Navigating the Labor Studies Minor at UCLA: A Comprehensive Guide

The Labor Studies and Employment Relations Department at UCLA offers various concentrations and minors tailored for students aiming to specialize in specific areas of study. A minor can be a strategic addition to your academic profile, allowing you to explore subjects of personal interest, broaden your skill set, and enhance your competitiveness in the job market. This article provides a detailed overview of the Labor Studies minor requirements at UCLA, offering insights into the program's structure, available specializations, and potential career paths.

General Requirements for the Labor Studies Minor

To be admitted to the Labor Studies Minor, students must have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 and have completed 45 units at UCLA. New UCLA students must complete their first quarter with at least 12 units and a minimum 2.0 term and cumulative GPA to be eligible to declare a minor. Please note that enrollment in Labor Studies courses (LBR STD) is restricted to Labor Studies students during 1st pass.

Students who declared the Labor Studies Minor prior to Fall 2019, do not need to fulfill this required core course.

Specializations Within the Labor Studies Minor

The Labor Studies and Employment Relations Department offers a number of Minors for students seeking to focus on a specific area of study. Students can choose from a variety of specializations, each designed to provide a unique perspective on labor-related issues. These specializations include:

1. Work Organization and Management

This minor explores the dynamics of work environments, organizational structures, and management practices. To complete a minor in Work Organization and Management, six courses are required:

Read also: Navigating Scholarships

One 100-level Labor Studies & Employment Relations course.
One course in category A and three in category B from the designated list.
One other course at the 200 level or higher offered by the Labor Studies and Employment Relations Department.

2. Diversity in the Workplace

For those with a passion for understanding and improving the treatment of diverse groups in the workplace and in society, this minor provides insights into achieving social justice for everyone by studying the struggles of various diverse groups in the workplace and in society. To complete a concentration in Diversity in the Workplace, students must fulfill all the requirements of the major, including one course in category A and three or more courses in category B from the list below. Courses in the concentration count toward the major.

3. Labor Unions and Social Movements

This specialization delves into the history, strategies, and impact of labor unions and social movements. To complete a minor in Labor Unions and Social Movements, six courses are required:

One 100-level Labor Studies & Employment Relations course.
At least four courses from the designated list.
One other course at the 200 level or higher offered by the Labor Studies and Employment Relations Department.

To complete a concentration in Labor Unions and Social Movements, students must fulfill all the requirements of the major, including at least four courses from the list below. Courses in the concentration count toward the major.

4. Law and the Workplace

Ideal for students considering law school or those interested in advancing fair treatment and rights at work, this minor focuses on the legal aspects of employment relations. To complete a minor in Law and the Workplace, six courses are required:

One 100-level Labor Studies & Employment Relations course.
One course in category A and three in category B from the designated list.
One other course at the 200 level or higher offered by the Labor Studies and Employment Relations Department.

To complete a concentration in Law and the Workplace, students must fulfill all the requirements of the Labor Studies & Employment Relations major, including one course in category A, and three courses in category B from the list below. Courses in the concentration count toward the major.

Read also: Guide to ILO Internships

5. Work, Globalization and Migration

This minor examines the impact of globalization, immigration, and migration on the world of work. To complete a minor in Work, Globalization and Migration, six courses are required:

One 100-level Labor Studies & Employment Relations course.
At least four courses from the list below.
One other course at the 200 level or higher offered by the Labor Studies and Employment Relations Department.

To complete a concentration in Work, Globalization and Migration, you must fulfill all the requirements of the major, including at least four courses from the list below. Courses in the concentration count toward the major.

Career Opportunities with a Labor Studies Minor

A minor in Labor Studies can open doors to a variety of career paths in diverse sectors. Some potential career options include:

Diversity Specialist: Diversity professionals work in all types of organizations. They not only help ensure compliance with state and federal laws, but they also help employers foster the talent present in all of their employees.
Public Policy Advocate: There are a variety of interest organizations representing the needs of various groups in our society: immigrants, the disabled, women, African-Americans, Muslim-Americans, and so on.
Public Agency Staff: Specialized public agencies exist to enforce the law on discrimination at various levels of government. These range from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Some staff jobs are open only to attorneys but others may be filled by individuals with a Bachelors or Masters degree.
Attorney: Attorneys work in law firms, corporations, unions, other employee-rights organizations, and government or non-profit institutions like universities. Many deal with discrimination-related law or immigration law - some on behalf of plaintiffs and some on behalf of defendants.
Union Organizer or Staff Representative: Some people find their life’s passion in helping other people form a union. Union organizer is one of the entry-level jobs open to those with this minor or concentration. Staff representatives negotiate contracts, train union activists, lobby public agencies, and help employees who have grievances.
Labor Relations Specialist: Labor relations professionals work for private and public organizations that have union-represented employees. They negotiate contracts for the employer, handle grievances, interface with human resource departments, and attempt to prevent future labor relations problems.
Researcher: Unions, interest organizations, think-tanks, and universities all employ researchers. Research can be web-based, involve fieldwork, surveys, and/or data analysis - and may or may not be combined with public policy advocacy.
Labor Relations Agency Staff: Neutral public agencies regulate the field of labor and employment relations, run representation elections, and help resolve labor disputes. The National Labor Relations Board, the NJ Public Employment Relations Commission, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service all are agencies of this type.
Mediator or Arbitrator: While most independent mediators or arbitrators have law degrees, some start with a Master of Labor and Employment Relations, which you can earn through our 5-year Bachelor’s/Master’s program. In addition, many non-union employers are increasingly establishing conflict resolution programs that mimic, in part, the protections against unfair treatment that are common in union workplaces.
Professional Staff Representative in a Union: Union representatives use the law extensively as they organize workers, negotiate contracts, and represent individual employees who believe they have been treated unfairly by an employer.
International Labor Organization, NGO, or Government Agency Staff: Numerous supra-national, governmental or non-profit agencies address how globalization is affecting work.
Immigration Advocate or Attorney: Worker Centers help immigrant workers with their problems. Other organizations advocate for immigration reform. You can often start these careers with a bachelor’s degree.
Labor Standards Certification Specialist: American corporations are being pushed by labor and social justice organizations to certify that their internationally-produced goods are created in conditions that provide for human dignity. Corporations sometimes employ labor standards specialists themselves. More often, they use third parties - NGOs or private consulting firms.
Consultant:

Experiential Learning Opportunities

The UCLA Department of Labor Studies is grounded in social movement theory, working-class history and experiential learning. Through our unique community internship program and summer research capstone, students directly engage with labor organizations and workers, applying what they learn in real time. The Labor Summer Research Program is a research seminar with fieldwork; a way to augment traditional classroom-based learning with experiential learning in a community setting with direct engagement in labor and workplace issues.

Additional Information

The UCLA General Catalog is published annually in PDF and HTML formats. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in the UCLA General Catalog. However, all courses, course descriptions, instructor designations, curricular degree requirements, and fees described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice. Consult this Catalog for the most current, officially approved courses and curricula. Other information about UCLA may be found in materials produced by the schools of Arts and Architecture; Dentistry; Education and Information Studies; Engineering and Applied Science; Law; Management; Medicine; Music; Nursing; Public Affairs; Public Health; and Theater, Film, and Television.

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