Work and Labour

We offer two Graduate Diplomas in Work and Labour. These diplomas will be aligned with a new Concentration within our existing MA in Political Economy.

The Type 2 GDip allows students enrolled in the Institute of Political Economy’s collaborating graduate programs (Master’s or PhD) in FASS and FPA to include a Graduate Diploma in Work and Labour along with their degree.

The Type 3 GDip is a stand-alone program that allows participants to gain credentials for professional or academic purposes. It targets union staff, activists and leaders with a university degree, working in organizations whose focus is on research and advocacy on issues of economic policy, work and labour rights, social welfare, pensions, health care, immigration and settlement, disability and inclusion, child care and support to vulnerable people. It will also welcome a broad range of students wishing to work in unions and work-related organizations.

Graduates of this program will develop critical thinking skills and problem-solving strategies in the areas of work and labour. They will gain a strong understanding of the social relations which constitute the formal and informal economy.

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning will take place in three ways: one is cross-learning in the classroom that will bring together members of organized labour, work-related organizations and students. Experiential learning is also gained through institutional placements that will offer students an opportunity to earn academic credit by engaging in research activities under the supervision of professionals in the workplace. Third, experiential learning will take place when students working in organizations whose focus is the provision of labour related activities engage in reflective research about their own practices under the supervision of a cross-appointed professor from the Institute of Political Economy.

Main photo credits: CUPE, Ontario Federation of Labour and Josh Berson