Program Overview

---

Human Resources & Industrial Relations, MHRIR

The master’s program in Human Resources and Industrial Relations (MHRIR) can lead to a professional master’s degree or prepare students to continue their graduate study toward a Ph.D. or other doctoral degrees in law and other professional areas.

Program Overview

• The master’s degree requires 48 graduate hours of courses and usually takes three semesters to complete in the on-campus program and two years in the online program.
• The master’s degree program has core requirements in human resources/industrial relations systems and quantitative methods, and four subject distribution requirements.

Admission

For the Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations (MHRIR), students must meet the general admission requirements of the Graduate College, as well as the specific requirements of the School.

• Admission to the master's program in either the fall or spring semester is based on an applicant's undergraduate record, letters of reference, a resume, a personal statement, and an academic statement.
• The minimum requirements for admission are a course in statistics and an average grade of B in the last two years of a four-year undergraduate program.
• GRE/GMAT test scores are optional for both the on-campus and online programs.
• A deficiency in statistics may be made up by taking the required course without graduate credit during the first semester of graduate study.
• International applicants must meet the English Language Proficiency Requirements as outlined by the Graduate College.
• It is recommended that applicants meet a minimum score of 96 on the internet-based TOEFL exam (iBT) or a 6.5 overall score on the IELTS Academic Exam.

Financial Aid

• The School offers scholarships and fellowships to graduate students with superior academic credentials in the on-campus MHRIR.
• Department research and teaching assistantships are available to Ph.D. students only.
• The Graduate College also has fellowships that carry stipends plus tuition and service fee waivers.
• The online program is self-supporting and does not accept certain tuition and fee waivers.

Program Requirements

Thesis Option

• Course List Code | Title | Hours
  • LER 591 & LER 593 | Employment Relations Systems and Quantitative Methods in LER | 8
  • At least one course in each of four subject areas | 16
  • Union Management and Labor Relations Policy
    • LER 542 | Collective Bargaining
    • LER 543 | Workplace Dispute Resolution
    • LER 590 | Individual Topics (Section CB)
  • Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior
    • LER 522 | Employment Law for HR Managers: Discrimination, Compensation, and Privacy
    • LER 523 | Org Fundamentals for HR
    • LER 530 | Found of Ind Org Psych
    • LER 532 | Successful Change Management for HR Professionals
    • LER 535 | Negotiation Principles in HR Context
    • LER 539 | Talent Management
    • LER 561 | Compensation Systems
    • LER 562 | HR Planning and Staffing
    • LER 564 | HR Training and Development
    • LER 565 | HR Management and Strategy
    • LER 567 | Negotiation in HR Decisions
    • LER 568 | Firm Performance and HR
    • LER 569 | Power & Influence in HRM
    • LER 570 | Leadership for HR Managers
    • LER 571 | Executive Compensation
    • LER 590 | Individual Topics (Sections EB, EMC)
    • LER 597 | Employee Motivation & Perfmnce
    • LER 598 | Impl High Perf Work Systems
  • Labor Markets and Employment
    • LER 440 | Economics of Labor Markets
    • LER 544 | Workforce Policies and Partnerships
    • LER 545 | Economics of Human Resources
    • LER 546 | The Gender Wage Gap
  • International Human Resource Management
    • LER 554 | Comparative Employment Relations Systems
    • LER 566 | International HR Management
    • LER 595 | Managing Diversity Globally
  • Electives | 16
    • LER 521 | Employment Law for HR Managers: Separations, Worker’s Compensation, and Safety
    • LER 526 | Machine Learning Applications in HR
    • LER 531 | Workforce Analytics
    • LER 533 | Fundamentals of Business Management
    • LER 534 | Leadership and Employee Engagement
    • LER 536 | Management of Workplace Gender Issues
    • LER 537 | Employee Stress, Well-Being, & Safety
    • LER 540 | Labor Economics I
    • LER 541 | Labor Economics II
    • LER 547 | Labor Law I
    • LER 550 | Game Theory and HR Strategy
    • LER 551 | Social Justice and the Workplace
    • LER 556 | Industrial Relations Theory
    • LER 557 | Human Resources Theory
    • LER 559 | Micro Research Methods
    • LER 560 | Macro Research Methods
    • LER 572 | Social Networks in Human Resource Management
    • LER 590 | Individual Topics (Sections CT, DDD, DRS, E, IM, WFO)
  • LER 599 | Thesis Seminar (min/max applied toward degree) | 8
• Total Hours | 48

Other Requirements

• Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: 36
• Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: 12
• Minimum GPA: 3.0

Non-Thesis Option

• Course List Code | Title | Hours
  • LER 591 & LER 593 | Employment Relations Systems and Quantitative Methods in LER | 8
  • At least one course in each of four subject areas | 16
  • Union Management and Labor Relations Policy
    • LER 542 | Collective Bargaining
    • LER 543 | Workplace Dispute Resolution
    • LER 590 | Individual Topics (Section CB)
  • Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior
    • LER 522 | Employment Law for HR Managers: Discrimination, Compensation, and Privacy
    • LER 523 | Org Fundamentals for HR
    • LER 530 | Found of Ind Org Psych
    • LER 532 | Successful Change Management for HR Professionals
    • LER 535 | Negotiation Principles in HR Context
    • LER 539 | Talent Management
    • LER 561 | Compensation Systems
    • LER 562 | HR Planning and Staffing
    • LER 564 | HR Training and Development
    • LER 565 | HR Management and Strategy
    • LER 567 | Negotiation in HR Decisions
    • LER 568 | Firm Performance and HR
    • LER 569 | Power & Influence in HRM
    • LER 570 | Leadership for HR Managers
    • LER 571 | Executive Compensation
    • LER 590 | Individual Topics (Sections EB, EMC)
    • LER 597 | Employee Motivation & Perfmnce
    • LER 598 | Impl High Perf Work Systems
  • Labor Markets and Employment
    • LER 440 | Economics of Labor Markets
    • LER 544 | Workforce Policies and Partnerships
    • LER 545 | Economics of Human Resources
    • LER 546 | The Gender Wage Gap
  • International Human Resource Management
    • LER 554 | Comparative Employment Relations Systems
    • LER 566 | International HR Management
    • LER 595 | Managing Diversity Globally
  • Electives | 24
    • LER 521 | Employment Law for HR Managers: Separations, Worker’s Compensation, and Safety
    • LER 526 | Machine Learning Applications in HR
    • LER 531 | Workforce Analytics
    • LER 533 | Fundamentals of Business Management
    • LER 534 | Leadership and Employee Engagement
    • LER 536 | Management of Workplace Gender Issues
    • LER 537 | Employee Stress, Well-Being, & Safety
    • LER 540 | Labor Economics I
    • LER 541 | Labor Economics II
    • LER 547 | Labor Law I
    • LER 550 | Game Theory and HR Strategy
    • LER 551 | Social Justice and the Workplace
    • LER 556 | Industrial Relations Theory
    • LER 557 | Human Resources Theory
    • LER 559 | Micro Research Methods
    • LER 560 | Macro Research Methods
    • LER 572 | Social Networks in Human Resource Management
    • LER 590 | Individual Topics (Sections CT, DDD, DRS, E, IM, WFO)
• Total Hours | 48

Other Requirements

• Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: 36
• Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: 12
• Minimum GPA: 3.0

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the 48-hour master’s program, students will achieve the following intended learning outcomes:

1. Gain fundamental knowledge of human resource management (HRM) and organizational behavior.
2. Develop intellectual reasoning and data-analytic skills to assess and solve problems in HRM and labor and employment relations.
3. Develop communication and negotiation skills.
4. Gain fundamental knowledge of the core principles and practices of labor management relations.
5. Gain foundational knowledge to understand labor economics and labor markets.
6. Develop an orientation toward an evidence-based approach to human resource management and labor and employment relations.

Graduate Degree Programs in Labor & Employment Relations

• Human Resources & Industrial Relations, MHRIR
• Human Resources & Industrial Relations, PhD
• Online Program
  • Human Resources & Industrial Relations, MHRIR - Online
• Certificate Programs
  • Compensation Best Practices, CERT
  • Fundamentals of Human Resources, CERT
  • Human Resource Management, CERT
  • Human Resources Data Analytics, CERT

School of Labor and Employment Relations

The School of Labor and Employment Relations offers graduate work leading to both a master's and a doctoral degree. Graduate study in Human Resources and Industrial Relations (HRIR) is based on a multidisciplinary approach to human resources/industrial relations problems and a flexible curriculum. To achieve this, the School has joint faculty appointments or course cross-listings with economics, psychology, law, business administration, and history.