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Study Work. Value People. Lead Change.

Our Academic Programs

SMLR’s Labor Studies and Employment Relations (LSER) programs educate students about issues related to work, workers, and the employment relationship. SMLR’s world-renowned faculty combines real-world experience and cutting-edge research to engage students in active learning through small group discussions, simulations, in-class debates and more. SMLR’s undergraduate LSER program is particularly accessible and accommodating toward degree completion for transfer students, and students who work full-time.

B.A. in Labor Studies and Employment Relations B.S. in Labor and Employment Relations Online B.S. in Labor and Employment Relations Master's in Labor and Employment Relations (MLER) Online Professional Master's in LER (MLER)
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A Rich History

Did you know that Rutgers' history of labor education spans more than 75 years?

The School of Management and Labor Relations was originally established by an act of the New Jersey legislature in 1947 as the Institute of Management and Labor Relations (IMLR), chartered to promote new forms of labor-management cooperation following the industrial unrest at the end of World War II.

Learn more
photo of student in class at the Labor Education Center
Customize Your Experience

Specialize in one of our areas of concentration:

  • Diversity in the Workplace
  • Labor Unions and Social Movements
  • Law and the Workplace
  • Work, Globalization, and Migration
  • Work Organization and Management
Learn more

Careers in Labor and Employment Relations

A degree or coursework in Labor and Employment Relations can be your springboard to a wide range of career paths and opportunities. Students are prepared for professional employment relations careers in a variety of settings, including unions, corporations, government, and community organizations. Coursework offers a broad-based multidisciplinary education in labor relations, organizational/social change, employee diversity, workplace justice, human resource systems, and the impact of the globalization on employees.

Undergraduate LSER Career Options MLER Degree Career Options

LSER Faculty In the News

The SMLR Labor Studies and Employment Relations faculty experts are often consulted to reflect upon today's headline issues.

> View our recent LSER Experts in the News