Key Information:
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the #1 top training and development bachelor’s degree program.
- The best programs offer diverse courses in leadership, communication, and organizational development.
- Graduates are well-prepared for roles in corporate training, human resources, and talent development.
- Programs emphasize developing leadership and instructional skills to effectively manage and improve workplace performance.
A Training and Development bachelor degree can allow someone to start down a career path that comes with numerous opportunities for growth, advancement, and personal fulfillment. Training and Development specialists earn great salaries and have a lot of job satisfaction.
The way things work in both public and private industries changes all the time. Employers perpetually need skilled professionals with leadership and communication skills. A Training and Development bachelor degree program helps students to internalize those leadership skills and become great communicators.
One of the things that makes having a bachelor degree in Training and Development worthwhile comes from the satisfaction many in the industry feel about the work they do. A Training and Development bachelor degree program attempts to impart the types of qualities someone would need to work with and develop the skills of a group.
Related:
- Best Online Bachelor’s in Training and Development
- Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s in Training and Development
- Scholarships for Human Resources Students
Methodology: Ranking the Best Training and Development Degree Programs
For the Bachelor’s Degree Center ranking of the best training and development degree programs, BDC editors sought out only accredited, trustworthy institutions. Programs are ranked according to their tuition rate, student satisfaction, and potential salary, based on current IPEDS and Niche data.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers the best training and development degree programs in the state. Students receive skills that are required by leaders to train and develop talented individuals into efficient and productive workers. With a BA in Human Organizational Leadership and Development, students are able to learn what they need to help others achieve their career goals and build on the talents they have to offer. Part of this process is enabling the employee to utilize their talents to their fullest potential.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the most well-respected schools of higher learning in the country. The degree programs offered by the school are known for academic excellence and the ability to provide each graduate with the most valuable resources possible.
What We Like: Faculty members are successful in their own right and are able to pass on many valuable lessons they have learned based on their experiences and unique perspectives.
Degree: BA in Human Organizational Leadership and Development
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers the best training and development degree programs available in the Midwest. By offering skills that an educator can use to improve how a student learns, they are able to help encourage the development of necessary abilities that can help them achieve their career goals. With a BS in Learning & Education Studies: Workplace Training & Development, a graduate can help their future students reach their full potential.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a long-standing reputation of being one of the most technologically advanced and academically sound schools of higher learning in the country. Faculty members have won many awards that allow them to teach each student from a unique perspective.
What We Like: The university embraces the fact that each student learns in their own unique way and those methods should be passed on to others.
Degree: BS in Learning & Education Studies: Workplace Training & Development
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
3. Purdue University
Purdue University provides the best training and development degree programs for students who are interested in helping others achieve their career goals. Students learn the skills they need to identify programs that have the potential to help companies become more efficient and productive. A human resource development degree helps students create training programs that focus on finding and utilizing hidden talents and increasing their potential.
Purdue University is a world leader when it comes to producing graduates who are able to become promising educators who are focused on training and development in the workplace.
What We Like: The award-winning faculty members are committed to helping each student not only pursue their own goals but help others within the workplace achieve theirs as well. Creating the right training and development programs is the first step in the process.
Degree: Human Resource Development
4. Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University gives students the best training and development degree programs available to help them take on new challenges in the workplace. Students are able to create training programs that allow employees to improve their own career paths. They are able to take on new challenges and focus on finding hidden talents in others. When it comes to human and organizational development, the University gives students everything they need to succeed.
Vanderbilt University is known for both academic excellence as well as having experienced faculty members who are always going above and beyond for their students.
What We Like: The school uses advanced teaching methods to ensure that each student is able to succeed in finding new ways to broaden the training and development horizons for the individuals and corporations they work for. The goal is to encourage them to learn new ways to explore human and organizational development in the workplace.
Degree: Human and Organizational Development
5. Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University offers students the best training and development degree programs they need to be able to be efficient in a human resources position. The skills and abilities a student receives during this type of degree program make it possible to help others find and maximize their full potential. Students who earn a BS in Human Resource Development can find work creating training programs that companies can use to intrigue and encourage their workforce.
Texas A&M University has committed itself to provide students with the highest quality education possible. In addition to academic excellence, faculty members focus on enhancing a student’s natural ability to recognize talent and potential. Faculty members give students the encouragement they need to succeed in whatever teaching capacity they assume.
What We Like: The graduates are able to immediately go to work and provide employees with the tools they need to succeed.
Degree: BS in Human Resource Development
6. University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota gives students the best training and development degree programs they can find in the upper Midwest. Each student who enrolls in this type of degree program will receive all of the skills they will need and more to have a positive impact on the lives of every person they work with. When working towards a degree in Human Resources Development, students can get a glimpse of just how important their work will be when they realize they will be taking on the same type of role as their instructor.
The University of Minnesota is a leader in its field when it comes to providing top-quality educational programs students can rely on to achieve their goals. Award-winning faculty members are able to offer the guidance that many students need to be able to help others find a career path that suits them.
What We Like: Combining state-of-the-art teaching tools and a comprehensive list of valuable resources, the university is able to pave the way for students to be successful at whatever type of career they choose to pursue.
Degree: Human Resource Development
7. George Mason University
George Mason University gives students a chance at enrolling in the best training and development degree programs the industry has to offer. Students learn leadership skills that allow them to train members of the workforce so they can better develop the skills and abilities they need to succeed. With a BA in Integrative Studies with leadership and organizational development concentration, students can help find and promote talent from within the ranks of their own company.
George Mason University has been one of the most prominent universities for students who are interested in the training and development of others. Teaching others how to maximize their potential within the workplace can be a very rewarding career. Each student is able to focus on what role they want to play in this unique real-world learning environment.
What We Like: With the guidance of faculty and staff, students are able to help others learn new skills and continue to improve their work performance.
Degree: BA in Integrative Studies — Leadership and Organizational Development Concentration
8. Clemson University
Clemson University offers the best training and development degree programs for students who are interested in developing training programs for businesses and individuals alike. Students are able to provide individuals with the training they need in a workplace setting so they can take on new challenges and abilities. With a BS in Human Capital Education and Development, graduates not only become educators but are able to curate their own training and development programs.
Clemson University is one of the most well-known schools when it comes to educational degree programs. Graduates are not just taught to succeed, they are taught to break down barriers and challenge others to do better. Faculty members continue to push students to learn more and share more of who they are during the teaching process.
What We Like: The university is able to get the most out of its students because it offers so much in terms of advanced technology and quality curriculums.
Degree: BS in Human Capital Education and Development
9. University of Houston
The University of Houston offers the best training and development degree possible for students who want to help others reach their career goals. With the skills they receive in these degree programs. Students can go on to offer training programs that will allow other workers to maximize their potential and build a solid career path. With a BS in Human Resources Development, students can focus their attention on helping others build solid skills for success.
The University of Houston offers the best degree programs and valuable resources in much of Texas. Each student is provided with every possible advantage and resource they will need to move forward with their education. If they choose to become educators, they will know how to effectively teach and reinforce every lesson taught under their record of service.
What We Like: Faculty members give students an opportunity to continue to break down their boundaries and keep moving forward.
Degree: BS in Human Resource Development
10. University of Texas at Tyler
The University of Texas at Tyler offers the best training and development degree programs in the state of Texas. Students who choose to pursue this type of degree program receive the necessary skills to be able to effectively manage a human resources team and provide them with what they need to be successful. Earning a BS in Human Resource Development gives students a chance to mold their workforce and turn their team into a finely tuned machine.
The University of Texas at Tyler is known for offering the highest level of quality education possible. Each student has the resources they need to become successful in their chosen career. Being able to work with experienced faculty members gives students a chance to explore every career option and excel in whatever career path they choose.
What We Like: Being able to develop training courses allows them to improve the efficiency of their team and pass on the skills they have learned.
Degree: BS in Human Resource Development
University of Texas at Tyler
11. Temple University
Temple University offers students the best training and development degree programs in the area. Every student who enrolls in this type of degree program is shown new ways of building and organizing an effective team of professionals who are able to move their company forward.
For many years, Temple University has given students every possible advantage. From award-winning curriculums to skilled and experienced faculty members, employers can benefit from the training programs that are offered to its workforce. These training sessions give them an opportunity to showcase their talent and start to build a better career for themselves where they are able to take on new opportunities and move upward into management positions if they so choose.
What We Like: Students who earn a BA Adult and Organizational Development degree are able to improve the focus of the workforce they manage and create a more productive work environment.
Degree: BA Adult and Organizational Development
12. University of Idaho
The University of Idaho offers the best training and development degree to students who want to see the workforce within their company achieve more and be able to do more while on the job. The skills taught in this degree allows students to become more proficient and able to assist in moving the company forward much faster than in the past. With a BS in Education and a focus on career and technical education, students can become more efficient in their duties and bring about positive change in the workplace.
Known for its smaller student-to-faculty ratio and award-winning degree programs, the University of Idaho is truly one of a kind. Students are given a chance to focus their career in the direction they want it to go. Faculty members take great pride in being able to offer students all of the tools and resources they will need to be able to make their work environment a much better place.
What We Like: With the university’s guidance students can continue to help others become more effective and reliable.
Degree: BS in Education: Career & Technical Education
13. University of Louisville
The University of Louisville offers the best training and development degree programs in the state. Each program provides training and leadership skills that students can rely on to move employees forward while giving the employer the competitive edge it needs to move ahead and build a much stronger business. With a BS in Organizational Leadership and Learning, students can put the skills they learned to good use and make sure employees are able to take advantage of new opportunities.
The University of Louisville offers state of the are technology and tools that can be used to identify new challenges and mitigate any type of risk. It is up to the award-winning faculty members to help students face new challenges and work towards a brighter future for themselves and the other employees they work with.
What We Like: Students that complete their education are able to go into the workforce and bring about positive change on many levels.
Degree: BS in Organizational Leadership and Learning
14. Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University gives the best training and development degree programs to students who understand how important education is to building a successful career. With the skills they learn through this program and others like it, graduates are able to create solid training and development training programs employers can rely on to build a stronger, more effective workforce. With a Bachelor’s in Organizational Development, students can focus on producing training programs companies really need.
At Eastern Illinois University, students have access to all of the necessities that are included in a quality degree program. This includes smaller class size, experienced instructors, quality degree programs, and a menu of valuable resources students can use for many years to come.
What We Like: Each student can take advantage of a variety of opportunities that will allow them to thrive within the workplace and create a positive learning environment for training and development programs.
Degree: Bachelor’s in Organizational Development
15. Oakland University
Oakland University offers the best training and development programs for students who are interested in helping fellow employees build stronger, more lucrative careers. By being able to create effective training and development programs, students are able to open the door to new opportunities for employees that allow them to move forward faster. With a BS in Human Resource Development degree, the graduate can help employees reach their full potential.
Oakland University is one of the best smaller schools on the West coast. A smaller student to faculty ratio means more one on one attention for students and gives them the chance to focus more fully on their education. Faculty members offer sound advice as students begin to focus on the direction they want to take their careers.
What We Like: Each student graduates knowing they have the potential to help other students reach their goals and provide their employer with a valuable asset that can continue to move forward at a much faster pace.
Degree: BS in Human Resource Development
16. Providence College
Providence College gives students the best training and development degree programs that will allow them to reach the highest potential possible. Each student receives the skills and guidance they need to put together effective leadership training and development programs that employees can rely on when they want to take advantage of new opportunities within the workplace. With a BA in leadership development, students will have the leadership skills to pass on to other employees so they too can move forward.
Providence College is one of the most well-known and well-respected schools of higher learning in the area. Not only does the school offer degree programs of the highest caliber, they also have experienced faculty members who have been teaching for many years. The schools list of resources is designed to help the student overcome any obstacle or challenge they may face in the future.
What We Like: Students can begin to develop training tools long before they graduate, allowing them to have a head start on their careers.
Degree: BA in Leadership Development
17. Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University offers the best training and development degree programs in the country. As an older university, the school knows what skills and abilities are needed when it comes to developing powerful training and educational programs that are needed to improve the efficiency of the workforce. Students who earn a BS in Training to become a specialist will have all of the things they need to be able to reach out to other employees and help them reach their full potential.
Old Dominion University is one of the finest in the country. The school is known for its academic excellence as well as for its respected staff and faculty members. Students enjoy a smaller class size and an opportunity to work one on one with faculty members who have their best interest at heart.
What We Like: Students are able to take advantage of every possible learning opportunity and allowed to thrive at almost every level of their education. Success is theirs for the taking. All they have to do is work for it.
Degree: BS in Training Specialist
18. College of Charleston
The College of Charleston offers the best training and development degree programs for students who are interested in working in the human resources field as a training specialist or developer. Each student is taught the necessary skills to be as proficient as possible in terms of creating training and educational sessions where employees are taught skills they can use to reach their fullest potential. With a BPS in organizational management and development, the student is able to create a more positive work environment.
The College of Charleston has a history of providing not only the highest quality of education but also valuable resources students can rely on to help them move their careers forward. Students have access to experienced faculty members who can help them work through any challenges they may face while they are earning their degrees.
What We Like: The goal of the school is to ensure that each student is capable of passing on what they have learned so that more students are able to reach their full potential.
Degree: BPS in Organizational Management and Development
19. Southern Illinois University — Carbondale
Southern Illinois University – Carbondale provides the best training and development degree programs available in the Midwest. Students can count on receiving all of the lessons and skills they will need to identify and access the learning potential of each employee they will deal with that is on the payroll. Earning a BS in Education with a focus on organizational training and development will allow the graduate to create a positive learning environment where employees can come to learn how to be more efficient and more productive.
Southern Illinois University – Carbondale gives students access to every possible advantage as they work through their degree programs. Students can take advantage of the smaller class size and the amount of time in which they can work one on one with their faculty advisor.
What We Like: Graduates are able to take everything they have learned and move forward in creating a bigger and brighter future for themselves. Being able to maximize their potential and use it to their advantage is one of their top goals.
Degree: BS in Education: Organizational Training and Development
Southern Illinois University – Carbondale
20. Monmouth University
Monmouth University offers the best training and development degree programs on the east coast. These programs provide much-needed skills and abilities that allow students to maximize their potential and become a leader in their field. By earning a BSBA in organizational development, the graduate has everything they need to put together powerful training programs for students who want to explore new opportunities and expand their horizons.
Monmouth University gives each student access to a quality curriculum and a reputable team of faculty and staff that allow them to pursue their intended career plan. Faculty members are able to identify an employee’s potential and maximize it so they are able to take full advantage of every opportunity.
What We Like: Graduates leave the school knowing they have been able to achieve all of their educational goals. They can then look forward to achieving their personal career goals.
Degree: BSBA in Organizational Development
Why Should I Get a Bachelor’s in Training and Development?
Training and Development specialists often do the work of guiding others towards achieving both personal and company goals. In this way, they’re invaluable to employers. In addition, these businesses and other entities will always need someone who can effectively educate and train adults, whether individually or in groups.
Training and development is a set of skills, and it’s possible to learn those skills when earning a bachelor degree in Training and Development. Once a student graduates, they can then apply those skills to a multitude of things, whether it’s within a single industry or anywhere else.
It’s important that potential applicants keep in mind that training and development applies in an almost endless number of fields, specialties, industries, and capacities. This means it can help applicants to have a goal for what they want to do with their degree once they have it.
What is Training and Development All About?
What is employee training and development? What is the primary goal of training and development? These questions often lead from one to the other because the nature of the training and development industry encompasses a lot of different things.
Just as the name implies, a training and development specialist helps to train and develop personnel to align employee and partner efforts with the goals of the specialist’s employer. What that means in practice isn’t always the same from place to place or industry to industry. It doesn’t help that the words training and development also refer to very normal things that have nothing to do with the degree or the industry.
The training and development specialist must help individuals or groups to find proficiency in a skill, practice, attitude, process, or other thing that person or group needs help with. These types of actions encompass both the training and the development part of the job.
However, the employer or manager of those same people may need a specialist to also help evaluate what the employees need to make training and development work and stick so that the overall business can meet its goals and needs. A good example of this all comes with HR training and development.
What is HR training and development? When asking what is training and development in HR, the previous example can illustrate a lot of what happens in the profession. Human resources typically consist of people who must help to manage and motivate a workforce.
To do the job, HR specialists need excellent communication skills, business acumen, and an understanding of how best to evaluate, train, and increase the awareness of the workforce as individuals as well as a group. They do this for an employer who has expectations and goals to meet.
Some of the coursework and competencies included in training and development include:
- instructional design
- adult learning and adult education
- human resource management
- professional development
- business administration
- corporate training
- performance improvement
- nonprofit management
Training and development managers with years of experience can often use their work experience to place out of some coursework, which can help adult learners complete their credit hours more quickly. Full-time students can finish faster than part-time students, of course, but with e‑learning students in online courses can succeed just as well as on-campus students. Those working in the field may also skip the need for internships and use their current work for their capstone project.
Certificate programs are also a good career move, because a certified professional is more valuable on the job market. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that professionals with a master’s degree make much more. A graduate degree from a graduate program with proper accreditation, even an online master, translates to much better job opportunity. For more information about online learning, financial aid, electives, and more, students interested in online programs should contact the school offering the online degree. An online master’s degree from a trusted college of education is convenient and life-changing.
Why is Training and Development Important?
Training and development represent a cornerstone of both business operational improvement as well as human improvement and development. Training and development specialists strive to help people do more and do better in both their lives and careers. The sheer importance of human resource training and development is the reason every business of any appreciable size has an HR training and development person or team on staff.
Those businesses that don’t have a specialist often hire third party training and development specialists to fill the role. For the employee or individual, training and development can help boost their confidence, skills, expertise, and generally make them a better contributor to the work effort as well as to society.
For the employer, training and development helps to improve the workforce, accomplish goals, and generally help to carry out a larger strategy. It all starts with training and development, and it doesn’t end there. Training and development specialists and managers often improve the conditions of things around them, just by doing their jobs. That’s why so many feel it’s a rewarding and fulfilling career.
