Academic Programs Catalog

The Master of Human Resources and Labor Relations is the school’s signature graduate degree, offered on a full-time basis in East Lansing, Michigan.  With a diverse and highly qualified student body, the master’s program is universally regarded as one of the premier professional programs of its kind in the world.  Preparing future leaders for professional careers, students receive a comprehensive, contemporary foundation in human resources and labor relations, gain a broad global perspective, and learn to apply best practices, lead organizational change, and act strategically as business leaders. 
The curriculum offers a wide range of courses across required core knowledge areas including:  human resource management, labor-management relations, organizational change, business acumen, international human resources and employment relations, workplace law, economics of human resources, and quantitative methods for human resource analyses.

In addition to classroom instruction, nearly all students participate in paid summer internships with companies between their first and second year in the program.  Through these summer internships, students receive invaluable mentoring and on-the-job learning, working as members of specific project teams and undertaking individual assignments.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Social Science, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

To be considered for admission to the master's degree program, a student must have a bachelor's degree and a cumulative grade–point average of 3.00 or higher in the junior and senior years. Applicants may submit scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test or on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), however the GRE/GMAT scores are optional. Applicants must complete one course in microeconomic principles, one course in statistics, and one course in behavioral sciences at the undergraduate level with a minimum grade of 3.0 in each course. In addition, applicants will be judged on the quality of their statement of objectives and three letters of reference.

Requirements for the Master of Human Resources and Labor Relations Degree in Human Resources and Labor Relations

The program is available under both Plan A (with thesis) and Plan B (without thesis).  The student must complete 36 credits with a grade–point average of at least 3.00.