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Queen's University
 

Industrial Relations

M.I.R, M.I.R/JD, P.M.I.R

The Master of Industrial Relations degree program is aimed at developing the knowledge and competencies that human resources and labour relations professionals need. The MIR provides students with:

  • a thorough grounding in labour relations and human resource practice;
  • an understanding of evolving employment relationships and of organizational dynamics;
  • an understanding of the fundamentals of the laws governing the individual employment relationship and the collective bargaining relationship;
  • the capacity to collect and analyze data on current workplace issues and interpret research in the field;
  • the skills set of the new HR/LR professional – consulting, facilitation, leadership, coaching, team building and communication


Program Contacts


MIR Program Coordinator
Industrial Relations
School of Policy Studies
Queen’s University
138 Union Street
Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6
Phone: 613.533.6000 ext. 77322
E-mail: MIR.Program@queensu.ca
Web: http://www.queensu.ca/sps/


Application Deadline
: MIR - March 1st to qualify for awards. For MIR/JD - 15th January (for graduate application)

Notification of acception is as early as April.

The Queen’s MIR program attracts new graduates as well as career employees wishing to upgrade their credentials. More than 500 Queen’s MIR graduates have gone on to contribute significantly to their workplaces in private and public sector organizations both in Canada and abroad. Because many organizations restrict certificate program students from top-level jobs, the MIR is the benchmark for VP-level jobs in many of the most desirable workplaces.

Our exciting opportunities such as the Interuniversity Negotiations Exercise and access to the Industrial Relations Centre Professional Development program allow you to sharpen your skills and make contacts that will help you launch your career.



"The Master’s program in Industrial Relations was certainly an excellent experience. It helped me focus and develop my priorities. One of the most exciting pieces for me over the years has been the alumni network. The network of resources and contacts that has been available since graduation has been very valuable. I’ve been able to gather and share ideas on a number of occasions and I’ve worked even with several of my classmates."

—Lori Stewart, M.I.R., 1995

Degrees Offered / Length of Program

  • M.I.R.: 10-12 months, full time
  • M.I.R./J.D.: 4 years + an additional year for articling
  • P.M.I.R.: Part-time option on weekends, September – April and several weeks in May and June, for professionals with a minimum of 3 years of HR/Labour Relations experience

Method of Completion

  • Course work, seminars

Students have the option to complete a research project.

Travel Opportunities

We have exchange agreements with Lund University in Sweden and Fudan University in China. Our M.I.R./J.D. students may choose to study at Herstmonceux Castle in England.

Supervisors and Fields of Study

While we encourage you to contact a potential supervisor for your research project, supervisors in our program are typically determined once your studies begin.

  • Richard Chaykowski: Labour policy, labour relations and collective bargaining, organizational and workplace practices
  • Glenda Fisk: Employee entitlement, emotion regulation and stress in service occupations, workplace fairness issues
  • Robert Hickey: Labour unions, collective bargaining and labour relations, negotiations, conflict management
  • Deborah Leighton: Arbitration and mediation
  • Jacoba Lilius: Organizational implications of high-quality workplace relationships, occupational stress and emotional labour, compassion in the workplace, health-care management
  • Chris Riddell: Labour market policy, compensation, union organizing, collective bargaining, public health policy

Employment Opportunities

The majority of our graduates secure employment before finishing their degrees. Examples of major employers include: Air Canada, BC Nurses Union, CBC, CN, CP, Chapter’s/Indigo, City of Ottawa,  Deloitte, Federal Government, The Gap, Government of Ontario, Imperial Oil, Irving Oil, Kraft Tools, Ontario Nurses Association, Proctor & Gamble, Suncor

Funding Information

We encourage all students to apply for Queen’s Graduate Awards, Queen’s Graduate Fellowships and other internal, as well as external awards including OGS and SSHRC scholarships. Entering graduate students who win federal government tri-council awards are automatically provided a $5,000 top-up award by Queen’s.

All applicants will be considered for the following internal awards: Clarence J. Hicks Fellowship in Industrial Relations, Don Wood Fellowship in Industrial Relations, Cameron-Wood Prize, H. Carl Goldenberg Fellowship, Robert Grant Fellowship, Lia Dower Memorial Award, Frank Collom Memorial Graduate Award, and the Roy Heenan Award in Industrial Relations.

Academic Prerequisites

  • 4-year bachelor’s degree in programs such as commerce, business administration, psychology, sociology, political science, health care (nursing, OT, PT), education, kinesiology, public administration), minimum upper second-class standing and demonstrated evidence of strong academic potential
  • We consider your grades over the last two years
  • Statement of Interest

Test Requirements

  • If your previous degree is from outside Canada, you should submit a GRE or GMAT score.
  • For international students, if required, a TOEFL total score of at least 600 (paper-based) or TOEFL iBT minimum scores of: writing (24/30); speaking (22/30); reading (22/30); listening (20/30), for a total of 88/120. Applicants must have the minimum score in each test as well as the minimum overall score.

Program Profiles

  • Lori Stewart (alumnist) - has come full circle...
  • John Harding - raised in a business minded family, but loves his sport too...
  • PMIR - a unique program model enables working professionals achieve academic credentials widely recognized in the field...
  • Maggie Walsh - chose Queen's over Cornell...
  • Stacey-Ann Augustin - ready to enter the workforce...
  • Elizabeth Allen - MIR alumnist and now with KEDCO's business development team

View information on the MIR as a PDF (261 KB)  View information on the PMIR as a PDF (253 KB) View information on the MIR/JD Dual-Degree as a PDF (256 KB)  

PDF files can be viewed using Adobe Reader.

Kingston, Ontario, Canada. K7L 3N6. 613.533.2000