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Leadership Development Concentration | Graduate Degree Program

Leadership Development Concentration

Ottawa University’s Bachelor of Arts in Human Resources and Master of Arts in Human Resources fully align with SHRM’s HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates. Throughout the world, only 252 programs in 201 educational institutions have been acknowledged by SHRM as being in alignment with its suggested guides and templates. Two of those programs are ours and without us, there would only be 200 institutions.  The HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates were developed by SHRM to define the minimum HR content areas that should be studied by HR students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. They are part of SHRM’s Academic Initiative, created in 2006 and revalidated in 2010, to help the Society define HR education standards taught in university business schools across the nation and help universities develop degree programs that follow these standards.

Increase your human resources skills and positively impact the lives of others. This online Master’s in Human Resources program seeks to promote professional excellence, academic attainment and the ability to synthesize, integrate and apply knowledge in meaningful and relevant ways.

If you’re looking for a Master’s degree online program that can help you advance in your career, look no further than Ottawa University. Our online Master’s degree program in Human Resources is designed for busy working adults who have limited time for school. We also offer this program on-campus in Arizona, Indiana, Kansas and Wisconsin. 

Human Resources Career Opportunities:

Upon completion of your Human Resources degree, you can be ready to work for not-for-profit organizations and public and private companies. In addition, you can pursue a career as an:

  • Employment and placement specialist
  • Employee benefits specialist
  • Occupational Specialist

The program also prepares you to take the exam leading to designation as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR).

For curriculum and course descriptions please download a program overview.

Leadership Development is offered at the following locations.

  • Overland Park, Kansas
  • Brookfield, Wisconsin
  • Online

Leadership Development Concentration Courses

  • Developing Leaders and Leadership Capability
  • Developing Leaders to Create Value
  • Servant Leadership
  • Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

Master of Arts in Human Resources Required Courses

Managing Human Resources Costs
Monitor and assess financial achievements of human resources goals, as well as other financial planning and control mechanisms within the work organization.

Human Resources Planning and Administration 
Integration of human resources with strategic business functions and planning. Examines issues of structure, staffing, effectiveness, performance and assessment and diversity within organizations.

Wage, Salary, and Benefit Administration 
Provides comprehensive overview of the elements of compensation, legal ramifications and compensation design and design of benefits programs and their impact on compensation and recruitment.

Recruitment Selection and Placement 
Examine issues and methods for effective recruitment, employment selection and job placement. Compare various methods and procedures used as related to job requirements.

Training and Development 
Cover fundamentals, purpose and role of the training and development function in human resources. Includes needs assessment, program development, methods and technologies, management development, evaluation of interventions.

Organizational Behavior and Theory 
Examines human behavior as it impacts the work organization. Includes theoretical foundations of motivation, group dynamics, leadership, decision-making, satisfaction and performance.

Employment Law 
Examination of Equal Employment Opportunity, Americans with Disabilities Act, Family Leave Act and other recent and forthcoming legislation. Discuss impact for employee relations and management training for compliance.

Value Systems and Professional Ethics 
Study of personal and corporate value systems and decision making. Investigation of personal beliefs, purposes and attitudes, and their effects on self and others. Examines the ethical dimensions of organizational structures and practices.

Trends, Issues, and Perspectives in Human Resources 
Extended overview of the role of human resources in organizations. Existing theory and practice as well as new and emerging topics in the field.

Research: Assessment and Evaluation 
Develop conceptual and analytical skills and knowledge to assess organizational needs and program effectiveness through the use of research methodologies.

Applied Case Studies in Human Resources 
Seminar for graduating students in which participants develop a major case study of human resource issues, programs and policies in a current organization, most often their own. Draws from previous courses as issues are identified, analyzed and discussed.


Elective course (choose 1)

  • Organization and Consultation Skills
  • Career Development
  • Managing a Culturally Diverse Workplace
  • SHRM Certification Course
Full Degree Catalog

University Accreditation

Ottawa University, as a whole, is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Specific degree programs within our institution have also been accredited by relevant bodies within the field:

We are proudly recognized for our commitment to student excellence by the following designations:

Why Choose Ottawa
Almost all courses in Ottawa University’s programs are available online and accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. We make it easy for you to transfer credits in order to help keep tuition costs down. We also offer courses in accelerated 8-week terms in order to reduce your time to completion. These are just a few of the reasons why we are proud to be the best, fastest, and most affordable option locally in the Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Phoenix areas, as well as serving students nationally through our online degrees.

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