School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Overview

The ILR School prepares graduates for leadership positions in many fields, including labor relations, business, law, government, and public service. Founded as the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, ILR has the largest undergraduate program in the country devoted entirely to the study of people, policies and processes in organizations and the workplace. Approximately 980 undergraduate and 180 graduate students benefit from the personalized, supportive learning environment that encompasses five departments grounded in the social sciences:

  • Economics
  • Human Resource Studies
  • Global Labor and Work
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Statistics and Data Science

To enhance classroom study, ILR students can take advantage of international opportunities in more than 40 countries. Credit internships in a variety of fields and global locations help students gain practical experience; recent internship sites include the International Labour Organization, the White House, Major League Baseball and Walt Disney World. In addition, students benefit from Catherwood Library, which has the largest, most comprehensive collection of materials on work and employment in North America.

When ILR students graduate, they join an 13,000+ alumni network that reaches every corner of the world. Alumni work as leaders at Fortune 500 companies and in diverse fields including human resources, law, management, labor relations, unions, government and public service.

Website: ilr.cornell.edu

General Information

Administration

  • Alexander Colvin, Dean
  • Kate Griffith, Senior Associate Dean, Academic Affairs 
  • Ariel Avgar, Senior Associate Dean, Outreach and Sponsored Research
  • David Yantorno, Assistant Dean, Communications and Marketing
  • Jennifer Dean, Assistant Dean, Alumni Affairs and Development
  • Kara Lombardi, Assistant Dean, Student Experience and Wellbeing
  • Marissa Porter, Director, Graduate Enrollment and Student Services
  • Christopher Collins, Director, Graduate Studies
  • Kevin F. Harris, Director, Office of Student Services
  • Rebecca Schimenti, College Registrar
  • E. Angela Herrera Canfield, Director, Undergraduate Admissions
  • Anu Lyons, Director, Office of Career Services
  • Michele Belot and Virginia Doellgas, Co-Editors, Industrial and Labor Relations Review

The School

The ILR School looks through the lens of the social sciences to examine issues related to the domestic and international workplace. ILR creates a school community, by offering personalized academic and career advising, unique student organizations, and an array of distinctive courses, while supporting student participation in the courses, activities, and organizations found within the Cornell University community.

The school provides instruction to undergraduates and graduate students who are preparing for a variety of careers, as well as to professionals engaged in industrial relations, human resources and workplace development activities through its Extension and Outreach divisions. The school initiates and hosts conferences and continuing education covering the full scope of industrial and labor relations. 

Undergraduate Degree

ILR undergraduates work toward the bachelor of science degree and have one major: Industrial and Labor Relations. However, students are not limited to one area of focus. The five departments that comprise ILR provide students with a unique range of courses that they use to build a program to their individual interests. As the leading and largest school of its kind, ILR provides classes that students will only find in our program, and our course offerings continuously evolve in response to anticipated changes in the workplace and the world.

Graduate Degrees

Graduate study in industrial and labor relations provides programs on the Cornell campus, as well as blended degree program for working professionals. Students may work toward the degrees of master of industrial and labor relations, master of professional studies, executive master of human resource management, master of science, and doctor of philosophy. For further information on graduate programs, contact the ILR Graduate Programs Office.

Student Support

The ILR School offers a range of academic and professional opportunities to enhance students' learning and career prospects. Undergraduate students can take advantage of special study options such as research opportunities, graduation with honors in research, and minors in various disciplines. The school also provides accelerated pathways, including the 3+3 Pathway with Cornell Law School, the Five-Year Master of Science Degree Program and the Five-Year MBA with SC Johnson College of Business. Additionally, students can gain practical experience through the ILR Credit Internship Program, which offers semester-long placements in industries such as government, law, and corporate organizations.

For those interested in global experiences, the school offers multiple international study options, including study abroad programs, the ILR Exchange Program, and specialized initiatives like the ILR/UCD Semester in Dublin and ILR Global Service Learning Programs. The ILR Global Scholars Program further encourages students to incorporate global perspectives through coursework, language study, and international experiences. These programs provide students with unique opportunities to expand their knowledge, gain professional experience, and prepare for advanced studies or careers in the field.

Special Academic Opportunities

Special Study Options

To meet the academic objectives of our students, the school’s faculty has established several special study options. For additional information, undergraduate students should contact an advisor in the Office of Student Services. Advisors will explore the program with students to help them decide if it suits their interests and fits into their degree plan.

Five-Year Master of Science Degree Program

With early planning it is possible to earn the M.S. degree in a fifth year of study. This program is by application only and designed specifically for those who wish to study in an area of specialization in the school for a master of science degree. Students considering this program should consult an advisor in the Office of Student Services and the ILR Graduate Office.

Credit Internship Program

The ILR Credit Internship Program affords qualified ILR juniors and seniors the unique opportunity to gain significant professional experience while also receiving a full semester’s credit. Approved students are eligible to undertake internships in a wide range of organizations, from trade unions and large corporations to government agencies, labor & employment law firms, and non-profits. In operation for nearly forty years, the ILR Credit Internship Program is widely recognized in the United States as the most successful of its type. The program was created by the faculty of the ILR School to afford our advanced undergraduate juniors and seniors opportunities to enhance their understanding of the field of industrial and labor relations by working for a semester (approximately 14 weeks) in one of the professional careers it encompasses. Students intern across the U.S. and around the world. For more information, please visit our website.

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduates in ILR can pursue options to do directed research at any point during their study, although this option is most common in the junior or senior year. 

Graduation with Honors in Research

Undergraduates who have earned a minimum 3.700 GPA at the end of the junior year may propose a two-semester research project, for review by the ILR Academic Standards & Integrity Committee, culminating in the preparation of a senior honors thesis. When approved, the candidate for graduation with honors works for two semesters (for 3 credits each semester) to research, write, and then defend the thesis.

International Study Options

Study Abroad

ILR students who plan to study in another country most often do so in the junior year, occasionally in the senior year. They may study in one of the programs that is sponsored by Cornell, in one sponsored by another institution and endorsed by Cornell, or in an approved externally sponsored program. Information about study abroad is available in the ILR International Programs Office, the Office of Global Learning, or the Office of Student Services.

Students are expected to register for a full course load, the equivalent of 15 credit hours in a semester or 30 hours in a year, when they study abroad. Some courses will be the equivalent of general elective credit or distribution credit, but others may be accepted as ILR elective credit if evaluated and approved by the relevant ILR department chairs. A student may satisfy up to 9 hours of ILR elective credit in a single semester abroad and up to 15 hours in a year of foreign study.

Application for foreign study requires that the student meet the Cornell deadlines as well as those specified by the program(s) of interest. Applications include tentative class schedules, recommendations from faculty members, essays, and transcripts. After being approved in ILR, the application is sent to the Cornell Abroad office and then to the program for which the student is applying.

ILR Exchange Program

The ILR Exchange Program is a study abroad opportunity with a specific ILR international partner university and is only open to ILR students. ILR Exchange Programs provide a unique opportunity for ILR students to study abroad at a partner institution. Students can study abroad for a semester or during the summer through a unique summer exchange program with the University of Warwick. Our partner institutions offer courses that are similar to ILR’s, which makes it possible for students to earn ILR elective credits while abroad. Exchange programs are reciprocal with ILR students going abroad and international exchange students coming to ILR, Cornell University. Currently, the ILR School has student exchange programs in Australia, Italy, Spain, and the UK.

ILR/UCD Semester in Dublin Program

The ILR/UCD Semester in Dublin Program is the educational centerpiece of a comprehensive collaboration between the ILR School at Cornell University and the Lochlann Quinn School of Business at University College Dublin. The program’s purpose is to afford eligible ILR undergraduate students (juniors and seniors) opportunities to enhance their understanding of various international dimensions of the field of industrial and labor relations through courses taught by leading scholars at one of Europe’s most vibrant and dynamic universities. The curriculum consists of three required courses: European Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management, Multinationals in the Global Economy, and Irish History and Culture. In addition, students will select one elective course related to the ILR field. Students will receive 9 ILR elective credits for the three ILR-related courses and six transfer credits for the Irish History and Culture course and a second elective course, for a total of 15 credits. MILR students may also participate in the Semester in Dublin Program.

ILR Global Service Learning Programs

Students can take part in a summer global service learning program at a host institution in India, Vietnam, or Zambia. The program requirements and details can be found on the ILR School’s website.

ILR Global Scholars Program

The ILR Global Scholars program (GSP) encourages students to incorporate a global component into their education at ILR and recognizes those who do this successfully. To enter the GSP the student must have a minimum GPA of 3.600. The four components of the GSP consist of: significant international experience while at ILR; foreign language study; completing four international and comparative courses on different regions of the world; and writing a reflective learning paper under the guidance of a faculty adviser.

Minors

Students may pursue minors in any department in any college that offers them, subject to limitations placed by the department offering the minor or by the student’s major. Completed minors will appear on the student’s transcript. Not all departments offer minors. Consult the appropriate section in this catalog or contact the appropriate department for information on minors offered and how to pursue a minor.

Early Enrollment Pathways

Undergraduate students may be admitted for professional study in the Cornell Law School or the SC Johnson College of Business prior to completion of their undergraduate program. To be considered, a student must:

  • Fulfill all major requirements for the School.
  • Complete a minimum of 108 of their 120 academic credits toward the Bachelor of Science before the start of the senior year and have been accepted by one of the above-named professional schools. No more than 12 academic credits can be substituted from the graduate program to complete the ILR Bachelor of Science degree.
  • Fulfill the University Graduation Requirements.

Cornell Law School

The Cornell University & Cornell Law 3+3 Pathway provides an accelerated path to the Law School, where students will spend three years as an undergraduate student and three years at Cornell Law. At the time of entry, students must have completed a minimum of 108 of the 120 credits required for the bachelor’s degree, have successfully completed six undergraduate semesters, and completed all major, college, and University requirements. Students considering applying to this program should consult with the pre-law advisor and college registrar staff in their college early in their sophomore year to discuss eligibility and application requirements. Interested students should apply junior year during Cornell Law’s application cycle.

Once matriculated, up to 12 academic credits from the student’s first semester at Cornell Law will be applied towards general elective requirements to reach the 120 credits required for the bachelor’s degree. Once 120 credits have been reached, students will have met all undergraduate degree requirements and their bachelor’s degree will be conferred at the next degree date.

Samuel Curtis Johnson College of Business

5-Year Bachelors/MBA: additional information can be found directly on the SC Johnson College of Business website.