Academic Requirements
Students must complete 12 graduate course units in order to earn the MSOD. A graduate course in the Organizational Dynamics program is valued at 1 course unit (CU). Upon completion of all coursework, a student must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 ("B"), and good standing in the academic community.
Of the 12 CUs required, nine must be selected from the core categories described below; one must be the Capstone Course; and the remaining two are electives available from Organizational Dynamics, another graduate degree program at Penn, or from outside the University.
Core Categories
Foundations
Any four CUs from this category are required. Foundations (F) courses are subdivided into two clusters: Organizational Structure and Function and Organizations in Historical and Cultural Contexts.
Methods of Diagnosis and Evaluation
One CU from this category is required. Methods of Diagnosis and Evaluation (DE) courses concern measuring, diagnosing, analyzing, and/or evaluating organizational activities.
Applications
Any four CUs from this category are required. Applications (A) courses are subdivided into three clusters: Organizations and Communications, Organizational Development and Change, and Organizational Leadership and Management.
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Concentrations
Each Organizational Dynamics student declares a program concentration from one of the following:
- Coaching (CO)
- Global
- Leadership/Management (LM)
- Practitioner (PR)
- Projects, Programs, and Portfolios (P3)
Students may select a program concentration to structure their courses and to help direct their Capstone (final paper) topic. While there is no required or minimum number of courses associated with a particular concentration, completed at least six courses in the same concentrations leads to one or more Graduate Certificates in addition to the Master's degree.NOTE: A student who does not choose a concentration is considered a "generalist." There is no certificate for "generalists."
.Coaching
As a founding and board member of the Graduate School Alliance for Executive Coaching, the Organizational Dynamics coaching studies concentration (labeled "OC") adheres to the following definition:
- Organizational and Executive Coaching is a development process that builds a leader's capabilities to achieve professional and organizational goals. A leader is an individual who has the potential of making a significant contribution to the mission and purpose of the organization. This coaching is conducted through one-on-one and group interactions, driven by evidence/data from multiple perspectives, and is based on mutual trust and respect. The coach, individuals being coached, and their organizations work in partnership to help achieve the agreed-upon goals of the coaching.
Our curriculum concerns how organizational talent is managed through coaching and how organizational coaching can be used as a strategic business development initiative. Coaching courses address the history, models, systems, and tools of coaching; how to select and match coaches to clients; and how to evaluate coaching outcomes. Based on an appropriate blend of documented best practices and quantitative research data, this academic concentration examines organizational coaching from the domains of psychology, human resources, and business management. Students for whom Organizational Coaching may be appropriate include those interested in becoming organizational or executive coaches or enhancing their coaching or consulting competencies or credentials; HR personnel responsible for coaching within their organizations; managers and leaders who wish to apply the tools of organizational coaching to their own activities, colleagues, or teams; and personnel with organizational responsibility for succession planning or talent management. Completion of the Organizational Coaching concentration earns a graduate certificate in Organizational Coaching Studies.
The Organizational Coaching faculty includes: Rob Croner; Kim Miner; Rod Napier; Ruth Orenstein; Charline Russo; Stu Smith; Dominick Volini; and Bill Wilkinsky, Academic Director and Coordinator.
Global
Courses in the Global Organization studies concentration (labeled "GL") focus on organizational relationships within and between local companies and the broader international community. These courses include the International Course Abroad (ICA) seminars in which students study for a week or more in cities within China, Sweden, the UK, Czech Republic, and the countries of the Eastern Baltic region. The Global Organization track may be appropriate for those who work in or are affiliated with a global organization, are planning to establish business relationships outside north America (including for outsourcing), or who are interested in the effects of global culture, economics, politics, and communication on organizational enterprises. Global Organization courses also describe how global interests are influenced by local cultural framing.
Leadership/Management
Courses dealing with organizational leadership and management procedures and processes are designated "LM." These courses provide knowledge and skills important to the development, functioning, and enhancement of effective leadership and management within small or large organizations. Most students in the Organizational Leadership concentration plan to remain within large or small organizations but with increasing responsibilities. Participants are interested in bridging the gap between leadership theory and practice through a multi-disciplinary, human-oriented framework. Topics include leading and managing individuals and groups by enhancing competencies of knowledge, skill, and creativity.
Practitioner
The Practitioner concentration (courses are designated PR) may be appropriate for one who works as an organization development consultant; wishes to become a consultant; manages or works with consultants; or who is interested in enhancing one's own professional competencies of organization development and change management. These courses follow the guidelines for master's degree programs in Organization Development and Change, established by the Academy of Management. Coursework is skill-based, application-oriented, and provides knowledge and strategies that can be used to improve organizational effectiveness, in order to align the "business of business" and human interests and needs.
Projects, Programs, and Portfolios
This concentration (designated "P3") provides technical and organizational competencies that enhance the delivery of services and products. Coursework teaches how to link ongoing projects to strategic goals that increase the knowledge and skills of those responsible for managing portfolios of projects, project teams, and internal and external resources. The six required courses in this concentration facilitate continuous exchange between faculty and fellow students, and provide expert mentoring from academics and the best practitioners in the community.
The Projects, Programs, and Portfolios faculty includes: Richard Bayney; Richard Heaslip; Keith Hornbacher; Jean-Marc Choukroun; and Joel Adler, P3 Studies Coordinator.
More information about P3can be found on the concentration flyer or by clicking here.
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Graduate Certificates
Completion of at least six courses within a concentration earns a University of Pennsylvania Graduate Certificate in addition to the Master's Degree. A student may earn several Graduate Certificates, if requirements for each are met. Certificates are issued when all requirements for the Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics degree are met (except P3 as noted below).
A Graduate Certificate may be valued for personal accomplishment, as a credential denoting professional development, and/or to show a corporate sponsor (employer) that the Organizational Dynamics course work offers a defined academic focus. The following are the concentrations and their corresponding Graduate Certificates:
| Concentrations | Graduate Certificates Awarded |
| Global Studies [GL] | Certificate in Global Organizational Studies |
| Leadership/Management Studies [LM] | Certificate in Organizational Leadership Studies |
| Organizational Coaching [OC] | Certificate in Organizational Coaching Studies |
| Practitioner Studies [PR] | Certificate in Organization Development Studies |
| Projects, Programs, and Portfolios [P3] | Certificate in Organizational Project Management Studies |
Note: The P3 Graduate Certificate is unique in that it may be earned without completing the entire Master's Degree Program. Participants in the P3 Graduate Certificate Program must be admitted to degree candidacy in either the MSOD or MPhil Program, even if they do not intend to complete the degree.
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