College of Education and Human Development

Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development

World-wide influence. Collaborative impact.

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.

Department News

2025 NARST Fellows Award 2025 NARST Fellows Award

2025 NARST Fellows Award March 24, 2025, at the 98th International NARST Conference held in Washington, D.C., USA

CIDE programs well-represented at CIES 2025 CIDE programs well-represented at CIES 2025

The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities' Comparative and International Development Education graduate programs will be well represented at the 2025 annual meeting of CIES, the Comparative and International Education Society: Envisioning Education in…

OLPD Students, Faculty Collect Awards at AHRD OLPD Students, Faculty Collect Awards at AHRD

Numerous graduate students and faculty at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities' Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development received major awards at the 2025 annual conference of the Association of Human Resource Development.

Rodriguez Receives Dissertation of the Year Award from AHRD Rodriguez Receives Dissertation of the Year Award from AHRD

Ana Carolina Rodriguez, a 2024 PhD graduate at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities' Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, received the Dissertation of the Year Award from the Academy of Human Resource Development.

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Department Events

Public Oral PhD Defense: Irene K. Fernando Public Oral PhD Defense: Irene K. Fernando

Irene K. Fernando, PhD Candidate in HRD, will present, "Applying Human Resource Development to County Elected Officials as a Profession, to Explore Background and Career Development for Women and Women of Color".

Public Oral PhD Defense: Rasha Ahmad Sharif Public Oral PhD Defense: Rasha Ahmad Sharif

Rasha Ahmad Sharif, PhD Candidate in Human Resource Development, will present "United We Stand, Divided We Fall: Leadership Development in U.S. Labor Unions SEIU BOLD/Rockwood A Case Study".

MLTD Info Session: May 2 MLTD Info Session: May 2

Please join us via Zoom for an information session about the fully-online Master of Learning and Talent Development degree program. Meet staff and faculty, and get answers to all of your questions!

Public Oral PhD Defense: Alex Hermanny Public Oral PhD Defense: Alex Hermanny

Alex Hermanny, PhD Candidate, will present "Beyond Divine Providence: Alumni Support for Religiously-Affiliated Colleges and Universities".

Public Oral PhD Defense: Megan Red Shirt-Shaw Public Oral PhD Defense: Megan Red Shirt-Shaw

Megan Red Shirt-Shaw, PhD Candidate in [program area], will present, "Wiyuskinyan Unpi Tipi (Where They Live Contently) - Native Student Belonging at the University of South Dakota".

MLTD Info Session: May 16 MLTD Info Session: May 16

Please join us via Zoom for an information session about the fully-online Master of Learning and Talent Development degree program. Meet staff and faculty, and get answers to all of your questions!

Public Oral PhD Defense: Oliver R. Keels Public Oral PhD Defense: Oliver R. Keels

Oliver R. Keels, PhD Candidate in CIDE, will present, "The production of the American university: Securitization, nationalism, and internationalization in Iraqi Kurdistan".

MLTD Info Session: June 4th MLTD Info Session: June 4th

Please join us via Zoom for an information session about the fully-online Master of Learning and Talent Development degree program. Meet staff and faculty, and get answers to all of your questions!

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86% of employers


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

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