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In the School of Industrial and Labor Relations .
Special Study Options
To meet the academic objectives of our students, the school’s faculty has established several special study options. For additional information, students should contact a counselor in the Office of Student Services. Counselors 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 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 a counselor in the Office of Student Services after their freshman year.
Credit Internship Program
The ILR Credit Internship Program affords advanced undergraduates (juniors and seniors) opportunities to enhance their understanding of the field of industrial and labor relations by working for a semester (approximately 15 weeks) in one of the professional careers it encompasses. The Credit Internship Program operates both domestically and internationally, from Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles to Geneva, London, Kuala Lumpur, and Beijing, among many other locations. For more information, please visit ILR’s Off-Campus Programs website.
Summer Internships
What is a summer internship? During the summer, a student who works in a job that is related to industrial and labor relations may find that the employer refers to that job as an internship. Their terminology differs from that used by ILR and Cornell to refer to credit-bearing internships. Academic credits earned: ILR considers an internship to be a learning experience engaged in during the academic year, for which students earn academic credit, are supervised by a faculty member, are evaluated, have a grade recorded, and pay tuition. With very few exceptions (the Clem Miller Scholarship, Saul Wallen internship, Chaim and Ida Miller Scholarship, all of which are summer support provided to selected ILR students), summer employment has little in common with the semester credit internship program. Approval is required in advance. Some companies tell students that they cannot be employed unless they receive academic credit for a summer internship. Cornell does not grant credit unless a student is registered, pays tuition, has a faculty supervisor, and is in a position to be approved for internship credit.
Undergraduate Research
Undergraduates in ILR can pursue options to do research at any point during their study, although this option is most common in the junior or senior year. Please see the ILR OSS website for more information.
Graduation with Honors
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 Committee on Academic Standards and Scholarships, culminating in the preparation of a senior honors thesis. When approved, the candidate for graduation with honors works for two semesters (for 4 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 Office of Student Services or the Cornell Abroad office.
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 the 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, approval of the application by an ILR faculty committee, 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/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 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 12 ILR elective credits for the three ILR-related courses and three transfer credits for the Irish History and Culture course, for a total of 15 credits.
ILR Exchange Program
Juniors and seniors can take part in the ILR Exchange Program to study abroad at an exchange partner university through a revenue-neutral agreement. Students pay ILR tuition while on exchange with no additional fees. Interested students must meet with the exchange advisor in the International Programs Office. |