Program Structure and Degree Requirements

To earn the master of labor and employment relations (M.L.E.R.) degree, students are required to successfully complete 39 credits of coursework. Of these 39 credits, 24 credits must be taken in required courses in labor and employment relations and 15 credits in elective courses.

The following are required courses (9 credits):

38:578:500  Introductory Seminar in Labor and Employment Relations (3)

38:578:560  Collective Bargaining (3)

38:533:565  Economics and Demographics of Labor Markets (3)

Students also must take at least one course from each of the following core areas (15 credits):

Law

38:578:550   Labor Law

38:578:565   Public Sector Collective Bargaining

38:533:566   Employment Law

Institutional Diversity

38:578:530   Globalization, Corporate Restructuring, and Employment

38:578:555   Globalization and the Future of Employment

38:578:562   Seminar in International/Comparative Labor and Employment Relations

38:578:612   Labor/Employment History

Workforce Diversity

38:578:526   Immigration, Public Policy, and Worker Rights

38:578:541   Women and Work

38:578:551   Seminar in Minorities and Work

Finance

38:578:538   Financial Analysis and Corporate Governance

38:533:540   HR Decision Making: Financial Decisions

Research Methods

38:578:501   Research Methods in Labor and Employment Relations

38:578:613   Topics: Problem-Solving Tools and Analysis in Employment Relations

38:533:542   HR Decision Making: Data-Based Decisions

Other research methods courses at the graduate level may be approved by the director of the program as meeting this requirement.

In addition, students take 15 credits of electives to reach the 39-credit total. Six credits of these must be from courses offered by the Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations. With the permission of the graduate program director, students may fulfill part of their credit requirements by taking courses in human resource management or another graduate program at the university. In addition, students may apply a master's thesis, an internship in labor and employment relations, or independent study to fulfill the elective requirements.