40 Hours for the Forty Acres September 2022

Who We Are

Drawing on an innovative combination of liberal arts, behavioral sciences, and social sciences, Human Dimensions of Organizations (HDO) meets a need not addressed by existing education options: providing a deep understanding of people, the key components of any organization.

Our BA major program teaches students to explore, learn, and articulate the ways the humanities and social sciences address practical problems facing organizations.

Our Executive MA Degree is designed for mid-career leaders in the business, nonprofit, government, and military sectors searching for a more comprehensive understanding of how human behavior and experience affects organizational success.

What We’re Fundraising For

Donations to HDO support innovative ideas that will continue to deepen HDO’s impact across all sectors. In addition, these donations will expand our current efforts to provide graduate student fellowships, undergraduate student awards, high-quality distance-learning technology, and faculty research support.

These funds allow us to address vital needs, such as nonprofit/low-income tuition assistance; graduate and undergraduate research and opportunities; and general program support.

HDO is growing. Quickly. Over the past several years we’ve launched a new Bachelor’s degree (with nearly 400 majors!), seen enrollment in our 15-month Executive Master’s program double, and vastly expanded our Professional Training offerings. We invite you to invest in our efforts to provide innovative education opportunities to current and aspiring leaders.

What People Are Saying About HDO

“The HDO bachelor’s program focuses on understanding organizational dynamics and behaviors—how organizations work—which is an essential skill in today’s rapidly changing work environment. To succeed, leaders need more than good functional skills; they need to communicate well across silos, understand complex organizational interdependencies, and adapt to ambiguous and rapidly changing business environments.”

– Bjorn Billhardt, CEO, Abilitie; HDO External Advisor

“Innovation can’t simply be ordered up. To create and sustain an innovative culture, you have to go beyond being managers to becoming leaders. HDO can play a fundamental role in this transformation.”

– Craig Wynett, Chief Learning Officer, Procter & Gamble; HDO External Advisor

"HDO majors research the secret ingredient of success for any profession or organization: the humans. Understanding the subtle rhythms and patterns of human interaction can help us better understand why we act the way we do, and how we can cultivate proactive relationships with each other. This introspective system is valuable not only to an individual, but also to a company as a whole. The more we understand about the people we interact with—be they friend, family, coworker, or even stranger—the better we can all work together, and the more we can all achieve together."

– Clint Stepp, HDO BA Major

"I chose HDO as my major because it allows me to specialize in my interests while exposing me to different perspectives offered within a liberal arts education. As I became more exposed to the professional world, I have realized how important it is to develop exceptional soft skills to connect with others and solve problems. HDO has taught me how to evaluate my own strengths and personality, so I can better cooperate with different types of people because understanding the motivation behind how people think and react is necessary to become a courageous leader.”

– Maryam Blooki, HDO BA Major

"HDO creates the ultimate team player. With its traditional liberal arts curriculum and its focus on synthesizing the different areas of study, students grow in their ability to entertain different perspectives. When it comes to working with others, the HDO approach looks different. Unlike business education, HDO fosters a 'we' mentality as opposed to a 'me' mentality. Instead of winning, it promotes collaboration. Instead of competition, it preaches strategy. This major doesn't constrain one to any specific field or job; that's the beauty of it. With these classes, I can apply what I'm learning in the classroom to my personal life and can see how they are preparing me for the professional life."

– Emily Tabor, HDO BA Major