Educational Human Resource Development (HRD), as defined by the HRD faculty at Texas A&M University, is the process of improving learning and performance in individual, group, and organizational contexts through domains of expertise such as lifelong learning, career development, training and development, and organizational development. Interested students have opportunities for international travel, professional presentations, and writing for publication.

In the Human Resource Development specialization, we offer two graduate degrees: the Master of Science (M.S.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

• Master of Science - a 37 credit hour degree program which allows an individual to take the required course work completely as Web delivery, or if so desired, may have an option of taking campus based courses too. Although a final exam is not required for this degree, individuals must compile a professional portfolio documenting degree progress which is submitted in the last semester of coursework.  
       - Master's Degree Plan*
       - Pathway through the program
       - M.S. in HRD Technology Requirements
       - What Makes a Successful Online Student (Illinois Online Network) 


• Doctor of Philosophy - requires a minimum of 64 credit hours with a master's degree or 96 credit hours without a master's degree. This degree prepares individuals for professional work settings as well as faculty positions in research universities. It also offers a variety of courses in which a student may choose to emphasize in areas essential for the knowledge and skills necessary to meet your goals.  The GRE is required for this degree.
       - Ph.D. Degree Plan*
        - Minimum Research Requirements
    

*Please note: All courses are subject to final committee approval.

Recent graduates have departed for jobs as corporate and government trainers, directors, faculty members, administrators in primary, secondary, and higher education, curriculum designers, and consultants.

This program also offers a certificate program in Training and Development. If you would be interested in obtaining this certificate, please contact the program coordinator, Dr. Larry Dooley at l-dooley@tamu.edu or visit the Certification Program Web site.

All students in the human resource development specialization must fulfill a residency requirement set forth by Texas A&M University which is specific for the degree program of interest, including the master's online program. For more information, please refer to the Residence Requirement information. Only doctoral students are required to fill out a residency form and submit it to the department.

Application submission deadlines for the master's degree are the same as for all the other EAHR specializations, August 15 for Spring semester with decisions made in mid-October and December 1 for Summer or Fall semester with decisions made in mid-March. The application deadline, however, for the doctoral degree is a one-time-a-year application submission. The deadline is December 1 of every year with the application review taking place in early February. Admission decisions are made by mid-March. There are no faculty interviews or writing exercises required for either program for the admission review.