Around the world, from the factory to the office to the Internet, today's workplace is changing rapidly. These changes are dramatically affecting not only the ways that we work, but also the basic relationships among workers, between workers and labor organizations, and between employees and management. Labor Studies at Hofstra is an interdisciplinary program designed to offer students a solid background in the multiple perspectives on and analytical approaches to employment issues in an international context. In the process, students also have opportunities to acquire valuable analytic and communication skills that have become essential today for professional advancement.
Career Options:
After completing a program in Labor Studies, job-seeking graduates invariably find this training a great asset for a wide range of careers in business (particularly human resources), nonprofit organizations, government, labor law, arbitration, teaching, and labor unions. The program also prepares students for graduate programs in labor and industrial relations and in related areas of business, education, law, public administration, and the social sciences.
Labor Studies Certificate Curriculum
The Hofstra Certificate in Labor Studies is granted upon the successful completion of only six courses (with at least two taken at Hofstra). Of these, one course must be completed in each of the following six subject areas:
- Labor History - Introduction to Labor Studies (LABR 1A), Comparative Labor History (HIST 150), History of Labor (HIST 157), Immigrants in American Society (HIST 169)
- Collective Bargaining - Collective Bargaining (MGT 172), Public Sector Collective Bargaining (H1201)
- Labor and Employment Law - Legal Rights at Work (H1200), Introduction to Legal Systems, Environment and Contracts (LEGL 20), Labor and Employment Law (LEGL 114), Litigation and Alternate Dispute Resolution (LEGL 118)
- Political Economy - African Labor Economics (LABR 120), Economics of Discrimination (ECO 121), Health Economics (ECO 133), Labor Economics (LABR 141c)
- Communication and Research -. Oral Communication (SPCM 1), Public Speaking (SPCM 7), Persuasion (SPCM 78), Argumentation and Debate (SPCM 107), Mass Media (MASS 1), Media Literacy (MASS 12)
- Interdisciplinary Electives - Introduction to Ethics (PHI 14), Ethnicity and Minority Group Relations (SOC 34), Social Inequality (SOC 140), Building Strong Communities (SOC 145), Special Topics in Labor Studies (LABR 155)
