In the School of Industrial and Labor Relations .
Degree Program Information
Administered by the Graduate School, the Masters of Industrial and Labor Relations (MILR) program is a professional degree designed for aspiring leaders in the fields of Human Resource Management, Human Capital Consulting, and Labor Relations. MILR HRO concentration covers core areas including employee compensation, learning, strategy, consulting skills, and leadership. Students also benefit from interacting and learning from senior executives and labor leaders.
Instruction Mode: In-Person, Ithaca, NY
Length of Program: Two-Year, full-time, 48 credits
Admissions Requirements
The admissions committee, composed of faculty members from multiple ILR departments, holistically evaluate each application based on the following:
- academic record as shown on unofficial transcript(s)
- relevant experience or engagement as shown on current resume
- 2 letters of recommendation
- written statement of purpose
- online video interview
- TOEFL or IELTS scores, as applicable (required for all international students, unless you meet the criteria for an exception)
GRE or GMAT scores are not currently required for the fall 2025 admission cycle. Future admission cycle requirements will be determined prior to the opening of the online application. Application deadlines may vary by cycle. Please contact us at ilrgradapplicant@cornell.edu to discuss upcoming application deadlines.
Learning Outcomes
The learning goals of the ILR curriculum can be summarized as follows. Upon graduation, students in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations should have the ability to:
- Engage in critical, reasoned analyses of issues and ideas
- Explain ideas and analyses through written and oral communication
- Evaluate and apply theories and assumptions of the social science disciplines to workplace issues
- Analyze workplace issues from a variety of perspectives, including the historical, cultural, institutional and ethical perspectives
- Access, evaluate and analyze qualitative and quantitative data, so as to enhance understanding and inform decision-making
- Work independently and in cooperation with others
Program Requirements
Required Courses
Required Courses (19 credits)
Human Resources & Organization Concentration Classes
Human Resources & Organization Concentration Classes (minimum of 18 credits)
Students select 6 courses of 3+ credits (or combination of credits) from a list of approved HR&O focused courses.
Elective Classes
Elective Classes (minimum of 12 credits)
Students select 4 courses of 3+ credits (or combination of credits) from a list of approved elective courses.
Practical Training
While not required, the majority of MILR students participate in an internship during the summer between their first and second years in the program. The ILR Office of Career Services provide support and guidance to students seeking internships.
Total Credits, Course, and GPA Requirements
Minimum total credits required to graduate: 48 credit hours, encompassing at least sixteen courses comprised of six core courses, six concentration courses and elective courses.
- All courses must be taken for a letter grade, must be 5000 level or above, and students must earn C or above in each course.
- Courses must be 3 or more credits. Courses that carry less than 3 credits may be combined with another less-than-three credit course. Such instances will count as 1 course.
- MILR students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to successfully graduate.