Our world is full of systems and policies that affect how individuals learn, grow and relate to one another. Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development (OLPD) studies how those systems and policies are shaped by culture and power. We prepare leaders and researchers to transform our education and organizations for the better.
We teach our students how to design, test, implement, and revise our institutional strategies in both the public and private sectors, from the international to the local level. Our students gain practical experiences in creating approaches to increase social and economic development, foster human flourishing, disrupt power structures, and promote a more just society.
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identify “ability to work in a team” as a top attribute they seek in new hires.
Source: Job Outlook 2020, National Association of Colleges and Employers
Undergraduate programs
Business and marketing education
Learn a broad set of skills to prepare for a variety of careers, from positions in Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurial startups, and international organizations to nonprofit management.
Human resource development
Gain the skills you need to offer workplace training and contribute to organizational development in a variety of public and private organizations.
Graduate program tracks
Comparative and international development education
Examine educational ideas, practices, and systems through a global lens and foster understanding of transcultural issues and trends in education.
Education policy and leadership
Work to continuously improve educational quality and effectiveness so that young people graduate from secondary education well-prepared to continue their learning and contribute to their communities.
Evaluation studies
earn what works. Study evaluation theory and practice and inform the decision-making process in a variety of fields.
Higher education
Investigate the experiences, practices and decisions of those involved in post-secondary educations as well as the socio-political contexts in which higher education exists.
Human resource development
Study the ways in which people find meaning and thrive in their workplaces, and cultivate the conditions that empower people to be the best versions of themselves at work.
Contact information
For general questions about our department, contact:
Undergraduate studies
612-625-9087
ugolpd@umn.edu
Graduate studies
612-626-9377
olpd@umn.edu
Main office
612-624-1006