Skip to main content

Organizational development courses aim to provide HR and business leaders with the tools and insights to strengthen workplace culture, improve processes, and lead change.

These courses focus on practical strategies for enhancing team dynamics, driving innovation, and promoting effective leadership.

Here are some of the top organizational development courses designed to help you optimize performance and build sustainable success across your organization.

Best Organizational Development Courses Shortlist

Here's my shortlist of the best organizational development courses I think are worth your time in 2024:

  1. Organizational Development Certificate Program (AIHR)
  2. Organizational Development (SHRM)
  3. OD Certification Program (Institute of Organization Development)
  4. Organization Development and Change (UC Berkeley Extension)
  5. Fundamentals of Organizational Development (RapidEzy Training Systems)
  6. Transformational Change and Organization Development Graduate Certificate program (University of St. Thomas)
  7. Organizational Leadership and Development (Rasmussen University)
  8. Organizational Development and Change (UCSC Silicon Valley Extension)
  9. Certified Organizational Development course (Middle Earth HR)
  10. Leadership & Organizational Development (Udemy)
  11. Fundamentals of Organization Development (University of Minnesota)
  12. Leading Organizational Development (RapidEzy Training Systems)

Find more details about each course below.

Best Organizational Development Courses Overviews

1. Organizational Development Certificate Program (AIHR) 

The Organizational Development Certificate Program enrollment page
The Organizational Development Certificate Program (Source)

This course provides a comprehensive understanding of organizational development, focusing on strategies to build change-ready organizations. It equips learners with the tools to align internal processes, improve communication, and foster talent management for organizational success.

  • Who It’s For: HR professionals and leaders aiming to enhance talent development and organizational effectiveness
  • Topics Covered:
    • Five-phase OD process
    • OD theories and practices 
    • Translate data insights into OD actions
    • Stakeholder communication enhancement 
  • Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
  • Duration: 31 hours
  • How Many Hours Of Instruction: 3 hours a week (Self-paced)
  • Eligibility Requirements: None
  • Price:
    • Single: $1,125
    • Full Access: $1,850
    • Team Flex: $2,600
  • Take The Course: AIHR
Get weekly insights and how-tos on leadership and HR’s biggest and most pressing topics—right to your inbox.

Get weekly insights and how-tos on leadership and HR’s biggest and most pressing topics—right to your inbox.

2. Organizational Development (SHRM)

The Organizational Development course overview
The Organizational Development course (Source)

This course provides a structured framework for addressing performance gaps and driving organizational change through interactive learning. It emphasizes applying real-world strategies to develop and implement the organizational development processes.

  • Who It’s For: Individuals involved in organizational change
  • Topics Covered:
    • Organizational development models
    • Change management strategies
    • Action research framework
    • Stakeholder communication
  • Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
  • Exam Required? No
  • Duration: 2 days
  • How Many Hours Of Instruction: 8 hours and 30 mins
  • Eligibility Requirements: None
  • Price:
    • Member: $1,545
    • Nonmember: $1,815 
  • Take The Course: SHRM

3. OD Certification Program (Institute of Organization Development)

The OD Certification Program overview
The OD Certification Program (Source)

This program focuses on practical competencies in organizational development, highlighting strategies for driving change, improving performance, and fostering organizational growth. It covers OD models, leadership development, organizational interventions, and OD practices that enhance organizational effectiveness. 

  • Who It’s For: Professionals seeking an organizational career development
  • Topics Covered:
    • Organizational development models and applications
    • Strategies for managing organizational change
    • Leadership development and strategic planning
    • Aligning strategies with business goals 
  • Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
  • Duration: 4 months 
  • How Many Hours Of Instruction: 3 hours per session (twice a month)
  • Eligibility Requirements: None
  • Price: $4,200
  • Take The Course: Institute of Organization Development

4. Organization Development and Change (UC Berkeley Extension)

The Organization Development and Change course overview
The Organization Development and Change course (Source)

This course provides training and development in organizational change, focusing on applying OD approaches to real-world scenarios. It discusses strategies for diagnosing and facilitating organizational transformation. 

  • Who It’s For: People seeking to gain knowledge of organizational development.
  • Topics Covered:
    • Key organizational development theories and application
    • Methods to diagnose organizational issues
    • Guiding teams through transitions
    • Intervention techniques to improve organizational performance
  • Online, In-Person, or Both? Both
  • Eligibility Requirements: None
  • Price: Free
  • Take The Course: UC Berkeley Extension

5. Fundamentals of Organizational Development (RapidEzy Training Systems)

The Fundamentals of Organizational Development course enrollment page
The Fundamentals of Organizational Development course (Source)

This course focuses on the foundational principles of organizational development, providing insight into how organizations can implement change and improve business operations. It discusses key organizational models and behaviors to guide effective transformation.

  • Who It’s For: Individuals looking to understand organizational development
  • Topics Covered:
    • Organizational culture
    • Management theories
    • Organizational behavior models
    • Change implementation strategies
  • Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
  • Exam Required? Yes
  • Duration: 1.5-3 hours 
  • How Many Hours Of Instruction: 1.5-3 hours 
  • Eligibility Requirements: None
  • Price: Free
  • Take The Course: Alison

6. Transformational Change and Organization Development Graduate Certificate program (University of St. Thomas)

The Transformational Change and Organization Development Graduate Certificate program overview
The Transformational Change and Organization Development Graduate Certificate program (Source)

This course focuses on leading and implementing large-scale transformational change within organizations. It equips learners with practical tools to design and manage complex change initiatives.

  • Who It’s For: Professionals with a bachelor's degree and work experience
  • Topics Covered:
    • Change management methodologies
    • Organizational development frameworks
    • Strategic project implementation
    • Systems-wide change solutions 
  • Online, In-Person, or Both? Both
  • Exam Required? Yes
  • Duration: 12 months
  • How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
  • Eligibility Requirements:
    • Bachelor's degree
    • Submitted application form and essay 
    • 2 years of work experience
  • Price: To be requested
  • Take The Course: University of St. Thomas

7. Organizational Leadership and Development (Rasmussen University)

The Organizational Leadership and Development course overview
The Organizational Leadership and Development (Source)

This course offers practical knowledge in leadership and organizational development programs to help individuals advance in their careers. It builds leadership skills and applies decision-making strategies to drive team and organizational success.

  • Who It’s For: Employees seeking to enhance leadership skills
  • Topics Covered:
    • Leadership theories, models, and application
    • Organizational behavior and influence
    • Managing and leading high-performing teams
    • Insights into strategic decision-making 
  • Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
  • Exam Required? No
  • Duration: 6-8 hours per course
  • How Many Hours Of Instruction: Self-paced
  • Eligibility Requirements: None
  • Price: Free
  • Take The Course: eRasmussen

8. Organizational Development and Change (UCSC Silicon Valley Extension)

The Organizational Development and Change course landing page
The Organizational Development And Change course (Source)

This course introduces the core concepts of organizational change, including the history of development theories, leadership roles, and change management frameworks. It equips learners with the skills to design and implement strategies that improve organizational culture and communication. 

  • Who It’s For: Human resource professionals and leaders managing organizational change
  • Topics Covered:
    • History of organizational development
    • Change management models and frameworks
    • Communication and employee engagement strategies
  • Online, In-Person, or Both? Both
  • Duration: 3 weeks
  • Eligibility Requirements: None
  • Price: $710
  • Take The Course: UCSC Silicon Valley

9. Certified Organizational Development (Middle Earth HR)

The Certified Organizational Development course overview
The Certified Organizational Development course (Source)

This course equips participants with the skills to create effective organizational development strategies through a structured module-based approach. It focuses on designing programs, tools, and resources to drive growth and positive organizational change.

  • Who It’s For: HR professionals and organizational leaders
  • Topics Covered:
    • Basics, importance, and role of OD in business 
    • Methods for leading and managing change
    • Tools for analyzing organizational issues
    • Techniques for long-term improvement and performance 
  • Online, In-Person, or Both? Both
  • Exam Required? Yes
  • Duration: 4 to 6 weeks
  • Eligibility Requirements: None
  • Price:
    • Live: $545
    • Blended: $345
  • Take The Course: Middle Earth HR

10. Leadership & Organizational Development (Udemy)

The Leadership & Organizational Development course overview
The Leadership & Organizational Development course (Source)

This course introduces the foundational principles of organizational development, focusing on practical strategies to support organizational change. It guides learners through the process of assessing and improving organizational structures and culture. 

  • Who It’s For: Leaders and managers seeking professional development in organizational growth
  • Topics Covered:
    • Leadership models and their applications 
    • Skills for building and leading high-performing teams
    • Strategies to improve organizational effectiveness
  • Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
  • Exam Required? No
  • Duration: 53 minutes
  • How Many Hours Of Instruction: 53 minutes
  • Eligibility Requirements: None
  • Price: $12.99 
  • Take The Course: Udemy

11. Fundamentals of Organization Development (University of Minnesota)

The Fundamentals of Organization Development course (Source)

The course introduces key concepts of organizational development, including culture, values, systems, and behavior. It highlights the role of OD in improving performance, OD intervention models, organizational behavior analysis, and effective leadership strategies for change. It emphasizes practical application to help learners lead successful change initiatives. 

  • Who It’s For: Managers, change agents, leaders, and HR professionals
  • Topics Covered:
    • OD intervention models
    • Organizational behavior analysis
    • Leading change initiatives
    • Systems thinking 
  • Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
  • Exam Required? No
  • Duration: 12 hours (3-day session)
  • How Many Hours Of Instruction: 4 hours 
  • Eligibility Requirements: None
  • Price: $880
  • Take The Course: University of Minnesota

12. Leading Organizational Development (RapidEzy Training Systems)

The Leading Organizational Development course (Source)

This online course teaches the essential skills to lead and manage organizational development, focusing on implementing change and fostering a dynamic work culture. It covers various organizational structures and models to help leaders drive business progress and improvement.

  • Who It’s For: Individuals looking to enhance organizational development skills
  • Topics Covered:
    • Leadership techniques for inspiring and leading teams
    • Designing and implementing long-lasting improvements
    • Tools for identifying issues and opportunities
  • Online, In-Person, or Both? Online
  • Duration: 1.5-3 hours
  • How Many Hours Of Instruction: 1.5-3 hours 
  • Eligibility Requirements: None
  • Price: Free
  • Take The Course: Alison

What Next?

To remain up to date on all the latest in people management, subscribe to our newsletter for HR and business leaders and managers. You'll receive insights and offerings tailored to help you grow in your career and make greater impact in your org.

David Rice

David Rice is a long time journalist and editor who specializes in covering human resources and leadership topics. His career has seen him focus on a variety of industries for both print and digital publications in the United States and UK.