A Small College within a Large University
As an ILR student, you will have access to a large Ivy League university, while enjoying the benefits of a small college (ILR), which is comprised of 750 undergraduates, 150 graduate students, and 50 faculty members. Each semester, you can choose from among the 4,000 courses offered by the 13 schools and colleges at Cornell. You’ll meet students of many different cultures from around the world. You will also have access to Cornell’s powerful network of more than 200,000 living alumni.

In our two-year Master of Industrial and Labor Relations (MILR) program, you gain a broad-based foundation with a specific, intense focus on the interaction between people and organizations in the workplace. The program usually has 70 to 80 full-time students, which makes the student body close and collegial.

Why an MILR rather than an MBA? The MILR is the top degree program in the area of human resources and labor relations. There\'s a strong general business component to your courses, but the emphasis is far more on the interrelationship between people and the workplacethe new hot spot for every organization, whether that\'s a small service business, a not-for-profit museum, a large and influential labor union, or a Fortune 200 corporation.

You\'ll complete six required courses from one of four concentrations:

 Human Resources and Organizations
 Labor Market Policy
 Collective Representation
 Dispute Resolution

If you think you\'d like a career in the business world, but prefer to center your career on people rather than on marketing, finance, or accounting, the MILR may be a good choice for you.
 Read about recent MILR graduates\' jobs and salaries. 
 Read about the MILR curriculum.

Special MILR Programs
One-Year MILR If you have a JD or MBA degree, you might consider the special one-year MILR degree program. You\'ll complete 28 credits and satisfy the six core-course MILR requirement.
 Read more about the One-Year MILR program.

MILR/MBA If you\'re interested in both an MILR and an MBA, you\'ll apply separately to ILR for the MILR and the Johnson Graduate School of Management for the MBA. If you\'re admitted by both programs, you\'ll earn both degrees in two and a half years.
 Read more about the MILR/MBA program.

http://www.bus.msu.edu/mgt/hrm.html

Overview

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Human Resources and Industrial Relations (HRIR) is a professional degree preparing students for private and public sector employment in human resource management, labor relations, and related fields. This full-time program is designed to be completed in two academic years (four semesters). Widely recognized as one of the top three programs in the country, the first half of the program consists of six required core courses that provide a comprehensive and rigorous foundation across the entire field of HRIR. The second half of the program consists of elective coursework in HRIR and related fields (such as finance, accounting, operations management and other areas). Through this balanced HRIR curriculum, students gain a thorough understanding of both contemporary practices and the underlying theories that are necessary for a successful career. Students explore HR issues within the broader economic, financial, technological, ethical, global, and cultural environment to give them a rich foundation for decision-making. The living business laboratory of the Twin Cities provides internships, field projects, and mentors from dynamic, global companies.

Minnesota HRIR students benefit from state-of-the-art classroom, computing, and library facilities. The Industrial Relations Center Reference Room is one of a small number of comprehensive reference libraries specializing in HRIR. The Carlson School\'s Business Career Center assists students in their job search across the country and around the world and manages on-campus interviewing. The graduate HRIR programs attract individuals from throughout the United States and the world. Minnesota\'s HRIR M.A. program is among the oldest and largest in the country with 140 full-time M.A. students.

The HRIR M.A. program has a longstanding commitment to diversity. Entering HRIR students have undergraduate degrees in many subjects ranging from the fine arts to engineering. The most common majors include psychology, business, economics, human resource development, and speech communication. Previous work experience is desirable, but not required. Minority enrollment in the full-time M.A. program is 18 percent.

Enrollments
In 2001-2002, ILIR students came from 8 countries, 49 undergraduate institutions, and 18 states. The class was 66 percent female, 16 percent minority, and 10 percent international.

Number of faculty
We have an outstanding faculty of 22 people who have degrees in the fields of industrial relations, economics, business administration, psychology, and law.

Average salaries of new graduates
For full-time entry-level hires, the average private-sector salary for 2001-2002 is $58,876, with different regional ranges. Signing bonuses averaged $6,365 ranging between $2,000 and $15,000.

ILIR Student Profile Diversity in Action The diversity of our students, the ILIR curriculum, internship experiences, and starting salaries are all raising the bar in the field of human resources and industrial relations. Our rich history ensures that progress will continue as we move toward the future. In 2001-2002, ILIR students came from 8 countries, 49 undergraduate institutions, and 18 states. The class was 66 percent female, 16 percent minority, and 10 percent international. ILIR students accepted positions from coast to coast last year, in over 19 states. Some are in leadership development and international rotational programs. Spring 2002   Master\'s* Ph.D. Total Total 108 11 119 Female 64 7 71 Male 44 4 48 International 6 9 15 African American 12 0 12 American Indian 0 0 0 Hispanic   1 1                 Fall 2001   Master\'s* Ph.D. Total Total 136 9 145 Female 90 5 95 Male 46 4 50 International 6 7 13 African American 19 0 19 American Indian 1 0 1 Hispanic 4 1 5 *Includes J.D./M.H.R.I.R. and M.B.A./M.H.R.I.R. Note: Spring semester enrollment is traditionally lower because the three-semester program graduates students in December. Diverse Backgrounds Students at ILIR also come from a wide range of backgrounds. Undergraduate degrees of our students include psychology, speech communications, economics, business administration, sociology, urban & regional planning, engineering, accounting, English, and organizational studies. Some students enter the Institute directly from an undergraduate institution. However, over 40% of our student body has had at least one year of experience in the workforce. Some students have been in one career for many years, and like most people, need the academic background to prepare them for a change. We value and encourage a diverse population. Active Leaders Our students are very active at the Institute and at the University level. You can find them in advising roles at the Commerce Career Center and the Career Services Center, and in assistantships at Academic Human Resources and University Human Resources. Our student organizations are active and used as effective networking and skill building tools. The Institute Student Society for Human Resource Management Chapter (SSHRM) received the Superior Merit Award in 2002 and was one of the top ten chapters in the nation in 2001. LIRA helped to organize a formal mentoring program with alumni and MSA organized the Multicultural Fest, which featured a panel of 5 Institute alumni.

“There are a number of schools in the field of industrial and labor relations or human resources—Cornell, Michigan State, Minnesota, Illinois, Rutgers—all good programs. I think what distinguishes Cornell and ILR is the history. It’s been around a long time. It’s a separate school. It has a faculty leadership team that’s fantastic. It has its own program—it’s not part of a business school. It has a focus on training professionals. It has a relationship with industry that is probably unparalleled among all universities that offer human resource degrees.

Phillip R. Weber, MILR 1977, Vice President, Compensation and Benefits, IBM

“What you have at Cornell is a balance of research experts and knowledge experts as well as people who have a genuine concern for learning and when you demonstrate that concern, you get a lot of support from the professors there.”

Kenneth Kerrig, BS 1981, ILR, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Sysco