General Information

As a discipline, labor studies deals with work, the workplace, and workers and their organizations. It advances a body of knowledge that reflects the concerns of modern labor organizations.

As a program, labor studies is designed to enable participants to serve more effectively as members and leaders in their organizations. Participants can also gain a sense of the past and present contexts of work and unionism. Because union leaders need to be familiar with economics, communications, and other subjects, labor studies can assist them in mastering a broad range of learning.

An important goal of the program is to enable participants to make socially useful choices in carrying out the many responsibilities of union membership, union leadership, and community citizenship.

Labor Studies Certificate and Degree Requirements

Courses from three groupings are used by students to complete certificate and degree requirements. These groupings are labor studies courses, major areas of learning, and electives. The accompanying chart shows the credit hour distribution required for each certificate and degree in labor studies.

* ENG W131 Elementary Composition and one additional writing course required

** One economics course required, ECON E103 Introduction to Microeconomics (recommended); or LSTU L230 Labor and the Economy

*** To meet the math/science requirement, for A.S., one course in computer science/technology is recommended; for B.S., one course in computer science/technology is required.

Certificate and Degrees

The Division of Labor Studies offers a Certificate in Labor Studies, an Associate of Science, a Bachelor of Science, and a minor in labor studies.

The division has a long history of working with unions in the state of Indiana to develop and deliver educational programs. These programs are coordinated by members of the Division of Labor Studies faculty. They and associate faculty members also teach the courses. Faculty qualifications typically combine academic credentials with union background.

The Certificate in Labor Studies, Associate of Science in Labor Studies, and Bachelor of Science in Labor Studies are also available to people who cannot enroll in classroom- based courses on Indiana University campuses where the program is offered. By enrolling in labor studies courses through correspondence study, one can complete a growing number of courses. In this unique effort, the Division of Labor Studies works closely with the Indiana University Independent Study Program.

Minor in Labor Studies

A minor in labor studies requires the completion of 15 credit hours in labor studies courses consisting of 6 credit hours from our list of core courses and 9 additional credit hours to be determined through consultation with the campus faculty.

Additional Requirements

For the Associate of Science in Labor Studies, at least 12 credit hours must be earned from Indiana University, 10 credit hours of these after admission to the Division of Labor Studies. No more than 15 credit hours may be earned within a single subject other than labor studies.

For the Bachelor of Science in Labor Studies, at least 24 credit hours must be earned from Indiana University, 20 of these after admission to the Division of Labor Studies. No more than 21 credit hours may be earned within a single subject other than labor studies. Thirty credit hours must be earned in 300- or 400-level courses, and at least 12 of the 30 credit hours must be earned in labor studies courses.

For the Certificate in Labor Studies and both the associate and bachelor’s degrees, an overall 2.0 (C) grade point average must be maintained. Courses in which grades below C– are received may be counted only as electives. For the associate and bachelor’s degrees, courses within a major area must be in at least two different subjects. For additional standards, see the section of this Campus Bulletin on Academic Policies.

Major Areas of Learning

Following are representative subjects and courses falling under each of the three major areas of learning listed under certificate and degree requirements. For information about subjects not listed here and about specific courses, contact the labor studies office.

Arts and Humanities

Afro-American Studies
Classical Studies
Comparative Literature
English
Fine Arts
Folklore
History
History and Philosophy of Science
Journalism
Music
Philosophy
Religious Studies
Speech and Communications
Theatre and Drama
Women’s Studies
All language courses

Sciences and Mathematics

Astronomy
Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science/Technology
Geology
Mathematics
Physics
Zoology

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Anthropology
Economics
Geography
Linguistics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology

Electives

Students may select any of the courses offered by Indiana University to fulfill elective requirements. Students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor and to concentrate their elective course work in related subjects.

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