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Talent Development Concentration

As a talent development (TD) professional, you will assess the needs of your organization and propose solutions. TD professionals design, facilitate, and evaluate training programs. Typical jobs include trainer, instructional designer and e-learning specialist.

Program Overview

The talent development concentration is an undergraduate concentration open to all majors. The concentration is 15 credit hours and includes three TD courses and two electives in technology, digital media, graphic design, or website development.

Curriculum

Required Courses

TD 111: Organizational Learning (3 credit hours, fall)

TD 113: Performance Consulting (3 credit hours, fall)

TD 114: Designing, Developing, and Facilitating Learning (3 credit hours, spring)

Elective Courses

TD 112: Learning and Technology (3 credit hours, summer)

Three hours of approved elective courses in technology, digital media, graphic design, or website development.

Course Descriptions

TD 111: ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

This course introduces students to key concepts in the field of organizational learning, emphasizing its strategic nature within the organization. Topics include leading the learning function; organizational learning and andragogy theories; the ADDIE model (analysis, development, design, implementation, and evaluation) of training and development, and nontraditional learning interventions through coaching, mentoring, and cross-training. Special emphasis will be placed on the first and last components of ADDIE: Needs Analysis and Evaluation (3 credit hours).

TD 112: LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY

This course introduces critical assessment, collaboration, and learning technologies. Since technology changes constantly, students will also learn how to continuously identify and gain proficiency in new tools. Ethical and legal considerations related to the use of technology in the workplace are also addressed (3 credit hours).

TD 113: PERFORMANCE CONSULTING

This course helps students explore the field of human performance improvement. Students will gain critical skills in applied organizational research, learning to identify performance improvement gaps and to propose appropriate interventions. Topics include data collection methods, the HPI model, data analysis, and best practices in internal and external consulting (3 credit hours).

TD 114: DESIGNING, DEVELOPING, AND FACILITATING LEARNING

This course provides an overview of how to design, develop, and facilitate effective learning experiences for adult learners. Design and development topics include writing instructional objectives, selecting appropriate training methods, and designing and developing instructional games and simulations. Facilitation topics include the rationale for selecting various facilitation methods and approaches for engaging learners (3 credit hours).