Master of Science in Organization Development

Expert and Student Views

The MSOD program at Pepperdine has received accolades not only from the utmost experts in the field of organization development, but from the most important audience: our students.

Expert Testimonials

Pepperdine is proud to have won the praise of two of the founders of the organization development field: Bob Tannenbaum, former UCLA faculty member, and Richard Beckhard, former MIT faculty member.

"A top-quality program. A learning community with challenging colleagues and with useful and stimulating inputs from faculty and visiting seniors in the field. A human community with heart."

- Bob Tannenbaum
1915-2003

 

"This is clearly the best combined academic and practical program that exists in the United States for mid-career persons wanting to achieve excellence in the application of OD."

- Richard Beckhard
1918-1999

 

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Student Testimonials

"The MSOD program was an explosion in my professional and personal growth. Personally, the program helped me to find my mission in this world. Professionally, the interesting combination of international business and organization behavior led me to take new challenges in my career. I think new students will enjoy the journey that the MSOD program provides."

- Ana Andrade, '02
Independent OD Consultant
Lima, Peru

"The Pepperdine MSOD program is the best organization development program available. The combination of experienced faculty and staff, the highest quality curriculum, and a focus on personal accountability for change drives development beyond a typical master's program. My MSOD degree experience gave me relationships to last a lifetime and significantly accelerated my career accomplishments."

- Debbie Collard, '00
Director, Business Excellence
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems

"Thank you MSOD, for preparing me to excel as a Senior OD Advisor at the Boeing Company. Client demand is exceptionally strong for the global experiences and consultative skills I learned through the MSOD program, especially self-as-Instrument, small and large systems change, strategic alignment, organization design, and integrated strategic change. My schedule is completely booked with challenging opportunities to positively impact the success of the Boeing Company."

- Theresa Garcia, '05
Sr. OD Advisor
The Boeing Company

"When I decided to return to graduate school, I was a fairly experienced OD practitioner looking for more depth at the organization and strategy level, with a focus on international/global work. My MSOD experience exceeded my expectations. Since graduation, my responsibilities have expanded to include global roles leading strategic change and leadership development. I have worked with leaders to refine their strategies and help them align their organizations to realize the strategy. MSOD gave me the content and confidence to contribute at a deeper and more strategic level in the organization."

- Stephanie Kerr, '00
Director, Leadership Development
Baxter International

"Pepperdine's MSOD program is more than just a master's degree. For me, it was an opportunity and a gift for life; it opened an endless number of doors for personal and professional accomplishment."

- Brent Kostiw, '97
Senior Director, VERITAS University
VERITAS Software Corporation

"As a city manager over the past fifteen years, I have continually searched for ways to improve myself and to help develop the organization. I have tried a multitude of approaches and concepts but was never confident that we were headed in the right direction. MSOD helped to integrate my practical experience with proven methods to implement strategic changes and improvement initiatives that have increased the city's effectiveness."

- Ray Patchett, '98
City Manager
Carlsbad, California

"The Pepperdine MSOD has contributed significantly to my ability to lead strategic change. The integration of personal and professional growth allowed me to function as an effective business partner in building and sustaining operating models that differentiate our brand and exceed performance expectations."

- Andrew F. Romeo, '01
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Polo Ralph Lauren Retail Group

"The Pepperdine MSOD program was the best education experience of my life. The innovative design of learning theory plus practicing real-time group and community development was powerful. The faculty and curricula were excellent and they provided a strong foundation for my work as an OD practitioner. I also gained a strong network of colleagues that has continued through the years to be a real professional and personal asset. I would highly recommend the program to people looking for a real grounding in the principles and practices of organization development and for an opportunity for personal growth."

- Jon Vogen, '93
Asia Pacific ATM OD Manager
Intel

MSOD Alumni Conference

These MSOD alums recently attended the MSOD Alumni Conference at Aliso Creek Inn in Southern California and we asked them to say a few words about their experiences in the program. We hope you find their informal comments useful and insightful.

- Steve Siegel, '08
President
Teamwell Consulting

- Patricia Beach, '00
Executive Coach
True North Programs

- Jenny Georgieva, '02
Founder and Managing Director
JG Executive Solutions