Bachelor of Arts - Labor and Employment Studies

The Labor and Employment Studies program provides students with an introduction to and understanding of the study of labor and employment relations, broadly defined. Over the past few decades, the study of labor and employment relations has expanded significantly to include new topics that did not previously exist as areas of academic inquiry: globalization and employment relations, international labor standards, human rights and labor standards, corporate social responsibility and corporate codes of conduct, monitoring and accountability frameworks, global supply and value chains, corporate governance and employment relations, “decent work,” equality and diversity at work, labor and “global cities,” employment relations in emerging economies, high-performance work systems, global corporations, and global unions. This program provides training for students interested in careers in labor relations or personnel management with unionized private-sector firms or local and state government organizations. Graduates may also be prepared to work for unions, labor or social justice-related NGOs, or other non-profit organizations. Students may gain employment in these areas with local, state, national, or international organizations. In the non-union private sector, graduates may work in areas related to corporate social responsibility, codes of conduct, and corporate governance. Finally, students may pursue professional degrees (for example, in public policy, labor and employment law, or MBAs) or graduate degrees in the social sciences.