The value you gain from learning in a graduate program may start with the content of the curriculum, but we know there is much more. At the Master's Program in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC), from your initial onboarding to becoming an alumnus, you are part of an active community who share a common, innovative learning experience.

Curriculum Focused on Change Leadership

The MSLOC curriculum is designed to develop the competencies required for leadership in the face of complex, continuous organizational change. To meet that challenge we continually update the curriculum to incorporate new research and concepts and to provide learning experiences that engage and inspire all members of our community.

A Collaborative Community of Learners

Students and faculty work collaboratively in a supportive community that seeks to help each other learn and succeed together. All students are part of this single community of learners - regardless of where you live, or your status as part-time, full-time, or candidate for master's degree, coaching certification or graduate certificate.

It starts with an onboarding process that:

• Introduces you to our culture of establishing lifelong connections.
• Helps you become aware of each others' areas of expertise and strengths, and how to engage beyond classroom conversations.
• Includes a thorough orientation to the technologies we use to support learning and collaboration.

Collaboration continues in the classroom. Course design and facilitation provide a learning environment rich in discussion and sharing among students and faculty. Learning from the community is as important as learning from faculty. Your ideas are critiqued by peers, pushing you to think critically and deeply.

Valuing Diverse Perspectives

The diversity of professional backgrounds and experiences among our students is consistently mentioned as a notable distinction. We attract change leaders from large and small companies, not-for-profits, education and government institutions.

By design, each MSLOC course benefits from this broad mix of perspectives. It is an important component of developing a deeper awareness of mental models, strengths and biases.

Transforming Yourself, Transforming Organizations

Our alumni are confident leaders of organizational transformation because they understand transformation at an individual level.

You will develop a deep awareness of your strengths and areas for improvement by taking the kinds of assessments used by organizations to develop high-potential talent. You also create an individual learning plan designed to guide your MSLOC learning experiences and build expertise in areas important to your career.

• The principles and skills of self-directed learning and will be encouraged to set clear objectives to take control of your own learning.
• To reflect, share your insights with your colleagues - and gain valuable feedback in a supportive environment.

Degree students also complete a Capstone (applied research) project to develop critical thinking and demonstrate depth of knowledge on a topic of interest to their professional career development.

Learning by Doing

Collaborative and experiential learning are central approaches in courses throughout the program. In two courses -- Foundations and Practicum - you will be introduced to Problem-Based Learning and will work with peers and clients to solve complex challenges.

In this environment you will apply new concepts and practices, learned in the classroom, to structure and lead team projects and to address real-world challenges presented by client organizations.

Digital Networked Learning

MSLOC integrates new learning technologies to create an innovative learning environment with an explicit professional development outcome in mind: Developing the digital literacy required for success in the networked organization.

Our primary online learning platform - The Hive - is based on enterprise social network software from SAP Software Solutions. The design supports our vision of creating a social community of active, networked learners who connect and collaborate in a manner more closely resembling a contemporary, innovative organization than a traditional school environment. We also actively integrate social media, blogs, and collaboration technologies from Google and more into our course designs.

The result: You will learn to work, connect and collaborate effectively in the new workplace and learning landscape.

Being Innovative Means Learning How to Learn

Keeping pace with new ideas and transforming those ideas into innovations means learning how to learn. We take this to heart in our approach to supporting your personal development as well as in our mission to incorporate the latest developments in research, theory and practice into our curriculum.

Faculty routinely experiment with new approaches to teaching and learning. You will:

• Experience learning through cases, research-based projects, simulations, assessments, feedback, coaching and more.
• Be encouraged to engage in practical innovation by creating articles and solutions that are shared with audiences outside of the program.

By engaging in and reflecting on all these experiences, you gain deeper insight into what it means to "learn how to learn."