Industrial or labor relations may be viewed as a process by which employees, associates, and their organizations interact at the workplace and in society as a whole to establish the terms and conditions of employment and the employer-employee relationship.
Interest in industrial/labor relations has increased significantly over the years, due in part to the growth of government legislation and regulation. Federal and/or state legislation has dealt with minimum wages, work hours, workers' compensation, equal employment opportunity, occupational safety and health, collective bargaining, and other work-related areas.
Such legislation has expanded the demand for qualified industrial/labor relations personnel. Employers' growing awareness of employee rights and needs in both the private and public sectors also has had a great impact on the field.
MAJORS EARN THE BSBA
Industrial relations majors earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree. The BSBA provides an opportunity for students to acquire the knowledge and skills for a professional career in industrial/labor relations. It also serves as a base for individual education, development, and achievement of positions of increasing responsibility and prepares students for most graduate programs leading to the Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Students enrolled in the industrial relations major at Clarion will also learn about the important challenges facing human resource managers, including managing for top quality performance, global competition, employee involvement, workforce diversity, and governmental requirements, regulations, and laws.
EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS
Entry-level positions for industrial relations BSBA graduates may include the following: assistant human resource manager; employment interviewer; job analyst; labor relations assistant; pension analyst; personnel recruiter; training and development specialist; and specialist in employee benefits, equal employment opportunity, human resource forecasting and planning, testing, and wage and salary. Advancement positions, gained through experience and/or graduate programs such as the MBA or MA in industrial relations, include labor relations director, human resource manger, negotiator, mediator, and arbitrator.
The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 67,000 personnel, training, and labor relations specialists jobs will be added to the workforce between 1994 and 2005.
Industrial relations majors are encouraged to take advantage of the cooperative education and internship programs that provide practical experience in industrial relations. These on-the-job supervised educational experiences allow career exploration, supplement classroom theory, and develop the maturity and professionalism employers desire.
Click Here for the Industrial Relations requirement sheet and recommended course sequence.
