Cornell University Registrar

Graduate Field

Industrial and Labor Relations

Program Description

Administered by the Graduate School, the Master of Industrial and Labor Relations (MILR) program is a professional degree designed for aspiring leaders in the fields of Human Resource Management, Human Capital Consulting, and Labor Relations.

Admissions Requirements

The admissions committee, composed of faculty members from multiple ILR departments, holistically evaluate each application based on the following:

• academic record as shown on unofficial transcript(s)
• relevant experience or engagement as shown on current resume
• 2 letters of recommendation
• written statement of purpose
• personal statement
• online video interview
• TOEFL or IELTS scores, as applicable (required for all international students, unless you meet the criteria for an exception)

GRE or GMAT scores are not currently required for the fall 2025 admission cycle. Future admission cycle requirements will be determined prior to the opening of the online application. Application deadlines may vary by cycle. Please contact us at ilrgradapplicant@cornell.edu to discuss upcoming application deadlines.

Academic Standards

Minimum total credits required to graduate: 48 credit hours, encompassing at least sixteen courses comprised of six core courses, six concentration courses, and elective courses.

• All courses must be taken for a letter grade, must be 5000 level or above, and students must earn C or above in each course.
• Courses must be 3 or more credits. Courses that carry less than 3 credits may be combined with another less-than-three credit course. Such instances will count as 1 course.
• MILR students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to successfully graduate.

Program Information

• Instruction Mode: In Person
• Location: Ithaca, NY
• Minimum Credits for Degree: 48
• Program Length: Two-year, Full-time study

Program Requirements

Required Courses (18 Credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ILRGL 5000	Labor Relations	3
ILRGL 5010	Labor and Employment Law	3
ILRHR 5600	Human Resource Management	3
ILRLE 5400	Labor Economics	3
ILROB 5200	Organizational Behavior	3
ILRHR 5050	HR Statistics and Analytics	3

Human Resources & Organization Concentration Classes (minimum of 18 credits)

Students select 6 courses of 3+ credits (or combination of credits). Courses include any ILR course at the 5000-level or above. Students are strongly recommended to enroll in ILRHR 6910 Strategy and Finance for HR Professionals  and ILRHR 5610 Practicum in Human Resource Management to fully participate in the HR Bundle.

Elective Classes (minimum of 12 credits)

Students select 4 courses of 3+ credits (or combination of credits). Elective courses include any ILR course at the 5000-level or above. Students may also choose from the following list of approved courses offered outside of the ILR School:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
AEM 5310	Global Strategy	3
AEM 5840	Python Programming for Data Analysis and Business Modeling	3
AEM 5850	R Programming for Business Analytics and Data Visualization	3
AEM 6325	Leadership and Management in Sports	3
AEM 6440	Consumer Behavior	3
AEM 7000	Individual Study in Applied Economics and Management	0.5-9
ANTH 6487
COMM 6750	Research Methods for Social Networks and Social Media	3
COMM 6800	Studies in Communication	3
COMM 6810	Advanced Communication Theory	3
CRP 5320	Real Estate Development Process I	1.5
DEA 6200	Studies in Human-Environment Relations	3
DEA 6510	Human Factors and Inclusive Design	3
ENMGT 5900	Project Management	4
ENMGT 5920	Product Management	3
ENMGT 5930	Data Analytics	4
GDEV 5130	Introduction to Social Science Research Methods	3
GDEV 5230	Gender and Development	3
GDEV 6210	Foundations of Environmental Sociology	3
GOVT 7073	Game Theory I	4
HADM 6010	Data Driven Analytics	3
HADM 6030		3
HADM 6110	Negotiations in the Hospitality Industry	3
HADM 6111	Negotiations	1.5
HADM 6115	Managing Professional Relationships	3
HADM 6130	Entrepreneurial Management	3
HADM 6140	Innovation and Corporate Renewal	3
HADM 6144	Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset	1.5
HADM 6145	Business Model Innovation and Design	3
HADM 6190	Key Drivers for Making Innovation Happen	1
HADM 6200	Principles of Real Estate	3
HADM 6240	Analysis of Financial Statements	3
HADM 6310	Environmental, Social and Governance Strategy in the Food and Beverage Industry	3
HADM 6350	Selection, Procurement and Supply Chain Management	3
HADM 6432	Advanced Topics in Strategic Management	3
HADM 6435	Luxury Marketing	3
HADM 6470	Consumer Behavior	3
HADM 6480	Brand Management	3
HADM 6620	Intercultural Communication in Global Business	3
HADM 6740	Fundamentals of Database Management and Data Analysis	3
HADM 6770	Advanced Business Modeling	2
HADM 6800	Law for Entrepreneurs	3
HADM 6835	Leading and Managing Teams	3
HADM 7030	Operations Management	3
HADM 7430	Marketing Management for Services	3
HADM 7610	Management Communication	3
HIST 6655	Revolution: An Intellectual History	3
INFO 5125	Project Management	3
INFO 5355	Human Computer Interaction Design	3
INFO 6310	Behavior and Information Technology	3
INFO 6450	Computer-Mediated Communication	3
LAW 6566	Intensive Depositions	1
LAW 6898	The Art of Negotiation in Business and Sports	2
LAW 7295	Global Labor and Employment Law	3
LAW 7857	Farmworker Legal Assistance Clinic I	1-6
MGMT 5010	Data Modeling	1.5
MGMT 5080	Operations Management	1.5
MGMT 5090	Strategy	1.5
MGMT 5245	Managerial Economics	1.5
MGMT 5640	Entrepreneurship	1.5
MGMT 5680	Management Communication	1.5
MGMT 5830	Investments	1.5
MGMT 6220	Marketing Strategy	1.5
MGMT 6820	Negotiations	1.5
NBA 5020	Managerial Accounting and Reporting I: Fundamentals of Cost Analysis	1.5
NBA 5025	Managerial Accounting and Reporting II: Costing Systems to Support Strategy	1.5
NBA 5060	Financial Statement Analysis	1.5
NBA 5061		3
NBA 5090	Advanced Financial Statement Analysis	1.5
NBA 5100	Social Entrepreneurship	1.5
NBA 5110	Financial Modeling	1.5
NBA 5111	Foundations of Financial Modeling	3
NBA 5140	Ethics and Corporate Culture	1.5
NBA 5150	Leadership Theory and Practice	3
NBA 5180	Design and Innovation	1.5
NBA 5245	Introduction to Macroeconomics	3
NBA 5255	Global Macroeconomics News and Events	1.5
NBA 5330	Management Cases	1.5
NBA 5380	The Business Idea Factory	1.5
NBA 5390	Profiles in Leadership	1.5
NBA 5410	Project Management	1.5
NBA 5530	Accounting and Financial Decision Making	3
NBA 5580	Corporate Financial Policy	1.5
NBA 5590	The Venture Capital Industry and Private Equity Markets	0.5
NBA 5615	Digital Platform Strategy	1.5
NBA 5640	The Business of Entrepreneurship	3
NBA 5690	Management Consulting Essentials	1.5
NBA 5780	Consulting Problem-Solving Process	1.5
NBA 5790	Applied Principles of Business Strategy	1.5
NBA 5810		1.5
NBA 5911	Risk Management in Emerging Markets	3
NBA 5980	Behavioral Finance	1.5
NBA 5991	Global Business Strategy	3
NBA 6010		3
NBA 6029	Leading Agile Innovation	1.5
NBA 6030	Strategies for Sustainability	1.5
NBA 6050	Strategy Formulation and Competitive Analysis	3
NBA 6060	Evaluating Capital Investment Projects	1.5
NBA 6070	Designing and Building AI Solutions	1.5
NBA 6090	Digital Marketing	1.5
NBA 6100	Applied Operations Strategy	1.5
NBA 6130	Women and Leadership	1.5
NBA 6145	AI Strategy and Applications	1
NBA 6200	Marketing Research	3
NBA 6215	Introduction to Python for Business	1.5
NBA 6220	Marketing Strategy	1.5
NBA 6260	Consumer Behavior	1.5
NBA 6340	Customer Analytics and Strategy	1.5
NBA 6390	Data Driven Marketing	1.5
NBA 6410	Supply Chain Strategy	1.5
NBA 6420	Supply Chain Analytics	1.5
NBA 6430	Managerial Spreadsheet Modeling	1.5
NBA 6440		1.5
NBA 6460	Financial Institutions	3
NBA 6500	Strategic Operations Immersion Practicum	4
NBA 6540	Power and Politics in Organizations	1.5
NBA 6550	Business Data Analysis with SQL	1.5
NBA 6560	Valuation Principles	1.5
NBA 6620	Brand Management	1.5
NBA 6630	Managerial Decision Making	1.5
NBA 6650	The Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation	3
NBA 6690	Building a Consumer Internet Business	1
NBA 6710	Ethical Decision Making in Management	1.5
NBA 6820	Negotiation I: Negotiation Essentials	1.5
NBA 6870	Leading Across Differences: Understanding Identity, Dialogue, and Influence	1.5
NBA 6921	AI for Business Applications	1.5-3
NBA 6950	Game Theory and Business Strategy	1.5
NCC 5010	Data Analytics and Modeling	2.5
NCC 5080	Managing Operations	2.5
NCC 5500	Financial Accounting	3
NCC 5530	Marketing Management	3
NCC 5540	Managing and Leading in Organizations	3
NCC 5560	Managerial Finance	3
NCC 5580	Managing Operations	3
PHIL 6410	Seminar in Ethics and Value Theory	3
PUBPOL 5111	Public Administration	3
PUBPOL 5118	Diversity in Leadership: Experience, Perspective and Relatability in Public Affairs	3
PUBPOL 5132	Legal Aspects of Public Agency Decision-Making	3
PUBPOL 5334	Corporations, Shareholders, and Policy	3
PUBPOL 5441	Effective Writing for Public Policy	1.5
PUBPOL 5449	Systems Thinking Modeling	3
PUBPOL 5451	International Public and NGO Management	3
PUBPOL 5470		4
PUBPOL 5472	Leveraging Information Technology for Public and Nonprofit Management	1.5
PUBPOL 5571	Corporate Responsibility	3
PUBPOL 5612	Intergovernmental Relations	3
PUBPOL 5615	Sustainable Finance: Southeast Asia and Global Perspectives	3
PUBPOL 5634	Corruption, Governance, and Development	3
PUBPOL 5690	Regression Analysis and Managerial Forecasting	3
PUBPOL 5900	Special Topics in Health Administration and Finance	0.5-3
PUBPOL 5940	Consulting for Nonprofit and Government Organizations	3
SOC 5180	Social Inequality: Contemporary Theories, Debates, and Models	3
SOC 6000	Doing Research With Marginalized Populations	3
STS 6301	Social Theory	3
STSCI 5045	Python Programming and its Applications in Statistics	4
STSCI 5600	Integrated Ethics in Data Science	2

Practical Training

While not required, the majority of MILR students participate in an internship during the summer between their first and second years in the program. The ILR Office of Career Services provide support and guidance to students seeking internships.

University Graduation Requirements

Requirements for All Students

In order to receive a Cornell degree, a student must satisfy academic and non-academic requirements.

Academic Requirements

A student’s college determines degree requirements such as residency, number of credits, distribution of credits, and grade averages. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the specific major, degree, distribution, college, and graduation requirements for completing their chosen program of study. See the individual requirements listed by each college or school or contact the college registrar’s office for more information.

Non-academic Requirements

Conduct Matters. Students must satisfy any outstanding sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed or agreed to under the Student Code of Conduct (Code) or Policy 6.4. Where a formal complaint under the Code or Policy 6.4 is pending, the University will withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the adjudication process set forth in those procedures is complete, including the satisfaction of any sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed.

Financial Obligations. Outstanding financial obligations will not impact the awarding of a degree otherwise earned or a student’s ability to access their official transcript. However, the University may withhold issuing a diploma until any outstanding financial obligations owing to the University are satisfied.

Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation, students in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations should have the ability to:

• Engage in critical, reasoned analyses of issues and ideas
• Explain ideas and analyses through written and oral communication
• Evaluate and apply theories and assumptions of the social science disciplines to workplace issues
• Analyze workplace issues from a variety of perspectives, including the historical, cultural, institutional and ethical perspectives
• Access, evaluate and analyze qualitative and quantitative data, so as to enhance understanding and inform decision-making
• Work independently and in cooperation with others