Program in Industrial Relations and Human Resources
School of Management and Labor Relations
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick
Piscataway, New Jersey
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Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick - Program in Industrial Relations and Human Resources - Overview
The Ph.D. Program at Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations
The Ph.D. program at Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations is designed to prepare students for research careers in colleges, universities, and other relevant institutions.
It normally consists of 48 credit hours of course work, 6 hours of master's thesis credits, and 18 credit hours of dissertation study. All students take three Ph.D. seminars, five courses in their primary field, a minimum of four statistics and research methods courses, and the Pro-Seminar.
Admissions
One to four students are generally admitted to the Ph.D. program each fall. The deadline for receipt of application materials is February 1. Decisions are made by April 15 for initial enrollment in the following fall semester.
Information about the application process is available on-line at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/. Questions about the program can be emailed to irhrphd@smlr.rutgers.edu, and the program coordinator or faculty director will respond.
Student Body
Most PhD candidates are full-time students, but it is possible for an individual who is interested in a research career to pursue the degree on a less-than-full-time basis with the approval of the Ph.D. program director. The program's diverse student pool is 40% female and 70% non-white/Caucasian.
Because the program provides students with a broad theoretical foundation and an impressive array of professional skills, graduates have consistently obtained excellent positions in a variety of organizations. Recent placements of IRHR doctoral students include the University of Illinois, California State University, McMaster University, Pennsylvania State University, Pace University, Simon Fraser University, and Meredith College, among others.
Financial Aid
Full-time Ph.D. students typically receive funding for a total of five years upon entering the program (assuming the availability of funding). Funded students are expected to work as research or teaching assistants for 15 hours per week during the academic year. Receipt of funding is contingent on continued satisfactory progress in the program, which requires demonstration of fluency in English, successful completion of all courses, preparation of a master's thesis, passing grades on the qualifying exam as scheduled, and defense of the doctoral dissertation.
The funding includes a stipend for living expenses, plus tuition remission and health insurance. In addition, funded students are eligible for $3,500 each summer for teaching or working with faculty on research projects, and for financial support for conference travel and research expenses.
Part-time students are not eligible for financial aid from the doctoral program with the exception that they are eligible for travel expenses to conferences where they present papers.
Programs
Rutgers SMLR offers a Ph.D. in Industrial Relations and Human Resources. The School also offers two professional master's degrees: A Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM) and a Master of Labor and Employment Relations (MLER).
Faculty
The diverse and distinguished Ph.D. faculty is drawn primarily from the School of Management and Labor Relations (SMLR); it also includes faculty members in others schools and departments throughout Rutgers University, including economics, history, political science, psychology, and other professional programs.
Research
The School of Management and Labor Relations conducts programs of graduate instruction, research, and continuing professional education for both management and labor to further their understanding of human resources management, the process of labor relations, and public policy related to work.
SMLR has a specialized library within the 3-million-volume Rutgers University library system. The SMLR library provides access to leading journals, reporting services, and databases in labor relations and human resources.
Graduate students have access to the Rutgers Center for Computer and Information Services, which contains some of the most powerful and innovative computer equipment in the country. Students are encouraged to develop computer skills through courses that rely heavily on the computer and its application to human resource issues.
Cost of Study
The funding that a full-time Ph.D. student generally receives includes a stipend for living expenses, plus tuition remission and health insurance. In addition, funded students are eligible for $3,500 each summer for teaching or working with faculty on research projects, and for financial support for conference travel and research expenses. See additional details under Financial Aid description.
Location
New Brunswick, with a population of about 51,000, is located in central New Jersey at Exit 9 of the New Jersey Turnpike and along the New York-Philadelphia railroad line. It is approximately 35 miles from New York City, 16 miles from Princeton, 60 miles from Philadelphia, and less than 200 miles from Washington, D.C.
The many educational, cultural, and recreational resources of the New York-Philadelphia region are easily accessible to students, and Rutgers attracts many distinguished visitors, lecturers, and performing artists not always available to less favorably situated institutions.
The University
As a university strongly committed to graduate education and research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, provides graduate programs of exceptional academic quality taught by a distinguished faculty. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers is one of the nation's largest state university systems; combined enrollment at the New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden campuses is approximately 54,000 students.