The Ph.D. in Education and Human Resource Studies, Organizational Learning, Performance, and Change Doctoral Specialization is designed to help managers, directors, executives, researchers, and academics develop the skills needed to improve organizational effectiveness, manage organizational change, enhance decision-making, and develop analysis and research expertise.
The program's coursework is grounded in organizational, strategic, learning, and change management theory. It focuses on a combination of sociological, systems, psychological, and economic approaches to performance improvement and change management strategies.
This doctoral degree is a cohort structure offered as face-to-face, bi-weekly Saturday meetings held in downtown Denver.
Students interested in graduate work should refer to the Graduate and Professional Bulletin.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion, students will be able to:
- Recall, articulate, apply and critically analyze theoretical, scholarly and practical aspects of organizational planning, training / workplace learning, individual, team, process and organizational change, leadership, systems thinking and practice, evaluation and assessment of learning interventions and social, cultural and political issues in the workplace.
- Engage in the scholarly process through the conduct of original research in the field of Organizational Learning, Performance and Change, and through the development of several manuscripts for publication including theoretical / conceptual work and empirical work, submit them for publication in refereed forums, as well as participate in the blind peer-review process.
- Quantitatively and qualitatively analyze diverse questions focused on issues of individual, team, process and organizational learning, performance and change in a variety of contexts, taking into account a wide variety of system dynamics with attention to the assumption that different modes of inquiry serve different purposes and yield different forms of knowledge.
- Recall, articulate and critically analyze the current state of knowledge in Organizational Learning, Performance and Change, including the identification of current research trends and areas that represent significant opportunity for inquiry.
Effective Fall 2025
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Research | ||
| EDRM 700 | Quantitative Research Methods | 3 |
| EDRM 702 | Foundations of Educational Research | 3 |
| EDRM 704 | Qualitative Research | 3 |
| EDRM 792B | Seminar: Proposal Development | 3 |
| Select one track from the following: 1 | 6 | |
Quantitative Track | ||
Select two courses from the following: | ||
| Applied Linear Models-Educational Research | ||
| Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis | ||
| Analysis of Variance--Education Research | ||
| Quantitative Data Collection Methods/Analysis | ||
Qualitative Track | ||
Select two courses from the following: | ||
| Qualitative Data Analysis | ||
| Narrative Inquiry | ||
| Ethnographic Research | ||
| OLPC Content Courses | ||
| EDOD 706 | Organizational Learning, Performance, Change | 3 |
| EDOD 761 | Evaluation and Assessment of Interventions | 3 |
| EDOD 766 | Scenario Planning in Organizations | 3 |
| EDOD 768 | Workforce Development | 3 |
| EDOD 769 | Theory and Practice of Change | 3 |
| EDOD 771 | Social Foundations of the Workplace | 3 |
| EDOD 772 | Theory Building in Applied Disciplines | 3 |
| EDOD 773 | Systems Leadership | 3 |
| EDOD 792 | Seminar-Human Resource Development | 3 |
| Dissertation | ||
| EDOD 792 | Seminar-Human Resource Development | 6-9 |
| EDOD 799 | Dissertation | 6-9 |
| Master's Degree Credit | ||
| Master's Degree Credit 2 | 30 | |
| Program Total Credits: | 90 | |
A minimum of 90 credits are required to complete this program.
- 1
Students select the Quantitative or Qualitative track with approval of advisor and graduate committee.
- 2
A maximum of 30 credits may be accepted from a master's degree.
For more information, please visit Requirements for All Graduate Degrees in the Graduate and Professional Bulletin.
Summary of Procedures for the Master's and Doctoral Degrees
NOTE: Each semester the Graduate School publishes a schedule of deadlines. Deadlines are available on the Graduate School website. Students should consult this schedule whenever they approach important steps in their careers.
Forms are available online.
| Step | Due Date |
|---|---|
| 1. Application for admission (online) | Six months before first registration |
| 2. Diagnostic examination when required | Before first registration |
| 3. Appointment of advisor | Before first registration |
| 4. Selection of graduate committee | Before the time of fourth regular semester registration |
| 5. Filing of program of study (GS Form 6) | Before the time of fourth regular semester registration |
| 6. Preliminary examination (Ph.D. and PD) | Two terms prior to final examination |
| 7. Report of preliminary examination (GS Form 16) - (Ph.D. and PD) | Within two working days after results are known |
| 8. Changes in committee (GS Form 9A) | When change is made |
| 9. Application for Graduation (GS Form 25) | Refer to published deadlines from the Graduate School Website |
| 9a. Reapplication for Graduation (online) | Failure to graduate requires Reapplication for Graduation (online) for the next time term for which you are applying |
| 10. Submit thesis or dissertation to committee | At least two weeks prior to the examination or at the discretion of the graduate committee |
| 11. Final examination | Refer to published deadlines from the Graduate School Website |
| 12. Report of final examination (GS Form 24) | Within two working days after results are known; refer to published deadlines from the Graduate School website |
| 13. Submit a signed Thesis/Dissertation Submission Form (GS Form 30) to the Graduate School and Submit the Survey of Earned Doctorates (Ph.D. only) prior to submitting the electronic thesis/dissertation | Refer to published deadlines from the Graduate School website. |
| 14. Submit the thesis/dissertation electronically | Refer to published deadlines from the Graduate School website |
| 15. Graduation | Ceremony information is available from the Graduate School website |