Organizational Behavior

Overview

Organizational behavior is the study of how people and groups are motivated at work.

Organizational behavior programs teahc people the theories of human behavior and employee relations. Students learn how to use and assess measures that help to improve productivity.

Organizational behavior programs include topics in:

Human behavior
Organizational theory
Employee relations
Productivity
Leadership styles
Social psychology
Conflict resolution

Schools

Several colleges and universities offer bachelor’s degrees in organizational behavior. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.

In many other schools you can take courses in this subject as part of a major in another business field such as business management or human resources.

Some universities offer graduate degrees in organizational behavior. One option is to focus on organizational behavior while earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. A master’s degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor’s degree. Doctoral (PhD) degree programs usually require two or more years of study beyond the master’s degree.

See schools that offer this program.

Related Educational Programs

Related Careers

Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study

Other Careers Related to this Program of Study

Program Admission

You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

Business and Applied English
Economics
English Composition
Introduction to Business
Pre-Calculus
Psychology

Graduate Admissions

Admission to MBA programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree, good grades, and good test scores. Your bachelor's degree may be in human resources management or some other business field. It also may be in a social science. Some business course work or business work experience is helpful.

Additional requirements at some schools include:

Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)
Letters of recommendation
Interview

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

The undergraduate program typically includes courses in the following subjects:

Business Finance
Business Law
Business Writing
Calculus for Business
English Composition
Human Resource Management
Introduction to Accounting
Introduction to Management Information Systems
Introduction to Marketing
Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Management and Organization
Principles of Microeconomics
Statistics for Business

Graduate Program Courses

To prepare for a career in organizational behavior and human resources development you probably will want to take some of the following courses in a bachelor's or MBA program:

Dynamics of Leading Organizations
Effective Group Dynamics
Managing Organizational Change
Managing Workforce Diversity
Negotiations
Organizational Analysis
Team Management

A list of common requirements for the MBA includes:

Required courses
Internship
Thesis (may not be required)

Things to Know

Business courses often focus on cases drawn from real life. Students sharpen their analytical and problem-solving skills by examining situations that businesses have encountered.

Business courses in high school can be useful preparation for a career in organizational behavior. Your high school transcript needs to show that you are preparing for a demanding college-level program.