The Labor and Social Justice minor is ideal for students who want to explore the structural forces that drive inequality and efforts to promote justice in the world of work. An interdisciplinary menu of classes from ILR’s Global Labor and Work Department allows students to focus on their areas of interest in the United States, international settings or a combination of each.

Eligibility

The Labor and Social Justice minor is open to all Cornell undergraduate students, including ILR students. More information, including an interest form, will be available here starting in fall 2026.

Course Requirements

Students must complete at least 15 credit hours from courses with an ILRGL prefix. Students can view all currently active ILRGL courses in the catalog. 

Note: Students do not have to enroll in the ILRGL prefix of a cross-listed course for it to count towards the minor (Ex. ILRGL 3805 is cross-listed with LSP 3805. Students will receive credit towards the minor for either ILRGL 3805 or LSP 3805).

Academic Policies

  • All classes must be taken for a letter grade.
  • A maximum of 3 credits may double count with other major or minor requirements. To avoid double counting, ILR students must use 12 of their general elective credits, rather than those electives needed to complete the ILR major.
  • Up to 3 credits of pre-matriculation transfer coursework may be applied to the minor, provided the course is deemed equivalent to an existing ILRGL course at Cornell. Pre-matriculation transfer coursework will be evaluated in accordance with the transfer credit policy.
  • The following will not be accepted towards the minor:
    • Transfer credit completed after entering Cornell
    • Study abroad coursework
  • ILR credit internship, ILR honors’ thesis, directed studies and independent study credits related to Labor and Social Justice are encouraged but cannot count toward the 15 credits required to complete the minor.
  • Students cannot petition for any exceptions to these requirements. 

A Sampling of ILRGL Courses

  • From Luddites to Silicon Valley: The Politics of Tech and Work
  • The US-China Relationship: A Labor Perspective
  • Employment Discrimination & the Law
  • Labor Practices in Global Supply Chains: Multi-Stakeholder Perspectives
  • Technological Change at Work
  • Labor and Democracy in Latin America
  • Advocacy & Debate
  • Migration: Histories, Controversies, and Perspectives
  • The Welfare State and Its Contradictions for Workers
  • Introduction to International and Comparative Labor
  • Labor and Employment in the Middle East and North Africa
  • Constitutional Aspects of Labor Law

Learning Outcomes

  • Critically analyze issues and ideas related to labor and social justice
  • Explain ideas and analyses about inequality through written and oral communication
  • Evaluate and apply theories of social science to labor and social justice goals
  • Analyze issues from a variety of disciplines from historical, cultural, institutional and legal perspectives
  • Access, evaluate, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data
  • Inform decision-making aimed at advancing labor and social justice

Academic & Career Advising

Staff Advising

ILR students should meet with an OSS/Registrar advisor for questions about eligibility, requirements, course counting, or their timeline for completing the minor. Non-ILR students may email ilr_oss@cornell.edu with questions.

Faculty Advising

Students can connect with the ILRGL department chair to consider how the minor connects to their studies and future endeavors. Shannon Gleeson may be reached at smg338@cornell.edu. 

Career Exploration

Students interested in careers related to labor, social justice, and social impact can subscribe and follow: Social Impact Career Path