Master of Industrial and Labor Relations (MILR)

“MILR is simply the best program – nationally or internationally – for Human-Resource Management and the future of work in an evolving, dynamic, and global context.”

– Andy Slenz, Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources and Office Services for Hess Corporation, MILR ‘86

"The ILR School’s uniquely innovative, diverse, and inclusive academic environment encourages me to challenge conventions and to express my opinions freely. The MILR program has provided me an excellent platform to further deepen my interests, secure a summer internship, and build a successful career in the employment relations field focusing on international labor and human capital. ”

– Alice Ying Nga Luo, Current Student in the International and Comparative Labor Concentration, MILR ‘20

MILR trains leaders to advance the world of work.

MILR is a two-year, on-campus degree based in Ithaca, NY, designed for people who aspire to leadership roles. It’s a professional degree for people ready to tackle the issues of organizational success, employee wellbeing, and labor relations. MILR covers leadership, decision-making, and conflict resolution. This degree brings both the theoretical and the practical into focus. Senior corporate executives and labor managers enrich MILR through deep interactions with students focused on real challenges faced in the workplace.

The application is currently closed, but will open mid-August 2020. Click on the button below to see if you're eligible for the program.

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The degree is both wide and deep. It’s built up from the research of ILR’s world-class faculty and the real-world experience of practitioners. You can study from a huge range of courses from organizational design and culture to human resource leadership to compensation to labor relations to mediation, while also focusing on the application of workplace research.

MILR alumni succeed in what they set out to do. Many students have job offers before graduating. Most experience faster career advancement and stronger earning power.

Graduates join the wide network of Cornell alumni – many actively recruit MILR graduates for both career placement and advancement.

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Academics

The ILR School has the world’s largest faculty devoted to studying the workplace. You can tailor our curriculum to fit your career goals. You have access to huge numbers of ILR courses ranging through business, HR, economics, organizational behavior, and labor.

Community

The program (with 110 students across two years) is a tight-knit community. You will develop deep, long-lasting friendships with your peers, mentoring relationships with faculty, and opportunities to connect with MILR alumni. This supportive community lasts for a career.

Connections

This degree connects you with executives from leading businesses and HR organizations. In this current academic year, we will have had more than 60 HR leaders lecture– adding practical, state of practice teaching to MILR classes.

Employers

We have a large number of employers – every year – come to our campus looking to hire MILRs for full-time and internships across a wide array of industries and geographic locations.

Alumni Network

No school has more alumni in senior leadership positions than Cornell. Becoming a Cornell alumni gives you the life-long advantage of the network of the Cornell family.

MILR/MBA Dual Degree Program

The dual degree MILR/MBA program from ILR and Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management offers a unique opportunity that places you in the center of today's fast changing workplace. The MILR/MBA program will:

  • increase your career options
  • develop management and technical skills
  • increase your earning power
  • gain two degrees in 2.5 years

One-Year MILR Degree

Applicants with a JD or MBA degree from an accredited U.S. institution or a BS ILR degree from Cornell University may apply to complete the MILR degree program in one year. Not all applicants will be approved for the one-year option, but each application will be evaluated individually by the admissions committee. 30 credit hours including the 6 MILR core courses are required. Students in the one-year MILR program must:

  • Complete a total of 30 credits
  • Complete 2 full-time semesters in the MILR program
  • Complete or waive all 6 of the MILR required core courses
  • Complete or waive four of the six concentration courses
  • Complete as many relevant and appropriate electives as needed to fulfill the 30 credit requirement