create functional and engaging learning communities. Action learning enables you to effectively learn to simultaneously handle difficult, real-life situations. Learning communities help you increase your self-confidence and encourage addressing problems from new perspectives. This unique approach helps you develop the critical thinking skills of a Change Agent through project-based assignments that are problem-focused, practically applied, and theory-to-practice oriented. You learn how to be more adept at problem solving, building relationships, and solving organizational issues.