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This four-course certificate program helps students develop a broad perspective on public sector labor–management relations issues—those involving teachers, Rutgers University employees, police officers, and other public employees.  

These are regular graduate courses. If you later decide to continue on to the full Master of Labor and Employment Relations program, all courses will count toward that degree.

You can earn the certificate either with a mix of in-person and online courses or with online courses only. Our online courses are highly interactive, involve serious examination of important issues based on recent scholarship, and take place over the course of a semester. All classes include assignments designed to enhance skills and broaden perspectives.

Certificate Requirements

As a student in this certificate program, you must take one of the following two courses (you may take both):

  • Public Sector Employment Issues (38:578:525)
  • Public Sector Collective Bargaining (38:578:565)

You can then select additional classes to total the four courses necessary to complete the certificate from the following School of Management and Labor Relations (SMLR) courses and Rutgers Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) courses.

SMLR Master of Labor and Employment Relations Courses
(take up to three)

  • Conflict Resolution in the Workplace (38:578:515)
  • Labor Law (38:578:550) 
  • Collective Bargaining (38:578:560)
  • Benefits and Social Insurance (38:578:520)
  • Negotiation (38:578:505)
  • Organizational Design and Structure (38:578:556)
  • Employment Arbitration Today (38:578:575)

  • Mediation Processes & Techniques (38:578:569)

SPAA Courses
(take up to two)

  • Managing Public Organizations (20:834:522)
  • Human Resources Administration (20:834:523)
  • Public Sector Labor Relations (20:834:527)

How to Apply

For current Rutgers graduate students:

For application related questions and registration guidance, please contact Ann Marie Fiorella-Mullen, MLER Graduate Student Advisor.

For students not currently enrolled at Rutgers:

For more information on the certificate program and options for your academic future, contact Professor Francis Ryan, MLER Program Director.  

If you wish to complete a Certificate on a fully online basis, please contact Professor Ryan before applying because special application instructions are required.

To apply to complete a certificate, on a mixed in-person and online basis, as a non-degree student, apply to Rutgers Graduate Admissions. Click here to begin an application for admission.

All students:

Once you begin your application and have questions, please contact Ann Marie Fiorella-Mullen, MLER Graduate Student Advisor.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a graduate certificate program cost?

If not already enrolled in a degree program at Rutgers, students enrolled in mixed in-person and online certificate programs pay the "in state" or "out of state" tuition rate. 

  • The in-state tuition rate for 2024-2025 is $1,022 per credit or $3,066 per 3-credit course.*
  • The out of state tuition rate for 2024-2025 is $1,720 per credit or $5,160 per 3-credit course.*

Students in a fully online certificate program pay the graduate online tuition rate no matter where they live.  For 2024-2025 that rate is $1,230 per credit or $3,690 per 3-credit course.*  

Please note that FAFSA loans are not permitted for study as a non-degree certificate student.  

* These rates do not include the mandatory fees or the required health insurance rates for international students. Please see tuition chart listed here for clarifications and breakdowns of fees.

Can international students enroll in a graduate certificate program?

If the student is already on a H1 or F1 U.S. visa, approval from the Rutgers Global office is required to continue or pursue the non-degree graduate certificate program and some elements of the in-person mode of instruction are required. Students must take a minimum of 9 credits per semester or follow requirements for a reduced load when applicable in their final semester of study. This is designed only if the student has an approved visa that is transferable to Rutgers University.