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online doctoral degree of human capital management

Design and evaluate human capital strategies and metrics related to talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, learning and development, employee engagement, retention, talent management, leadership development, and analytics and reporting.
Spring term classes start March.

100% online learning.

Earn your degree on your schedule

$825 per credit hour.
51 total credit hours.

build a stronger workforce and stronger culture with human capital management.

Investing in your team—particularly in complex organizations—requires more than a robust HR department. It requires an ability to see employees as assets that need both investment and development.

You’ll find that what you learn at Bellevue University will have immediate applicability to the workplace. In this Ph.D. in Human Capital Management program, you’ll move through the curriculum with a cohort of peers — each term designed to build upon the last — and develop relevant career skills that you can put into practice, now.

Advance your HR knowledge and skills with a Ph.D. in human capital management.

By earning your PhD in human capital management, you will gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills to influence culture and leadership to better serve business goals.  You will acquire both qualitative and quantitative skills needed to solve complex business problems and advance employee well-being, development, and productivity.  The analytical skills taught in the program are helpful for identifying and managing the many latent, socially-based variables in an organization (e.g., commitment and motivation) that are vital to healthy organizations.

 

Network and collaborate with experienced HR and business leaders.

Everyone in this program enters with at least 5 years of professional experience and a master’s degree. That means you won’t just get feedback from expert faculty. You’ll also collaborate with expert peers from across the country who can broaden your perspective on strategic leadership.

what you'll learn.

In this program, you’ll explore the science of human behavior at work—developing research, analytical, and leadership skills to manage talent, drive performance, and lead organizational success.

upon graduation, students will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of current and emerging human capital related-theories, constructs, public policy and issues.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of current and emerging quantitative and qualitative research methods.
  • Demonstrate knowledge and practical application of univariate and multivariate statistics.
  • Design and conduct assessments and measurements regarding individual differences.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of social theories, team processes and outcomes, organizational climate, and multi-level issues.
  • Demonstrate fluency with theories related to self-regulation, values, rewards, attitudes, motivation and power.
  • Demonstrate writing, communication, presentation and publication proficiency.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of leadership theories, issues related to the management of employees and the science of influence.
  • Demonstrate fluency with problem solving, strategy and creativity literature.
  • Create, test and apply financial and accounting models and associated metrics to evaluate the efficacy of human capital.
Take the next step to advance your career.

Awards

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Faculty Perspective
This program prepares students for a variety of human-capital-related careers across a multitude of organizational settings. In general, the skill set and body of knowledge students will develop in this program will make them a valuable contributor in organizations.
Gregory Ashley, Professor and Program Director

Human Capital Management degree courses

Current students please login to BRUIN and select “Academic Progress” for your curriculum requirements.

Ph.D. Requirements (51-60 Credit Hours)

(Click a course name below to view course details)

Term 1

This course serves as an introduction to the PhD program. It covers foundational material to set you up for success in subsequent courses. This material includes basic human capital concepts, quantitative skills, statistics, and exposure to valuable resources such as the BU Tutoring Center, Writing Center, library, Blackboard, and other technologies utilized in this program. Pre-req: Acceptance into PHD program

This course focuses on strategically aligning the management of human-derived capital with organizational objectives. The course will introduce a broad spectrum of topics concerning, human, intellectual, structural, social, and psychological capital. Emphasis will be given to the role and management of organizational knowledge and how such knowledge works in service to the organizational mission.

This course focuses on human capital productivity, Internal and external factors that Impact productivity, data gathering that Informs human capital management. Students will learn to align learning programs and other human capital initiatives with associated business problems, therefore creating an actionable business plan for learning. The Culminating Project for Module 1 is Completion of a written Business Plan for Learning. Pre-req: Acceptance into PHD or Module 1 Certificate

Term 2

This course focuses on the economic principles that are the foundation of human capital management and theory. Differing methods of determining value will be introduced. Emphasis will be placed on financial and accounting practices and their applicability in human capital investment decisions.

This course focuses on the science of influence. Students will become knowledgeable on common styles of leadership and their theoretical underpinnings and assumptions. Topics include what leadership is, the challenge leaders face, the effect leadership has, and how leaders build key relationships. Emphasis is placed on leadership knowledge, approach, and application.

Term 3

This course covers topics in human learning theory, organizational learning theory, decision making, problem solving, and critical thinking. Organizational learning topics include knowledge creation and transfer, learning effectiveness, socio-psychology learning, cultural-learning, and leadership influences. In addition, the course examines the use of critical thinking methods, qualitative and quantitative decision-making, and problem solving methods. Lastly, the course emphasizes skill development in the areas of independent reasoning and impartial judgment.

This course examines how people and technology can be used to increase organizational value by increasing the various forms of capital (human, social, intellectual, structural, and psychological). Emphasis is placed on organizational strategies, particularly human resources strategies that spur innovation and sustain competitive advantage. Pre-req: PCAP 712, 720, 732, 742

Term 4

This course will guide the student through the development of a research proposal that incorporates theoretical, empirical and practitioner research in the area of human capital management. Students will work directly with peers and scholarly mentor in order to understand a broad spectrum of research approaches. The skills that you will develop in this course are essential for your doctoral completion. Without these skills, neither will you be able to integrate and link your advanced knowledge into organizational practices and culture, nor will you be able to contribute to the academic and professional literature. Pre-req: PCAP 712, 720, 732, 742, 752, 760

This course serves as an introduction to the second year of the PhD program. It covers foundational research frameworks and quantitative and qualitative research methods to set you up for success in subsequent courses, comprehensive exams, and dissertation. Pre-Req: PPCAP 700, 712, 720, 732, 742, 752, 760, and 772.

Term 5

This course focuses on the research process in human capital management. Skills developed include reading and synthesizing existing research, conducting literature reviews, formulating research question, propositions, and hypotheses, assessing appropriate research methods in an organizational setting, collecting primary and secondary data from multiple sources, and using software to analyze data. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies will be discussed. Pre-req: PCAP 712, 720, 732, 742, 752, 760, 772, 800

Term 6

This course concentrates on leadership and its effect on making human capital management decisions. Topics such as leader styles, ethics, leader emergence, psychopathy in leaders, incentives/motivation/influence, and value creation through leadership will be discussed. Participants will learn about their own leadership style, how to mentor direct reports, communicate across functional areas of the organization, and how to network effectively to achieve organizational change. Pre-req: PCAP 712, 720, 732, 742, 752, 760, 772, 810

This course introduces students to the basic tools and concepts of qualitative research. With this epistemological grounding, the seminar will then explore the core issues in case study research design, ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, case study and narrative including methods of structured and focused comparisons of cases, typological theory, case selection, and the use of counterfactual analysis. Next, the seminar will look at the epistemological assumptions, comparative strengths and weaknesses, and proper domain of qualitative study methods and alternative methods. Pre-req: PCAP 712, 720, 732, 742, 752, 760, 772, 810

Term 7

This course examines the linkages between performance, human capital incentives and key performance indicators. Optimization of human capital investments will be analyzed using holistic diagnostic skills. Pre-req: PCAP 712, 720, 732, 742, 752, 760, 772, 810, 820, 832

This course examines selected methods of qualitative and quantitative research methods and design. The course introduces the science and art of collecting, summarizing, analyzing, and describing descriptive data. Selected topics include quasi-experimental design, observational studies, binary logistic regression, exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression, and cluster analysis. Emphasis is placed on presentation techniques that are appropriate for academic and/or practitioner stakeholders. Pre-req: PCAP 712, 720, 732, 742, 752, 760, 772, 810, 820, 832

Term 8

Students pursuing their Ph.D. in Human Capital Management must successfully pass a formal assessment of learning in the PCAP Program. Pre-req: PCAP 712, 720, 732, 742, 752, 760, 772, 810, 820, 832, 840, 850

Dissertation

PCAP 890 Dissertation will begin in the term following successful completion of PCAP 862 Comprehensive Exams:

Degree completion is dependent on finishing your dissertation. The dissertation can be done in a minimum of 9 additional credit hours, but most students take up to 18 hours to complete a dissertation and you start the term after you complete your comprehensive exams. You must finish your program in less than five years.

The Dissertation for the Ph.D. in Human Capital Management is an original research project involving the collection and analysis of qualitative or quantitative data. Sources of data may include an existing dataset, collaboration with an organization, or the use of a commercially available survey company. The dissertation chair and committee provide help and guidance in developing a research plan, executing the plan, and writing the results. The dissertation topic and research plan must be approved by the student's dissertation Chair. The written dissertation must be successfully defended to confer the Ph.D. Degree. Pre-req: PCAP 712, 720, 732, 742, 752, 760, 772, 810, 820, 832, 840, 850, 862

51

Major Requirements Credits

= 51 total credits*

University Accreditation

Bellevue University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission ( hlcommission.org ), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Whether a college, university, or program is accredited is important to students receiving financial aid, employers who provide tuition assistance, donors, and the federal government.

Accreditation Information

This program is considered a non-licensure degree/certificate program and is not intended for those seeking licensure or the practice of licensed profession. This program may be relevant to multiple occupations that do not require licensure and was not designed to meet educational requirements for any specific professional license or certification.

*Consult with an admissions counselor to determine your eligible credits, as well as to verify minimum graduation requirements for this degree. Transfer credits must be from a regionally accredited college or university. Bellevue University makes no promises to prospective students regarding the acceptance of credit awarded by examination, credit for prior learning, or credit for transfer until an evaluation has been conducted.

learn on your own time, from anywhere.

Our flexible online courses are designed to bring quality learning into a format that fits your schedule, without sacrificing meaningful faculty feedback and collaboration with peers across the country. Stay on track with the help of your Student Coach — with you from day one to graduation.
Flexible schedule.

Study on your own time with courses designed to fit your busy life—whether you're working, raising a family, or serving in the military.

Reliable technical support.

Access 24/7 tech support to keep you connected and focused on learning, no matter where you are.

Dedicated online student support.

From coursework access and connectivity issues to tutoring and resume assistance, we've got you covered.

Engaging online learning.

Enjoy interactive courses designed for real-world application, with multimedia content, discussions, and hands-on projects.

nonprofit with national recognition

Whether you’re preparing for your next promotion or changing careers to better support your family, we offer more than 80 career-focused programs with 100% online and flexible learning options tailored to your needs.

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grow with faculty who’ve been where you are.

Learn from experienced educators who have established careers across diverse fields of study. Our instructors have worked with both prominent institutions and innovative organizations from around the world. Through their expertise, students will gain valuable insights and develop essential concepts and skills in their area of study.

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