Welcome to Labor Studies – an interdisciplinary program that explores all aspects of employment. Jobs are central to most people’s lives, and our courses offer wide-ranging analyses of crucial and controversial issues, such as career building, job search and placement, legal rights at work, skills training, pay and benefits growth, occupational health and safety, work force diversity and inequality, immigration, trade unions, labor-management relations, and government employment and safety net programs.
What can you do with a Labor Studies education after graduation? Job-seeking graduates invariably find this training a great asset for a wide range of careers:
- Business (Particularly Human Resources)
- Forensic Economics
- Government
- Higher Education
- Journalism
- Labor and Employment Law
- Labor Unions
- Mediation and Arbitration
- Personal Injury Law
- Policy Research
- Public Relations
- Social Justice Organizations
A Labor Studies education also prepares students for graduate programs in Labor and Industrial Relations and in related areas of Business, Economics, Education, Journalism, Law, Media, Public Administration, and the Social Sciences.
Students in the program benefit from the rich teaching and research experience of our faculty drawn from business, economics, history, law, psychology, sociology and other disciplines. Each year, our faculty and students organize an exciting array of on-campus speakers, films, and other events. We also offer students the rare opportunity to publish their original research papers in our own highly respected academic journal, Regional Labor Review.
Students can choose to pursue a BA or a minor in Labor Studies through Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, or a Certificate in Labor Studies through Hofstra Continuing Education. Qualified undergraduate students may also enroll in a dual-degree program, earning both an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in Labor Studies (BA) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) – in as little as 5 years. The curriculum is designed to offer students a broad background in the multiple perspectives on and different analytical approaches to major employment issues in an international context. The program coordinates courses from departments throughout the University, and includes opportunities to earn course credits through independent coursework and internships with business firms, nonprofit agencies, and labor unions.
The Labor Studies faculty and staff invite you to learn more about why Labor Studies is such an interesting, informative, and rewarding course of study and career path.
Programs
Why Major or Minor in Labor Studies?
After completing a Labor Studies BA or a minor, job-seeking graduates invariably find this training a great asset for a wide range of careers in business (particularly human resources), government, labor law, teaching, and labor unions. It 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.
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 unions, and between labor and management. Labor Studies is an interdisciplinary program designed to offer students a broad background in the multiple perspectives on and different analytical approaches to job and pay issues in an international context.
BA in Labor Studies
A major in Labor Studies can be completed over 33 semester hours by successfully completing six required courses and five electives.
To view all BA in Labor Studies requirements and elective courses, click here BA in Labor Studies.
A useful aid to choosing between the many courses that will help fulfill your BA requirements is Labor Studies Major Course Checklist [PDF].
Minor in Labor Studies
A minor in Labor Studies can be achieved by completing a total of 18 semester hours - Introduction to Labor Studies (LABR 1A), 9 semester hours of other Labor Studies core courses required for the major, and 6 semester hours of Labor Studies electives.
To view all Minor requirements in Labor Studies, click here Minor in Labor Studies.
Dual-Degree Program for Labor Studies, BA/MBA
Take the fast track to a professional career – with big savings in time and tuition. Qualified undergraduate students may now enroll in a dual-degree program, combining their undergraduate bachelor’s degree in Labor Studies (BA) with a Master of Business Administration. Students who are admitted to the MBA portion of the dual-degree program may substitute up to 14 semester hours of MBA-level graduate coursework for an equal number of semester hours of undergraduate coursework toward the completion of their bachelor’s degree. For requirements, course offerings, and a suggested course schedule to earn the two degrees in just five years, click here: Dual BA/MBA 5-Year Program.
Certificates in Labor Studies
Certificate in Labor Studies
The Hofstra Certificate in Labor Studies is a unique and affordable opportunity designed for adults who are not presently enrolled as full-time degree-seeking Hofstra undergraduates and who prefer to take one or two courses per semester in a focused program of study. The certificate program is administered by Hofstra Continuing Education and includes courses taught both off- and on-campus. Some off-campus locations are local corporations, union halls, and other organizational locations.
This certificate is granted upon the successful completion of six courses (with at least two in residence). For a full list of certificate requirements and courses, and to apply, click here Certificate in Labor Studies.
Advanced Certificate in Labor Studies
For those who have already completed a labor studies certificate elsewhere, Hofstra also offers an Advanced Certificate in Labor Studies. This certificate can be earned by successful completion of four additional courses (with at least two in residence) beyond the six courses required for the Certificate in Labor Studies.
For a full list of requirements and courses, and to apply, click here Advanced Certificate in Labor Studies.
How to Register
We welcome both full-time and part-time students.
For Part-time Students Seeking a Certificate in Labor Studies:
Registration is easy:
By telephone: You may register using a major credit card by calling 516-463-7200.
Request more information online
and then fax it to 516-463-4833 or mail to:
Hofstra University Continuing Education
Labor Studies Certificate Program
255 Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY 11549-2500
Cost: Under special arrangement between Hofstra Continuing Education and Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, tuition for each of the six courses is only $450 for this noncredit certificate.
For more information on the certificate program, please call 516-463-5998.
For Part- or Full-time Matriculated Students seeking a BA Degree:
Consult the Hofstra Bulletin, the Class Schedule, and the website, hofstra.edu, for each semester's courses, degree requirements, and tuition costs per credit hour.
Application forms and information:
General admissions: call 1-800-HOFSTRA
Internships, Careers, and Scholarship
Our Labor Studies internship course, LABR 170, offers students the chance to earn course credits and practical work experience with a corporation, community organization, labor union, or other nonprofit employer. The 3-credit option requires students to work at an approved off-campus site at least six hours per week, and to spend three hours weekly in related academic activities specified by the faculty advisor. The 6-credit internship option requires at least 12 hours weekly at the approved off-campus organization and six hours of related academic work.
Each student internship is required to be organized and supervised by a full-time faculty member of the program. The internship course counts toward fulfillment of one of the five elective course categories required for completion of the BA in Labor Studies.
To identify appropriate internships, we partner with Hofstra's Center for Career Design and Development. Students interested in obtaining an internship are strongly encouraged to first visit the center's website and take advantage of the Handshake System, accessible through the Hofstra Career Hub. This system enables job seekers to upload resumes, review employer internship postings, apply for internships, and much more.
Once you find an internship that you are interested in and qualify for, contact the Labor Studies Office via email to make sure that your internship meets the requirements to qualify it for LABR 170 credits and to be assigned a faculty internship advisor.
Career Options
What can you do with a Labor Studies education after graduation? Job-seeking graduates invariably find this major to be a great asset for a wide range of careers:
- Business (particularly human resources)
- Forensic Economics
- Government
- Higher Education
- Journalism
- Labor and Employment Law
- Labor Unions
- Mediation and Arbitration
- Personal Injury Law
- Policy Research
- Public Relations
- Social Justice Organizations
A Labor Studies education also prepares students for graduate programs in labor and industrial relations or in another related area such as business, economics, education, journalism, law, media, public administration, and the social sciences.
Among 2017-2018 Hofstra graduates who majored in Labor Studies, 88% of survey respondents reported that they were employed and/or attending or planning to attend graduate school within one year of graduation. Among those Hofstra graduates who reported employment, 100% found a job within six months of graduation. Of those who reported a salary, the median annual self-reported salary was $42,000.
Some examples of places where our recent Economics and Labor Studies alumni are employed:
- Altice USA Inc.
- Chase Bank
- Empire Financial Partners of New York
- Foresters Financial
- Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
- NYC Housing Authority
- Prudential Financial Inc.
- Royal Bank of Canada Wealth Management
- Wells Fargo & Co.
- YMCA of Greater New York
Some examples of institutions where our alumni are pursuing graduate studies:
- Brown University
- Columbia University
- Erasmus University Rotterdam
- George Mason University
- Hofstra University
- Johns Hopkins University
- New York University
- Northeastern Law School
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Washington and Lee University
Career Information is available on many professional websites. For a list of helpful career sites, click here.
Scholarship
Long Island Labor Studies Scholarship
Labor & Employment Relations Association
Each year, the Long Island chapter of the Labor & Employment Relations Association awards scholarships to outstanding sophomore and junior Labor Studies students enrolled at Long Island universities. Any sophomore or junior who majors or minors in Labor Studies and has an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher qualifies. More information is available on their website. Interested students should contact the Labor Studies Office via email by February 15 for assistance in applying for the scholarship.
Contact Us
Labor Studies Program
Room 200 Barnard Hall
516-463-5427
Email