The RIT HRD Program

M.S.in Human Resource Development

We are revolutionizing human resource practices, one student at a time.

About the program

An M.S. in Human Resource Development from RIT prepares you to leverage the human assets of an organization to positively impact the bottom line.

Students in this program explore the effective workforce management and employee development practices employed by high performance organizations ranging from excellence in recruiting and rewards to building a flexible workplace that is ready to adapt to change.

This program provides practical experience in and best practice tools and techniques to:

• Successfully execute corporate strategy related to human capital
• Manage and develop talent to realize a higher return on investment
• Increase workforce productivity
• Balance people and profits
• Improve customer and employee retention
• Form strategic alliances

Typical students include individuals interested in starting a career in the human resource field, experienced HR practitioners eager to build new competencies in training, instructional design, performance management, and employee development, and managers who want to learn to unleash human potential.

Faculty in the program bring a wealth of experience in human resource management, strategic employee development, instructional design, consulting, leadership, coaching and more, to the learning experience. The RIT campus offers students state-of-the-art technology and convenient access to resources. Courses are offered in the evening and online.

Human Resource Development Degree Curriculum

The program consists of 48 credit hours (12 courses) of foundation and technique study.

Foundation (required) courses
Strategic Employee Development
Theories of Organizational Development
Human Resource Management II
Theories of Career Development

Technique courses
Students choose electives that best meet their individual needs and often draw from the wide variety of world class programs available at RIT, such as Instructional Technology, Learning and Knowledge Management, Service Management, and Business Administration.
Some of the HRD program electives include:

• Human Capital Strategies
• Planning and Evaluation in Organizational Development
• Global Aspects of Human Resources
• Practice of Consultation in Organizational Development
• Needs Assessment and Proposal Development
• Human Resource Information Systems
• Psychological Tests and Measurements
• Design and Delivery of Training

Human Resource (HR) Field

The HR Department performs a wide variety of functions, which are commonly categorized as Human Resource Management (or Administration) and Human Resource Development. These functions may include:

• Information systems
• Employee relations and assistance
• Union/labor relations
• Compensation and benefits
• Job design
• Human capital planning
• Performance management systems
• Recruitment and selection
• Organizational and individual learning
• Knowledge Management

HR practitioners should have a solid foundation of understanding across the range of functions, as well as business acumen.

Our vision for the future

We believe that skilled individuals, committed to excellence, can become catalysts for positive change in their organizations. We work closely with our students to help them apply principles of human performance management and employee development to drive business results. We are revolutionizing human resource practices, one student at a time.