Applied Learning (APLD)

APLD 2700  COOPERATIVE EDUCATION (1-3 credits)

A semester of off-campus relevant semi-professional and professional work experience coordinated to complement classroom academics with practical firsthand involvement in the business world.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of the dean of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS)

APLD 3010  PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT (3 credits)

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) enables students to earn college credit for prior learning. This course focuses on the principles and methodology of assessing college-level learning acquired outside the traditional classroom. Learners analyze personal learning in terms of adult learning theory. Learners identify, articulate, and document personal learning outcomes and relate what they have learned to the topics and learning outcomes of college courses and other college-level learning opportunities. The course promotes skill development in organizing information, writing, analyzing, and critical thinking. Learners prepare a prior learning portfolio to demonstrate learning equivalent to college-level coursework and are guided by a course mentor and a subject matter expert to develop, advance, and complete their PLA portfolio submission.

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1150 or equivalent. Students must have permission to enroll after academic advisor confirmation that they have college-level learning experiences that could be evaluated for academic credit and applied towards their BMS degree program.

APLD 3210  THE CONNECTED PROFESSIONAL (3 credits)

This course equips students with essential skills to thrive as connected professionals in today's digitally networked and AI-augmented workplace. Emphasizing human and technological connection, the course explores how professionals build relationships, engage in meaningful collaboration, and connect across diverse platforms - including with artificial intelligence tools. With an emphasis on networks and networking, the course examines how professionals form strong interpersonal connections, build strategic networks, and navigate digital ecosystems. A hands-on Skills Co-Lab deepens learning through real-world practice in digital messaging, relationship-building, workplace engagement, and AI-assisted writing and presentations.

Prerequisite(s): This course requires successful completion of (C- or better) or concurrent enrollment in MLTI 3000 Foundations Seminar.

APLD 3220  DATA-DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING (3 credits)

This course equips learners with the essential skills to make strategic, data-informed decisions in the workplace while integrating hands-on experience with digital tools through the Digital Skills Co-Lab. Learners will develop the ability to assess data quality, analyze workplace-relevant data, and effectively communicate insights using professional writing, interpersonal communication, data visualization, and storytelling techniques. Through practical, real-world assignments, participants will refine their ability to convey information clearly, adapt to diverse audiences, and leverage digital tools like spreadsheets, data visualization software, and project management platforms to enhance their professional impact. By the end of the course, learners will be empowered to make evidence-based decisions that drive measurable outcomes across various professional contexts.

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of (C- or better) or concurrent enrollment in MLTI 3000 Foundations Seminar.

APLD 3300  DESIGNING U - LEARNING & LIFE DESIGN (3 credits)

This hands-on, project-based course aims to help learners navigate educational, career, and life transitions. This course equips learners with creative and generative approaches to shape purposeful and fulfilling life and career paths. Using design thinking principles and practices, students will engage in reflective exercises, prototyping, and testing, all structured around real-life challenges and transitions. This course emphasizes self-awareness, resilience, and adaptable mindsets to encourage lifelong personal and professional growth and development.

APLD 3310  DESIGNING U: MAVERICK MINDSET (3 credits)

This hands-on, interactive course empowers students to build a strong foundation for their academic and personal growth at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), designed to help students new to UNO build a fulfilling and purposeful college experience. By exploring their values, interests, and aspirations, students will develop the Maverick Mindset - a transformative framework grounded in life design principles with the goal of developing confidence and skills to thrive in the UNO community and beyond. Through self-awareness, goal setting, and leveraging UNO resources, students will create a personalized educational and co-curricular roadmap. The course emphasizes resilience, adaptability, and meaningful connection, preparing students to utilize the tools needed to navigate challenges, build networks, and maximize their university experience.

APLD 3320  HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN FOR IMPACT (3 credits)

This course establishes the principles and processes of human-centered design as a framework for addressing complex challenges. Students examine the Explore-Evaluate-Experiment model and develop fluency in core design concepts and capabilities. Through guided applications, students practice essential design tools such as empathy-based inquiry, ideation techniques, and introductory prototyping. The course creates shared vocabulary and methodological grounding for subsequent coursework in awareness, synthesis, experimentation, and applied impact.

APLD 3330  DESIGNING U: CAREER + TRANSITIONS (3 credits)

This hands-on, project-based course equips students with the tools to design their post-college lives and navigate significant personal and professional transitions. Using design-thinking principles, students will explore career pathways, develop resilience, and create plans for managing life changes. The course addresses the unique challenges of transitions at different life stages, from early-career exploration to mid-career shifts and personal milestones, fostering a mindset of adaptability and growth. Students will develop skills in professional branding, networking, and transition management, preparing them to thrive in a dynamic and evolving world.

APLD 3340  NOTICING: CULTIVATING ATTENTIVE MINDSETS (3 credits)

This course develops disciplined awareness as a foundational design capability. Students strengthen their capacity for observation, perspective-taking, and pattern recognition within human experiences and complex systems. Emphasis is placed on cultivating attentiveness, examining assumptions and bias, and recognizing contextual dynamics that shape behavior and outcomes. Through structured exercises and reflective practice, students build the perceptual skills necessary to identify unmet needs and opportunity areas. The course prepares students for advanced synthesis and interpretive work in subsequent design stages.

Prerequisite(s): APLD 3320

APLD 3350  SENSEMAKING: CONVERTING OBSERVATIONS TO INSIGHT (3 credits)

This course focuses on the structured interpretation and synthesis of qualitative information. Building on prior awareness work, students learn to cluster themes, identify patterns, construct evidence-based insight statements, and frame meaningful design opportunities. Emphasis is placed on analytical reasoning, evaluation of assumptions, and clarity in articulating "How Might We" questions that guide discovery. Through iterative refinement and collaborative critique, students develop disciplined interpretive judgment that informs solution development.

Prerequisite(s): APLD 3340

APLD 3360  ENVISIONING: CREATING POSSIBILITIES THROUGH PROTOTYPES (3 credits)

This course focuses on generative ideation and iterative prototyping as core practices of human-centered design. Building on insights developed in prior coursework, students develop multiple solution concepts, create low- and mid-fidelity prototypes, and test ideas through structured feedback. The course explores creative reasoning strategies, including abductive thinking (the logic of "what might be") to support hypothesis formation and experimentation under conditions of uncertainty. Emphasis is placed on disciplined creativity, evidence-based refinement, and communicating the rationale behind design decisions.

Prerequisite(s): APLD 3350

APLD 3410  ADULT LEARNING THEORY & PRACTICE (3 credits)

This course explores the foundational theories, principles, and practices of adult learning within diverse contexts. Students will examine the characteristics of adult learners, the psychological and social factors influencing learning, and the role of motivation, experience, and self-directed learning in adult education. Emphasis is placed on applying theoretical frameworks to real-world teaching, training, and facilitation scenarios. Through case studies, project-based learning, and reflective practice, students will develop the skills needed to design, implement, and evaluate effective learning experiences for adults in various professional and community settings.

APLD 3500  SPECIAL TOPICS IN APPLIED LEARNING (3 credits)

This course provides an in-depth exploration of a particular issue or topic, offering students an opportunity to engage in applied learning. Regardless of topic, this course fosters critical engagement with enduring and emerging issues, preparing students to adapt and thrive in diverse professional environments. Through the LEARN - APPLY - REFLECT framework, students will explore a specialized topic, critically examining the connections between theory and practice. Course activities are designed to promote active learning, collaboration, and critical reflection, allowing students to address real-world challenges in diverse settings. By engaging in meaningful projects and reflective practices, students will enhance their problem-solving abilities, deepen their professional knowledge, and develop strategies for lifelong learning.

Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites. Course may be taken for credit multiple times, depending on topic.

APLD 3700  COOPERATIVE EDUCATION (1-3 credits)

A semester of off-campus relevant semi-professional and professional work experience coordinated to complement classroom academics with practical firsthand involvement in the business world.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of the dean of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS).

APLD 3900  INTRODUCTION TO INTEGRATED LEADERSHIP (3 credits)

This seminar course provides a cornerstone to understanding and developing an integrative leadership practice by focusing on yourself, your life, and your leadership. Current challenges demand leadership that can integrate perspectives from a personal and collective level. The goal of the course is to identify concepts of integrated leadership, to develop frameworks for understanding the contexts of applying integrated leadership and help develop skills for practicing integrated leadership. This course will explore leading well by understanding and integrating meaning, purpose, and values within the organizations and communities you serve. Through both theory and practice, this course will cultivate self-awareness and introspection through questioning and reflective practice and applying practical leadership skills to solving problems. (Cross-listed with PA 3900).

Prerequisite(s): Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1150 (C- or better) or equivalency.

APLD 4230  LEADERSHIP IN ACTION (3 credits)

This course explores the foundations of leadership theory while focusing on the development of durable leadership skills essential for thriving in dynamic workplace environments. Students will engage in applied learning experiences to enhance adaptability, collaboration, decision-making, and ethical leadership. The integrated Leadership Skills Co-Lab offers hands-on opportunities to apply leadership concepts to real-world challenges through simulations, team activities, and reflective practice. By integrating theory with practical application, students will gain confidence and competence to lead in diverse and rapidly changing professional contexts.

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of APLD 3210 and APLD 3220 (C- or better).

APLD 4240  OPERATIONAL ESSENTIALS - PROCESSES & PROJECTS (3 credits)

This course equips students with the skills to design, implement, and enhance organizational processes that drive efficiency and align with strategic goals. Students will learn to optimize workflows, allocate resources effectively, and implement performance measurement tools to ensure operational success. Key topics include budgeting and financial management, risk assessment, and resource allocation strategies. Integrated with the Managing Projects Skills Co-Lab, students will gain hands-on experience applying tools for task delegation, time management, and process improvement in real-world scenarios. By mastering operational essentials, students will be prepared to improve processes, manage resources effectively, and lead initiatives that deliver measurable organizational value.

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of APLD 3210 and APLD 3220 (C- or better).

APLD 4250  OPERATIONAL ESSENTIALS - PEOPLE & PERFORMANCE (3 credits)

This course covers the essentials of managing and developing talent within an organization, focusing on the human side of leadership. Students will learn strategies for performance management, effective communication, team motivation, and conflict resolution, providing a strong foundation in people-centered leadership. Emphasis will be placed on understanding diverse work styles, fostering a collaborative culture, and implementing feedback mechanisms that drive growth and accountability. Through interactive scenarios and role-play exercises, students will practice skills in coaching, employee development, and managing change. As part of this course, students will engage in the Collaboration Skills Co-Lab, an integrated durable skills lab designed to enhance skills in effective collaboration, conflict management, and team dynamics. By the end of the course, students will have the knowledge and skills to adapt to evolving workforce needs and cultivate an inclusive environment that maximizes individual and team contributions.

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of APLD 3210 and APLD 3220 (C- or better).

APLD 4320  IMPACT CHALLENGE: APPLIED HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN (3 credits)

This culminating course integrates the full human-centered design process in a collaborative, applied project. Students work in teams to explore a complex challenge, synthesize insights, develop and test prototypes, and evaluate the ethical and practical implications of proposed interventions. Emphasis is placed on stakeholder engagement, impact assessment, professional communication, and collaborative accountability. The course provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate mastery of the Explore-Evaluate-Experiment framework and their development as human-centered designers prepared for multidisciplinary practice.

Prerequisite(s): APLD 3360