We Are Where You Are
Grad Degree Was Perfect Complement to Work Experience
"The education I received at IUP provided exceptional complement to my work experience. I have a greater comprehension of employment and labor relations. As a result, I am a more responsive and effective member of the management team."
Gary J. Hrosik, MA-ELR, SPHR, '14 MA in Employment and Labor Relations, Human Resources Manager for KH Controls in Blairsville, Pennsylvania
The 36-credit program is structured in a way that allows students to complete it in two years by taking two courses per semester. Coursework is offered in the evenings, Monday-Thursday, either in person or via Zoom during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. The classes run from 5:20 to 7:50 p.m. and the from 8:00 to 10:30 p.m. Most courses also offer a purely online section at least once a year. (Note: Generous summer and winter vacation periods are scheduled into the program.) This educational model encourages networking and enhances learning opportunities for participants.
Applying to theHuman Resources and Employment Relations Program
Applicants must meet the minimum requirements for admission to the IUP School of Graduate Studies and Research. The Human Resources and Employment and Labor Relations program is multidisciplinary, and we encourage students with various undergraduate degrees to apply. No GRE or GMAT scores are required to apply. All applicants must apply online.
Due Dates and Average Timeline for Decisions
Admission to the HRER program is on a rolling schedule, admitting students to start spring, summer, and fall semesters. Decisions typically take one to two weeks. If you have any questions regarding admission, you can reach out to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
Costs and Financial Aid
Once admitted, students are also eligible for scholarship and graduate assistantship opportunities through the department. Information on the cost and the availability of financial aid (including federal loans and work study) to graduate students are available from the Office of Financial Aid.
Be Done in One, Take Two for Two, or More
You can complete the master's degree in one year full-time, take the option of one online course and one evening course over two years, or spread the courses out over as many as five years. Choose what works best for you.
Required Core Curriculum
- ELR 610 - Employee Rights Under Law
- ELR 615 - Dispute Settlement
- ELR 619 - Research Methods In ILR
- ELR 625 - Processes of Collective Bargaining
- ELR 631 - Human Resource Management in the Public Sector
- ELR 641 - Contract Administration
- ELR 627 - Organizational Behavior
- ELR 632 - Compensation Administration
- Twelve elective credits*
Required and elective course descriptions can be viewed in the Graduate Catalog.
Although lecture is a component of each of the classes, discussion and class exercises are stressed. This is an applied degree and, as such, it aims to teach critical thinking and a full range of skills needed within the field of employment and labor relations.
For information about the program, including scheduled informational sessions, contact HRER Chair David Piper at 724-357-4471 and dpiper@iup.edu.