Master of Science In Training and Development

This Program was nominated for a Curriculum Innovation Award by the Commission of Professors of Adult Education of the American Association of Adult Continuing Education.

The Master of Science in Training and Development (MSTD) program provides quality educational experiences in an applied curriculum for professionals who design, deliver, and evaluate learning programs for adults. The MSTD degree offers diverse employment possibilities such as manager or director of training or education, a manager of human resources development or organizational learning, a director or dean of continuing education, a director of adult or community education, a human performance consultant, an instructional designer, a learning technologist, or an e-learning manager.

Concentrations available in this program include the following:

Certificates that are available include Management of Training and Development, Learning Technology, Training Specialist, and Client-Centered Consulting.

The curriculum includes both theoretical and applied areas that integrate education and training into organization goals, establishing program and learner needs and objectives, assessing program and learner outcomes, designing and delivering education and training materials, understanding adult learning styles, and providing leadership to organizational learning. Students enrolled in this program will develop skills in team building and persuasion, in becoming a change agent for an organization, in both written and verbal communications, in the use of technology to solve business problems, in understanding and promoting diversity, and in leading with integrity and a sense of ethics.

Students will find both personal and professional growth in the study of training and development. In this program, students have the opportunity to complete assignments that they can apply to their work place. They will gain hands-on experience with effective ways of planning, delivering, and evaluating continuing education, training, and professional development in their areas of expertise. The MSTD program will support students if they want to move up in their current organization, secure a position in another organization, or make a career change.

The MSTD program will provide employers with professionals who have expertise in the teaching and learning of adults. They will understand how continuing education and training leads to improved performance in the workplace, and they will have an awareness of internal and external environments that will enable them to position education and training effectively within their organizations.

 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

To be considered for admission, an applicant must have a bachelor's degree with a minimum 2.75 GPA from a regionally accredited college or university and two years of significant work experience or permission of the academic advisor. Applicants must also possess basic computer competency as defined in the admissions information received after applying.

The GRE and GMAT tests are not required. The application process is easy to begin. Admission to USF is required to begin classes. Foreign students for whom English is a second language must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (213 on the computer based exam). Transcripts from foreign universities must be accompanied by an official report from a credentials evaluation agency as part of the admissions requirement.

 

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Thirty-six credit hours of graduate level courses are required. These hours include:

  • MSTD Core Courses (24 credit hours required)
  • Concentration Courses (12 credit hours required)

Maintenance of a "B" average (3.0/4.0 G.P.A.) is necessary for advancement to candidacy and graduation.