Latest News & Events
Good job prospects improving in the GTA — but only for some, report finds
While unemployment fell and more workers in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area were able to find stable jobs between 2011 and 2017, those without a university education saw no improvement in job security, according to a study of precarious work by United Way and Labour Studies and Economics professor Wayne Lewchuck.
Jun 19, 2018
Campus banners showcase some of McMaster's best and brightest
Wayne Lewchuk, LIUNA Enrico Henry Mancinelli Professor in Global Labour Issues, featured "Brighter World" campaign banner.
Jun 06, 2018
Hamilton boosts a basic income.... and a 'sense of dignity'
The North American Basic Income Guarantee Congress kicks off Thursday at McMaster University
May 24, 2018
2018 Spring courses in Labour Studies
Looking for a class that will peak your imagination and satisfy your appetite for social justice? Labour Studies has some great choices this Spring/Summer.
Apr 13, 2018
North American Basic Income Guarantee Congress to take place in Hamilton, Ontario from May 24-27, 2018
The 17th Annual North American Basic Income Congress (NABIG) will be held May 24-27 at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. School of Labour Studies is a co-host!
Apr 13, 2018
The cruel trade-off at your local produce aisle
Every year, migrant workers come to Canada to pick the fruits and vegetables we take for granted. They aren't paid well and get none of the benefits they pay into. Don MacLean Wells, Professor Emeritus, Labour Studies and Political Science and Janet McLaughlin Associate Professor of Health Studies, Research Associate, International Migration Research Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University, argue that it's time to treat them fairly.
Jan 17, 2018
B.A. Bachelor of Arts in Labour Studies
Our BA program is innovative and interdisciplinary in nature. The McMaster School of Labour Studies is widely recognized as among the best in the world. In their classes our students engage with the many and varied issues that animate our contemporary worlds of work.
Learn moreHons.B.A. Honours BA Labour Studies
Our Honours BA graduates have high rates of success in securing careers in labour law, community development, Industrial relations, health & safety, lawyer, mediator, disability case worker, civil servant, community development, policy analysis, teaching, occupational health and safety, labour research and labour organizing. Honours students are required to complete either an honours thesis or a field experience. Field experience allows them to sharpen their research skills while gaining practical experience working for a union, government agency or private employer.
Learn moreHons.B.A. Combined Honours BA in Labour Studies
Students graduate with a double major in Labour Studies and another subject.
Learn moreMinor Minor in Labour Studies
Work is central to our health (physical and mental), our economic well-being, our society and our economy. In short work affects everyone. The minor in Labour Studies is a strong complement to almost any undergraduate degree program. It provides an interdisciplinary and well rounded view of our contemporary worlds of work.
Learn moreM.A. Master of Arts in Labour Studies
The prime objective of this unique graduate program is to introduce students to a variety of theoretical approaches and practical policy debates that relate to working in contemporary societies around the world, as well as Canada. Courses focus on a broad range of work activities, from working for wages in primary, industrial and service settings, to the paid and unpaid work that goes on in the home and elsewhere. Regardless of the particular focus, work is to be studied as one component of life experience that includes family life, community relations, gender and race relations, politics and state regulation.
Learn morePh.D. Doctor of Philosophy in Labour Studies
The only such degree in North America, the PhD program engages closely and critically with the issues of work and labour in contemporary and historical perspective. The program aims to develop a new generation of scholars prepared to contribute to research leadership in the academy, the community, policy arenas and organizations representing working people. As a small interdisciplinary program, students will enjoy strong mentorship from leading scholars in the field and benefit from the strong union and community connections of faculty.
Learn moreU.Cert. The Labour Studies Joint Certificate with the Hamilton & Brantford District Labour Councils
The McMaster School of Labour Studies offered its first certificate courses in 1976. We currently offer a Certificate in Labour Studies as well as two joint certificates in partnership with the Brantford and Hamilton and District Labour Councils.
Learn moreU.Cert. Unifor-McMaster Labour Studies Certificate
Unifor-McMaster Labour Studies courses are designed specifically for Unifor members. Education has an important role in building a knowledgeable membership and workplace leadership. The Unifor-McMaster program is designed on a learning approach that is built upon a commitment to participants that translates into respect for prior experience, skill and activism
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