The Top Organizational Development MBA
Online Programs

In today’s highly competitive global marketplace, businesses must continually strive to improve performance and efficiency. Organizational development is a field that focuses on transforming a business’s internal methods and processes in order to improve business-wide performance. Students that graduate from online MBA organizational development programs will be equipped with the skills to analyze an organization from top to bottom in order to create and implement a plan for improvement. Online MBA in organizational development programs position graduates for leadership roles in large businesses across many different industries.

An online Master of Business Administration in Organizational Development is an interdisciplinary degree that includes training in business, communication, psychology, anthropology and sociology.  Business topics typically include management systems, business organizational structures, management development and leadership assessment.  Students enrolled in an accredited organizational development MBA online program will also study corporate culture, the way the values and beliefs of an organization affect employee behavior and performance.

How can I tell if an online MBA organizational development degree is right for me?

Students thinking of earning an online Master of Business Administration in Organizational Development should have an interest in team building, management development and motivational dynamics.

Additional common traits amongst many online MBA organizational development students are:

• A skill for provide consultation and advice to others
• An aptitude for resolving conflicts and negotiating with others
• A flair for training and teaching others
• A knack for communicating with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• A flair for organizing, planning, and prioritizing work

How long does it take to earn an MBA online organizational development degree?

Earning an organizational development MBA degree online is comparable to earning any other MBA online. To finish this degree it normally takes 2 years of full-time study. But, students are able to earn the course under a timeframe that suits their schedule at some business schools that offer part-time or accelerated programs.

What are the prerequisites and admission requirements for MBA organizational development schools online?

A bachelor’s degree is required before students can gain admission to online MBA organizational development programs. Some schools that have an MBA organizational development online program have a preference for applicants who have degrees in areas like business administration, organizational behavior, leadership development, and strategic management.

In addition to requiring students to have a bachelor’s degree, many online MBA in organizational development programs base admission on the following criteria:

• Personal interviews
• References or Letters of Recommendation
• Graduate Management Admission Test scores (GMAT)
• Work experience

What courses will I take in organizational development MBA programs online?

The first-year coursework for students enrolled in an organizational development MBA online program is consistent with most MBA programs. Typical classes for first-year students include accounting, business strategy, finance, business ethics and law, marketing and public policy.  The best online MBA courses will give students a strong knowledge base in the fundamentals of modern business.

Second-year students in the best online organizational development MBA schools are trained in organizational structure and leadership. Common classes include coaching and mentoring, administrative strategy, business dynamics, human resources management and organizational design management. Top organizational development MBA schools online even offer special seminars in topics such as labor relations, entrepreneurship and e-commerce.

Many students enrolled in online organizational development MBA programs complete an internship during the course of their studies. Internships are helpful. Through them, students not only make important business contacts, but they also get a chance to apply what they are learning in their classes.

What are the best online MBA in organizational development books I should consider reading?

For students wanting to pursue organizational development MBA careers, some on point books are:

1. Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace (Gordon Mackenzie) – This compact text, told through humorous scenarios from the author’s experience working for Hallmark, provides managers with creative ways to inspire employees in unconventional ways.

2. Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos and Luck: Why Some Thrive Despite Them All (Collins, Morten Hansen) – A very close look at why some companies have success and others fail, this text is full of real-life examples and hard data for MBA online organizational development students.

3. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable (Patrick Lencioni) – The author depicts a fictional corporation in order to explain why teams are not often as efficient as they should be, providing the reader with numerous strategies for teambuilding along the way.

4. Drive: The Surprising Truth of What Motivates Us (Daniel Pink) – Pink describes three important elements of motivation, focusing on how humans desire to control their own lives and how managers can allow employees to achieve personal satisfaction in the workplace.

5. The Innovator’s Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business (Clayton Christensen) – Harvard professor Clayton Christensen explores reasons why even the most successful companies can fail to incorporate new technologies effectively.

What are my future job prospects if I pursue organizational development MBA jobs?

The expected organizational development MBA salary is above average as compared to other MBA degree specialties. However, opportunities for people holding an MBA organizational development online degree are very competitive.  Graduates from colleges with high online organizational development MBA rankings typically have better opportunities than those from lower ranked programs. In 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 29,800 people held positions as training and development managers while 64,600 were employed as operations research analysts. The following is a list of average salaries for common occupations held by graduates in organizational development:

• Human Resources Specialist – $52,690
• Management Analyst – $78,160
• Training or Development Manager – $89,160
• Operations Research Analysts – $70,960

The expected job growth for training or development managers and operations research analysts is 15% over the next decade. The job growth for human resource specialists and management analysts is higher at 21%. This faster rate is largely due to needs in the employment services industry, which includes positions in job placement and job training agencies.

Many employers prefer graduates who have studied from a program that has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB accredited organizational development MBA programs are believed to provide students with a quality education.