MA in Employment and Labor Relations
Labor@Wayne

Curriculum

The MAELR program requires students to complete 24 credit hours of core course work in human resource management and union-management relations. Students must earn a “B” or better in all core courses. Students who earn a grade lower than a “B” in a core course may repeat it once, but in no event may they begin the next term of course work without meeting with the Academic Director and obtaining his written permission to continue.

In addition to the core courses, students complete a minimum of 12 credit hours (4 courses) among an extensive set of elective courses. For students having specialized interest, these elective courses provide an avenue for students to achieve more in-depth competencies applicable to human resource management, union-management relations, and dispute resolution. Given long-run global and transnational labor relations trends and integration of the North American economies, the curriculum has been designed to ensure that students develop a worldview of labor relations and human resource management.

With advice and assistance from the MAELR Director, students prepare individual plans-of-study to best meet individual interests, needs and time schedules for completing the MAELR curriculum.

Click here to download a blank copy of the plan-of-study form (Excel file)

Core Course Requirements (24 credit hours)

Employment Relations 7000	Introduction to Labor and Employment Relations	3 cr
Dispute Resolution 7210	Concepts and Processes of Dispute Resolution I: Negotiating Theory and Practice	3 cr.
Economics 6480	Economics of Work	3 cr.
Employment Relations 7450	Employment Relations Law In North America	3 cr.
Employment Relations 8500	Labor and Human Resoruces Prerequisite: All core courses.	3 cr.
Management 7640	Management of Human Resources	3 cr.
Management 7750	Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining	3 cr.
Psychology 6570	Applied Research Methods in Union-Management Relations Prerequisite: One semester of statistics.	3 cr.

Union-Management Relations Electives (12 credit hours)

Economics 6400	Labor Economics	4 cr.
Economics 6415	Economics of Race and Gender	4 cr.
History 7290	American Labor History	4 cr.
Employment Relations 7010	Health Care, Retirement, and Employee Benefit Plans	3 cr
Employment Relations 7400	Labor Relations Law in North America	3 cr.
Employment Relations 7700	Current and Future Trends in Collective Bargaining Prerequisite: four MAIR core courses or consent of instructor.	3 cr.
Employment Relations 8000	International Labour Relations and Human Resources	3 cr.
Management 7770	Union Contract Administration Prerequisite: MGT 7750	3 cr.
Political Science 6340	Public Sector Labor Relations Prerequisite: Graduate standing.	3 cr.

Human Resources Management Electives (12 credit hours)

Employment Relations 8000	International Labor Relations and Human Resources Prerequisite: MGT 7640 and MGT 7750.	3 cr.
Management 7620	Complex Organizations	3 cr.
Management 7630	Organizational Change and Development	3 cr.
Management 7650	Strategic Human Resource Management Prerequisite: MGT 7640	3 cr.
Management 7790	Compensation Administration Prerequisite: MGT 7640	3 cr.
Psychology 6510	Organizational Theory Prerequisite: PSY 3500 or equiv., or consent of instructor	3 cr.
Psychology 6520	Organizational Behavior Prerequisite: PSY 3500 or equiv., or consent of instructor	3 cr.
Psychology 6540	Organizational Staffing Prerequisite: PSY 3500 or equivalent industrial/organizational psychology course with consent of instructor.	3 cr.
Psychology 6550	Training and Employee Development Prerequisite: PSY 3500 or equivalent industrial/organizational psychology course with consent of instructor.	3 cr.
Psychology 7745	Job Analysis and Performance Criteria	3 cr.
Psychology 7770	Testing in the Workplace Prerequisite: PSY 6500, PSY 7750	3 cr.
Political Science 7340	Public Personnel Management Prerequisite: PS 7300 or consent of instructor	3 cr.

Dispute Resolution Electives / Certificate (12 credit hours)

Communications 6350	Communication, Culture, and Conflict	3 cr.
Dispute Resolution 6120	Human Diversity and Human Conflict	3 cr.
Dispute Resolution 7100	Roots of Social Conflict	3 cr.
Dispute Resolution 7220	Concepts and Processes in Dispute Resolution II Prerequisite: DR 7210	3 cr.
Dispute Resolution 7310	Practicum in Dispute Resolution	3 cr.
Dispute Resolution 7890	Seminar in Dispute Resolution	3 cr.
Political Science 7550	Democratic Theory and Conflict Management	3 cr.

Other Electives

Employment Relations 7600	Internship in Industrial Relations Prior consent of MAELR Director only. Internship Application Form (pdf file)	3 cr.
Employment Relations 7990	Directed Study in Industrial Relations Prior consent of MAELR Director only. Directed Study Application Form (pdf file)	3 cr.
Employment Relations 7999	Master's Essay in Industrial Relations Prior consent of MAELR Director only.	3 cr.
Occupational and Environmental Health 7820	Regulatory Affairs in Occupational and Environmental Health	3 cr.
Political Science 6070	Labor and American Politics	3 cr.

In addition to the courses listed, the MAELR Director will examine other courses currently offered within the University that may be suitable elective. Courses found suitable will be added to the list of electives.

Wayne State University

AIM HIGHER