Industrial Relations and Human Resources

IRHR: Introduction

Faculty Affiliation

Arts and Science

Degree Programs

Industrial Relations and Human Resources

MIRHR

PhD

  • Field:
    • Canadian Industrial Relations and Human Resources

Collaborative Specializations

The following collaborative specializations are available to students in participating degree programs as listed below:

Overview

In addition to faculty directly appointed to the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources (CIRHR), the centre brings together professors from many different disciplines and departments at the University of Toronto to teach and conduct research on all aspects of the workplace and employment relationships. The CIRHR faculty reflect the depth, breadth, and diversity of our university.

Contact and Address

Web: www.cirhr.utoronto.ca
Email: cir.info@utoronto.ca
Telephone: (416) 978-0551
Fax: (416) 978-5696

Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources
University of Toronto
121 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2E8
Canada

IRHR: Graduate Faculty

Full Members

Campolieti, Michele - BSc, MA, PhD
Connelly, Brian Samuel - BA, PhD
Dhuey, Elizabeth Ann - BA, MEc, PhD
Distelhorst, Gregory Michael - BA, PhD (PhD Coordinator)
Gomez, Rafael - BA, MA, MIR, PhD (Director)
Krashinsky, Harry - MA, PhD
Langille, Brian A. - BA, BCL, LLB
Latham, Gary - BA, MS, PhD
Macklem, Patrick - BA, LLB, LLM
Myers, Jenna Elizabeth - PhD
Reitz, Jeffrey G. - PhD
Rotundo, Maria - BA, MA, PhD
Saks, Alan - BA, MSc, PhD

Members Emeriti

Gunderson, Morley - BA, MA, PhD
Hyatt, Douglas - BA, MA, PhD
Reid, Frank - BA, MSc, PhD
Verma, Anil - BTech, MBA, PhD

Associate Members

Eads, Alicia - DPhil
Rittich, Kerry - BAMus, LLB, SJD
Sawchuk, Peter - BSc, BEd, MA, PhD

IRHR: Industrial Relations and Human Resources MIRHR

The Master of Industrial Relations and Human Resources (MIRHR) degree program benefits students who are interested in advanced academic study leading to career opportunities in human resources management, labour-management relations, collective bargaining and dispute resolution, organization development and change, and labour market and social policy.

The MIRHR is a professional degree program designed to train students in the latest innovations and best practices within industrial relations and human resources management. The program uses an interdisciplinary approach to provide specialized study of the employment relationship.

The MIRHR offers two program options:

  • The two-year MIRHR option allows qualified students to complete the degree program in two years of full-time study.

  • The advanced-standing MIRHR option enables qualified students to complete the MIRHR in one year (12 consecutive months) of full-time study.

Both options may be taken on a part-time basis.

MIRHR Program (Two-Year)

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the CIRHR additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Applicants to the two-year MIRHR program require an appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university. A minimum grade average of B+ in each of the final two years of the degree is required.

  • Applicants may submit results from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Although these tests are not required and there is no minimum score requirement, this information is helpful to the admissions committee. Test results more than five years old are normally not considered.

  • Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English must write the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The following minimum scores are acceptable:

    • paper-based TOEFL exam: 600 and 5 on the Test of Written English (TWE)

    • Internet-based TOEFL exam: 100/120 and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections

    • IELTS exam: overall score of 7.0 (Academic), with at least 6.5 for each component.

  • Since space in the program is limited, all applicants who meet the minimum admission requirements cannot be guaranteed admission. The CIRHR admissions committee reserves the right to select qualified applicants to the program. All admission decisions are final.

Completion Requirements

  • Each student's program of courses must be approved by the Coordinator of Graduate Studies. If chosen courses appear to overlap to a large degree, approval may be denied.

  • Students must have a mid-B average overall to be recommended for the degree.

  • Failure in any course (that is, a grade of less than B–) will require a review of the student's program by the department.

  • A student who fails two or more courses is no longer in good academic standing and a recommendation for termination will be made to the School of Graduate Studies.

Year 1: Foundation Courses
  • Year 1 is spent acquiring a foundation in industrial relations and human resources and includes courses in economics, human resources management, law, quantitative methods, and organizational behaviour.

  • Students must take 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs), of which 3.5 are required courses, as follows:

    • IRE1002H Applied Statistics in Industrial Relations

    • IRE1010H Economic Foundations of Industrial Relations and Human Resources

    • IRE1126H Economics of Labour and Human Resources

    • IRE1362H Organizational Behaviour

    • IRE1609H Strategic Human Resources Management

    • IRE1610H Industrial Relations

    • plus one of the following law courses:

  • 0.5 FCE is an elective course that is chosen from the list below to fill the requisite 4.0 FCEs in Year 1 of the program.

  • Students in the MIRHR program are required to achieve a mid-B average in Year 1 of the program (or in the first 4.0 FCEs) in order to continue or to pass into Year 2.

Year 2: Core Courses
  • Students must take 4.0 FCEs to complete Year 2. This includes core courses in Industrial Relations and Human Resources (1.5 FCEs):

    • IRE2001H Foundations and Current Issues in Industrial Relations and Human Resources

    • IRE2002H Research Methods for Industrial Relations and Human Resources

    • plus one of the following courses:

      • IRE2003H Research Project in Industrial Relations and Human Resources

      • IRE2004H Data Analytics and Metrics in Industrial Relations and Human Resources.

  • 2.5 FCEs are elective courses that are chosen from the list below to fill the requisite 4.0 FCEs in Year 2 of the program.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 6 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: FWS-FWS)
Time Limit: 3 years full-time; 6 years part-time

 

MIRHR Program (Advanced-Standing Option: 12-Month)

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Applicants to the 12-month MIRHR advanced-standing option require an appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university and significant academic training (normally 2.0 full-course equivalents [FCEs] at the senior undergraduate level), employment relations, human resources, industrial relations, labour studies, or labour economics. If the admissions committee determines that an applicant does not have sufficient academic training to qualify for advanced standing, the student will be considered for the two-year MIRHR degree. A minimum grade average of B+ in each of the final two years of the degree is required.

  • Applicants may submit results from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Although these tests are not required and there is no minimum score requirement, this information is helpful to the admissions committee. Test results more than five years old are normally not considered.

  • Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English must write the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The following minimum scores are acceptable:

    • paper-based TOEFL exam: 600 and 5 on the Test of Written English (TWE)

    • Internet-based TOEFL exam: 100/120 and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections

    • IELTS exam: overall score of 7.0 (Academic), with at least 6.5 for each component.

  • Since space in the program is limited, all applicants who meet the minimum admission requirements cannot be guaranteed admission. The CIRHR admissions committee reserves the right to select qualified applicants to the program. All admission decisions are final.

Completion Requirements

  • Each student's program of courses must be approved by the Coordinator of Graduate Studies. If chosen courses appear to overlap to a large degree, approval may be denied.

  • Students must have a mid-B average overall to be recommended for the degree.

  • Failure in any course (that is, a grade of less than B–) will require a review of the student's program by the department.

  • A student who fails two or more courses is no longer in good academic standing and a recommendation for termination will be made to the School of Graduate Studies.

  • Students admitted into the 12-month MIRHR advanced-standing option will have completed many of the foundation courses in industrial relations and human resources.

  • Students will take both foundation and core courses simultaneously in the three sessions of study (September to August). During this time, students will also take elective courses to increase their breadth of knowledge or to focus on their areas of interest.

  • Students must take 5.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs), of which 3.0 are required courses, as follows:

    • IRE1010H Economic Foundations of Industrial Relations and Human Resources

    • IRE1126H Economics of Labour and Human Resources

    • IRE2001H Foundations and Current Issues in Industrial Relations and Human Resources

    • IRE2002H Research Methods for Industrial Relations and Human Resources

    • plus one of the following courses:

      • IRE2003H Research Project in Industrial Relations and Human Resources

      • IRE2004H Data Analytics and Metrics in Industrial Relations and Human Resources

    • plus one of the following law courses:

  • 2.5 FCEs are elective courses that are chosen from the list below to fill the requisite 5.5 FCEs in the program.

  • Students in the MIRHR advanced-standing option are required to achieve a mid-B average in the first 2.5 FCEs of the program in order to continue.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 3 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: FWS)
Time Limit: 3 years full-time; 6 years part-time

 

IRHR: Industrial Relations and Human Resources PhD

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree program benefits students who are interested in advanced academic study leading to career opportunities in human resources management; labour-management relations; collective bargaining and dispute resolution; organization development and change; and labour market and social policy. The PhD program is a research-oriented program of study designed to provide students with a thorough knowledge of the field and strong research skills. Offered only on a full-time basis, students normally fulfil a two-year residency requirement that enables their full participation in the activities associated with the program.

Applicants may enter the PhD program via one of two routes: 1) following completion of an appropriate master's degree or 2) direct entry following completion of a bachelor's degree.

PhD Program

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources' additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Applicants require a master's degree in industrial relations, human resources, economics, sociology, public policy, political science, management, or a related field of study.

  • At least a B+ standing, or equivalent, is required in the previous master's program. Academic performance in courses relevant to the applicant's area of interest, as well as performance in statistics and research methods courses are taken into consideration by the admissions committee.

  • Applicants are required to submit a copy of their results from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Although there is no minimum score requirement, performance on the GRE will be taken into consideration by the admissions committee. Test results more than five years old are normally not considered.

  • Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English must write the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The following minimum scores are acceptable:

    • paper-based TOEFL exam: 600 and 5 on the Test of Written English (TWE)

    • Internet-based TOEFL exam: 100/120 and 22/30 on both the writing and speaking sections

    • IELTS exam: overall score of 7.0 (Academic), with at least 6.5 for each component.

  • Applicants may be required to appear for a personal interview and/or submit copies of recent academic work.

Completion Requirements

Normally, requirements in Years 1 and 2 consist of a core course in Industrial Relations and Human Resources, elective courses, and courses in research methods and statistics.

  • Students must take the equivalent of 3.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

    • The core requirement in Industrial Relations and Human Resources is met by completing:

      • IRE3004H Field Seminar in Industrial Relations and Human Resources.

    • The research and statistics requirements are met by completing:

      • IRE3007H Qualitative Research Methods for Work and Organizations

      • IRE3008H Econometrics for Industrial Relations I

      • IRE3009H Econometrics for Industrial Relations II

      • RSM3062H Methods and Research in Organizational Behaviour.

    • In cases where a student's prior academic background may have covered any of the courses listed above, substitutions may be permitted with approval of the PhD Coordinator.

    • 1.0 FCE is chosen from the elective courses set out below or from selected offerings in other departments and Faculties.

  • Students must enrol in IRE3000H PhD Workshop in Industrial Relations and Human Resources for each year of their residency at the Centre.

  • As part of their professional training, students are expected to participate in internal and external research seminars hosted by the Centre.

  • A comprehensive examination is normally written by June 30 of Year 2. It is designed to encourage students to broaden their understanding of industrial relations and human resources, to demonstrate analytical and methodological abilities, and to address current policy issues. The examination is six hours in length and graded as Pass/Fail.

  • A student who fails the first attempt at the exam will be permitted one more attempt. Failure of the second attempt will result in a recommendation for program termination.

  • Students must complete a Major Research Paper before advancing to doctoral candidacy. A faculty advisor will mentor the development and execution of this paper.

  • The student's supervisor must approve a written doctoral thesis proposal before the student can advance to doctoral candidacy.

  • Students will have achieved candidacy upon successful completion of the program requirements above at the end of Year 3 of study.

  • Proficiency in French and/or other languages will be required when the student's supervisor deems it necessary for dissertation research or when CIRHR deems it necessary for the student's area of research.

  • Thesis and a Doctoral Final Oral Examination on the thesis.

  • The program is available only on a full-time basis and normally has a two-year residency requirement, during which time the student is required to participate fully in the department's activities associated with the program.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 4 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 6 years full-time

 

PhD Program (Direct-Entry)

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources' additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Students who hold a bachelor's degree in industrial relations or human resources may be considered for admission to the PhD if they have exceptional academic standing and have demonstrated quantitative skills and research ability. Students will be required to complete additional courses.

  • Academic performance in courses relevant to the applicant's area of interest, as well as performance in statistics and research methods courses are taken into consideration by the admissions committee.

  • Applicants are required to submit a copy of their results from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Although there is no minimum score requirement, performance on the GRE will be taken into consideration by the admissions committee. Test results more than five years old are normally not considered.

  • Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English must write the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The following minimum scores are acceptable:

    • paper-based TOEFL exam: 600 and 5 on the Test of Written English (TWE)

    • Internet-based TOEFL exam: 100/120 and 22/30 on both the writing and speaking sections

    • IELTS exam: overall score of 7.0 (Academic), with at least 6.5 for each component.

  • Applicants may be required to appear for a personal interview and/or submit copies of recent academic work.

Completion Requirements

  • Normally, requirements in Years 1 and 2 consist of a core course in Industrial Relations and Human Resources, elective courses, and courses in research methods and statistics.

  • Students must take up to the equivalent of 7.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

    • The core requirement in Industrial Relations and Human Resources is met by completing:

      • IRE3004H Field Seminar in Industrial Relations and Human Resources.

    • The research and statistics requirements are met by completing:

      • IRE3007H Qualitative Research Methods for Work and Organizations

      • IRE3008H Econometrics for Industrial Relations I

      • IRE3009H Econometrics for Industrial Relations II

      • RSM3062H Methods and Research in Organizational Behaviour

    • 4.0 FCEs chosen in consultation with the PhD Coordinator.

    • 1.0 FCE is chosen from the elective courses set out below or from selected offerings in other departments and Faculties.

  • Students must enrol in IRE3000H PhD Workshop in Industrial Relations and Human Resources for each year of their residency at the Centre.

  • As part of their professional training, students are expected to participate in internal and external research seminars hosted by the Centre.

  • A comprehensive examination is normally written by June 30 of Year 3. It is designed to encourage students to broaden their understanding of industrial relations and human resources, to demonstrate analytical and methodological abilities, and to address current policy issues. The examination is six hours in length and graded as Pass/Fail.

  • A student who fails the first attempt at the exam will be permitted one more attempt. Failure of the second attempt will result in a recommendation for program termination.

  • Students must complete a Major Research Paper before advancing to doctoral candidacy. A faculty advisor will mentor the development and execution of this paper.

  • The student's supervisor must approve a written doctoral thesis proposal before the student can advance to doctoral candidacy.

  • Students will have achieved candidacy upon successful completion of the program requirements above at the end of Year 4.

  • Proficiency in French and/or other languages will be required when the student's supervisor deems it necessary for dissertation research or when CIRHR deems it necessary for the student's area of research.

  • Thesis and a Doctoral Final Oral Examination on the thesis.

  • The program is available only on a full-time basis and normally has a two-year residency requirement, during which time the student is required to participate fully in the department's activities associated with the program.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 5 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 7 years full-time

 

IRHR: Industrial Relations and Human Resources MIRHR, PhD Courses

Required Courses

Course CodeCourse Title
Applied Statistics in Industrial Relations
Economic Foundations of Industrial Relations and Human Resources
Economics of Labour and Human Resources
Law of Labour Relations
Law in the Workplace
Organizational Behaviour
Strategic Human Resources Management
Industrial Relations
IRE1700HHR Consulting Models, Practices, and Applications
Foundations and Current Issues in Industrial Relations and Human Resources
Research Methods for Industrial Relations and Human Resources
Research Project in Industrial Relations and Human Resources
Data Analytics and Metrics for Industrial Relations and Human Resources
IRE3000HPhD Workshop in Industrial Relations and Human Resources
Research Seminar II
Field Seminar in Industrial Relations and Human Resources
Workshop in Industrial Relations I
Workshop in Industrial Relations II
IRE3007HQualitative Research Methods in Work and Organizations
IRE3008HEconometrics for Industrial Relations I
IRE3009HEconometrics for Industrial Relations II
Methods and Research in Organizational Behaviour

Elective Courses

The Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources (CIRHR) offers key elective courses in both industrial relations and human resources. With the permission of the Graduate Coordinator, students may take courses in other departments and Faculties. Since graduate units give preference to their own students, CIRHR students can enrol in these elective courses only when space is available. Students must meet the standards and requirements of the other departments and Faculties in those courses taken outside CIRHR.

Not all courses are offered every year. The availability of elective courses may be subject to change due to such factors as faculty research leaves and departmental resources. Some courses may be available only in the day or in the evening. Please consult the CIRHR timetable which lists available courses in each session.

Industrial Relations and Human Resources

Course CodeCourse Title
Seminar on Labour Arbitration
Law of Labour Relations
Law in the Workplace
International Developments in Labour and Human Resource Policy
Sociology of Work and Organizations
Labour and Globalization
Labour Relations Problems in Historical Perspective
Contemporary Issues in Public Sector Labour-Management Relations
Negotiation Skills, Theory, and Practice
Collective Bargaining
Contemporary Trade Unionism: Issues, Challenges, Strategy
Managing Workplace Conflict
Health and Safety
Special Topics in Industrial Relations and Human Resources
Managing Organizational Change
Cross Cultural Differences in Organizational Contexts
Business Strategy for IR/HR
Performance Management Systems
Compensation
Recruitment and Selection
Training and Development
Human Resource Planning and Strategy
Leadership

Reading Courses

In certain circumstances, and with the approval of the Graduate Coordinator, students may be allowed to take a reading or research course:

Course CodeCourse Title
A reading course or individual research in an approved field
A reading course or individual research in an approved field