Bachelor of Arts in Labour Studies
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.
Our students enjoy learning in a cooperative, intellectually exciting environment. In their classes they engage with the many and varied issues that animate our contemporary worlds of work: What are the barriers to gender and racial equality at work? Are our workplaces safe and healthy? What are the reasons for the growth of precarious forms of work? Can we 'green' the economy? What are the solutions to these issues? As they were in decades past, are unions a part of the solutions? We are a small program. Students get to know their professors. Teaching is very important to us. In the classroom we seek to inform, challenge and learn from our students. Our faculty are at the forefront of research and critical labour issues in Canada and around the world. Our staff is committed to providing excellent and friendly advice and service to our students.
Requirements
90 units total (Levels I to III), of which 42 units may be Level I
30 units
from
- the Level I program completed prior to admission to the program.
(See Admission above.)
21 units
from
- Course List, where at least nine units must be selected from Levels III or IV courses.
0-3 units
from
- LABRST 1E03
- LABRST 1D03
- LABRST 1D03 - Will Robots Take All Our Jobs?
- LABRST 1E03 - Navigating the World of Work
-
(See Note 1 & 3 above.)
Students start in the Social Sciences Level 1 program and apply to the Labour Studies BA Program at the end of their first year. Students must complete the requirements of a Level 1 program including two Level 1 Labour Studies courses.
Enrolment in the BA is limited. Selection is based on academic achievement, but requires, as a minimum, completion of any Level 1 program with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 3.5 including a grade of C- or greater in one of LABST 1D03, 1E03, 1A03 or 1C03 (see Note 3 on Academic Calendar). Students who have completed only 3 units of Level I Labour Studies may be considered for conditional admission if space is available and are encouraged to apply. Students who have who have completed only 3 units of Level 1 Labour Studies will be required to complete 3 more units of Level 1 Labour Studies during their Level 2 year.
Application for admission must be made through MOSAIC by April 1.
Undergraduate Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards
All undergraduate students accepted for admission to McMaster University are automatically considered for a McMaster University entrance award. Additional entrance awards, in-course scholarships, bursaries and other forms of financial assistance is available to you at various stages of their undergraduate careers.
Each scholarship, bursary, Government Aid or Work Study Program a has its own unique application process and requirements. More information on financial aid visit the Student Financial Aid & Scholarship (SFAS) Office.
Labour Studies: Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries
Inspired by a career studying labour issues and a grandfather who supported his extended family by working a blue-collar job, Professor Emeritus Graham Knight has established the Alice and Walter Day Scholarship.
The scholarship is named in honour of Dr. Knight’s grandparents, who helped raise him as a youth in England. The $500 scholarship will be awarded to a student who is entering his or her fourth year in the labour studies program and has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement.
“It’s a small gesture to reward and encourage others,” says Dr. Knight, who was a professor in both the sociology and communications departments and dedicated his 37-year career to studying labour issues. “I had an opportunity to offer maybe not a helping hand, but a helping finger.”
Dr. Knight says he donated the scholarship in the memory of his grandparents because they represented a period of time where there were limited opportunities for people from blue-collar households to advance in society.
“My grandfather was a man who, had the opportunity been presented, would have become a professional. He was a very bright man,” says Dr. Knight, who recognizes he was fortunate to be part of a generation that was presented several opportunities for social mobilization.
Dr. Knight says he hopes the scholarship helps a new generation of students that now face unique economic and social mobility challenges.
In 2009, The Association of Management, administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario (AMAPCEO) in honour of Mr. Tony Dean, M.A. (Labour Studies Class of '80) established an award (value $1,000) to recognize his distinguished thirty-year career in public service in the Province of Ontario. The Tony Dean Scholarship, to be awarded to a Labour Studies student who has completed Level I and an additional 30-75 units of a Labour Studies program and who, in the judgment of the School of Labour Studies, has attained notable academic standing and has demonstrated qualities of leadership at McMaster University or in the community. Preference will normally be given to a student who displays a commitment to social justice. This award is not open to students in their graduating session. A student may receive this award only once. Students who wish to be considered for this award are encouraged to submit their resume to the School of Labour Studies by April 15th each year.
The United Steelworkers of America has graciously made available over 20 new bursaries for Labour Studies students (please see below for a full listing). Students can apply for these bursaries at the Student Financial Aid & Scholarship office or by visiting their website: http://sfas.mcmaster.ca/bursary/macbur.html
In addition to many general University awards, there are particular Labour Studies scholarships named in memory of Larry Sefton provided by the Hamilton Steelworkers Area Council. These are separate awards ($500 each) for full-time and part-time Labour Studies students at any level.
The Melinda Wapshaw Achievement Award, established by her friends and fellow students, is given to the student who has completed Level III with the highest Sessional Average in an Honours programme in Labour Studies
Academic Advising
The Academic Advising office is run through the Office of the Associate Dean. The primary goal of the Advising Office is to provide all Social Sciences undergraduate students with the information and guidance they need to succeed in their academic careers.
Advisors can help you make the right academic decisions by explaining policies and regulations as well as presenting different options and supports available in your studies.
An academic advisor can assist you with:
- Course requirements, dropping and adding courses
- Program selection, application and changes
- Studying abroad
- Transfer credits
- Petitions for missed term work, deferred examinations and special consideration
- Appeals procedures
- Referral to other campus services
Learn more about Academic Advising in the Social Sciences.
Course List
- COMMERCE 1BA3 - Organizational Behaviour (or 2BA3)
- COMMERCE 4BC3 - Collective Bargaining
- LABRST 2H03 - Sports, Work And Labour
- LABRST 2M03 - Pop Culture, Media and Work
- LABRST 3A03 - Economics of Labour Market Issues
- LABRST 3B03 - Economics of Trade Unionism and Labour
- LABRST 3C03 - Labour and Employment Law
- LABRST 3D03 - Work: Dangerous to your Health?
- LABRST 3E03 - Gender, Sexuality and Work
- LABRST 3K03 - On the Move: Workers in a Global World
- LABRST 3L03 - Labour Policy and Advocacy
- LABRST 3P03 - Workers
- LABRST 3T03 - Poverty and Homelessness
- LABRST 4J03 - Independent Study
- SOCWORK 2BB3 - Anti-Oppressive Social Work
-
or
any Level III or IV Social & Political Context of Social Work courses offered by the School of Social Work. Eligible to count for Level II or above.
- SOCWORK 2CC3 - Introduction to Community Practice (While student can use this course to fulfill Labour Studies requirements, and while the content is salient to Labour Studies students, this course has a social work focus)
- WOMENST 2A03
- For more information:
-
Krysta Blanche
Kenneth Taylor Hall (KTH), Room 717
(905) 525-9140 ext. 24015
labourstudies@mcmaster.ca
- Length:
- 3 years
- Required Credential:
- Completion of any Level I program with a Grade Point Average of at least 3.5 including a grade of at least C- in one of LABRST 1D03, 1E03, 1A03 or 1C03 (See Note 3 in Academic Calendar).
- Program Type:
- Course based
- Program Options:
- Full-time, Part-time
- Typical Entry:
- September