The MIR degree requires that students take courses with a total combined weight of 30 credits. This total includes 8 required core courses (totaling 24 credits), together with electives (totaling 6 credits).

Master of Industrial Relations

Core Courses

The required core courses provide a thorough grounding in industrial relations and human resources theory and practice. Note: Where a student demonstrates a sufficiently adequate background in the subject matter of one or more required courses, the student may be permitted to take a substitute course with the permission of the Director, MIR Program. In such cases, the student may be required (i) to take an advanced course in the same disciplinary field as the required course; or (ii) take a substitute course selected from related graduate courses offered by other departments through the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs or the Faculty of Law. 

The required core courses are: 

• MIR 810 Unions and Collective Bargaining
• MIR 823 IR and Labour Law I
• MIR 824 IR and Labour Law II
• MIR 830 Human Resource Management
• MIR 840 Labour Economics and Industrial Relations
• MIR 850 Organizational  Behavior
• MIR 853 Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
• MIR 897 Analytical Methods in Industrial Relations

Elective Courses

Elective courses include some combination of: (i) elective courses, each with a weight of 3 credits; and (ii) skills seminars, each equal to 1 credit, or on the rare occasion (iii) a research essay, which is equivalent to 6 credits.

The elective course component of the programs is designed to permit in-depth study in one or more areas and to provide flexibility to meet diverse student interests and career goals.  MIR students select their optional courses from those offered by the MIR program or related graduate courses offered by other departments through the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, and by the Faculty of Law.  Optional courses are subject to approval by the course instructor and the MIR Program Director.

Recent elective course offerings are as follows (not all courses are offered each year):

• MIR 825 Human Rights Law
• MIR 841 Labour Policy
• MIR 885 Industrial Relations in the Global Economy
• MIR 851 Relationships and Organizations
• MIR 875 Finance and Accounting for HR/LR
• MIR 886 Negotiations, Conflict Resolution and Workplace Behaviour
• MIR 891 Directed Special Studies
• MIR 898 Master's Research Paper (MRP)

Skills seminars (1.0 credits) are designed to provide students with critical analytical, research, and interpersonal skills required of Human Resources and Labour Relations professionals in the workplace.

Each skills seminar meets for a total of 12 instructional hours. Students are required to take a set of three skills seminars which together will be considered a 3.0 elective course.  Students who wish to drop a seminar must do so before the second scheduled class or with the permission of the instructor.

The skills seminars are below (not all seminars are offered every year):

• MIR 801 Seminars in Occupational Health and Safety
• MIR 802 Seminars in Training and Development
• MIR 803 Seminars in Analytics and Metrics
• MIR 804 Seminars in Costing Compensation
• MIR 805 Seminars in Labour Relations
• MIR 806 Seminars in Human Resource Management
• MIR 807 Seminars in Negotiation and Collective Bargaining
• MIR 808 Seminars in Work Teams
• MIR 809 Mediation Skills
• MIR 811 Seminars in Employee Wellness and Mental Health
• MIR 812 Seminars in Employment Ethics and Legal Issues
• MIR 813 Seminars in Performance Management
• MIR 814 Seminars in Workplace Investigations
• MIR 815 Seminars in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• MIR 816 Seminars in Employment Relations Problems and Projects
• MIR 817 Seminars in Contract Administration
• MIR 818 Seminars in Leadership
•  MIR 819 Labour Arbitration Moot

Professional Master of Industrial Relations

This part-time graduate program is for experienced professionals working in labour relations or human resources management who wish to significantly enhance and upgrade their academic qualifications. The PMIR degree also requires that students take courses with a total combined weight of 30 credits, but the program is spread out over a 2-year period. This total includes the same six required courses (totaling 18 credits), together with electives totaling 12 credits).

The course load is normally distributed over several weekends and evenings during the fall / winter periods of study and two partial weeks/weekends with some evenings in the summer term of study; the curriculum is focused to provide a challenging standard of excellence in the field. Note that the precise course schedule may vary from year-to-year, so that students should consult directly with the PMIR Program for the specific schedules in each year. Normally up to two (3.0 credit) courses per academic year may be offered off ­campus (e.g., Toronto; Ottawa).

Required Courses 

• MIR 810 Unions and Collective Bargaining
• MIR 823 IR and Labour Law I
• MIR 824 IR and Labour Law II
• MIR 832 Stategic Human Resource Management
• MIR 853  Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
• MIR 897 Analytical Methods in Industrial Relations

Note: Where a student demonstrates a sufficiently adequate background in the subject matter of one or more required courses, the student may be permitted to take a substitute course with the permission of the Director, MIR Program. In such cases, the student may be required (i) to take an advanced course in the same disciplinary field as the required course; or (ii) take a substitute course selected from related graduate courses offered by other departments through the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs or the Faculty of Law.

Elective Courses
Elective courses for both programs include some combination of: (i) elective courses, each with a weight of 3 credits; and (ii) skills seminars, each equal to one credit, or on the rare occasion (iii) a research essay, which is equivalent to 6 credits.  The elective course component of the programs is designed to permit in-depth study in one or more areas and to provide flexibility to meet diverse student interests and career goals. 

PMIR students will be provided options for these specific optional courses, in accordance with the schedule of the program. Elective courses may be chosen from those offered by the MIR program or related graduate courses offered by other departments through the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, and by the Faculty of Law.  Optional courses are subject to approval by the course instructor and the MIR Program Director.

Recent elective offerings are as follows: 

• MIR 825 Human Rights Law
• MIR 841 Labour Policy
• MIR 851 Relationships and Organizations
• MIR 875 Finance and Accounting for HR/LR
• MIR 885 Industrial Relations in the Global Economy
• MIR 886 Negotiations, Conflict Resolution and Workplace Behaviour
• MIR 891 Directed Special Studies
• MIR 898 Master's Research Paper (MRP)

Skills Seminars may be offered in place of 3-credit elective offerings, in accordance with the schedule of the program. These seminars are designed to provide students with critical analytical, research, and interpersonal skills required of Human Resources and Labour Relations professionals in the workplace.

Each seminar is usually scheduled over 4 classes, and students are required to take three seminars which together will be considered a half-course. Students who wish to drop a seminar must do so before the second scheduled class or with the permission of the instructor. The seminars could be any of:

• MIR 801 Seminars in Occupational Health and Safety
• MIR 802 Seminars in Training and Development
• MIR 803 Seminars in Analytics and Metrics
• MIR 804 Seminars in Costing Compensation
• MIR 805 Seminars in Labour Relations
• MIR 806 Seminars in Human Resource Management
• MIR 807 Seminars in Negotiation and Collective Bargaining
• MIR 808 Seminars in Work Teams
• MIR 809 Mediation Skills
• MIR 811 Seminars in Employee Wellness and Mental Health
• MIR 812 Seminars in Employment Ethics and Legal Issues
• MIR 813 Seminars in Performance Management
• MIR 814 Seminars in Workplace Investigations
• MIR 815 Seminars in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• MIR 816 Seminars in Employment Relations Problems and Projects
• MIR 817 Seminars in Contract Administration
• MIR 818 Seminars in Leadership
• MIR 819 Labour Arbitration Moot