University of Illinois,Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations

The University of Illinois’ Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations (MHRIR) degree program requires you to complete 48 credit hours distributed across 12 courses within three semesters. The following foundation courses are required for this degree; Employment Relations Systems, and Quantitative Methods, or its equivalent. A student is also required to choose one course from each of these four subject areas: Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior, Labor Markets and Employment, Union Management and Labor Relations Policy, and International Human Resource Management. In addition, it is a requirement to study five more elective courses from the provided options, which suit particular interests and career aspirations. Students are allowed to substitute 8 hours of thesis credit with two elective courses. For those who prefer to go ahead with their thesis, they are required to defend it in an oral examination. The thesis option is limited to students who, in the opinion of their advisors, have adequate preparation and are sufficiently motivated to complete a thesis research project in a timely manner. Most students also attend a summer internship to further enrich their skillset for the job market. The MHRIR program examines conceptual issues, policies, and practices relating to the attraction, selection, development, and planning for the most effective utilization of human resources. Students will gain an understanding of how human resource professionals fit into the organization, structure, and function of business firms. The program covers theoretical ideas and has many empirical, policy, and practitioner-relevant applications, all with the goal of providing human resource managers fundamental financial analysis tools to enable them to function effectively in their post-graduate corporate workplace. Graduates of this program are able to provide integration across the specific functional areas of the human resources management (HRM) field, while at the same time demonstrating the linkages horizontally within HRM, and vertically with strategic management of the firm.