UMass Boston

Labor Studies Certificate

Request Info

Loading...

Develop the knowledge and skills to be a leader in the labor movement.

This professional certificate in labor leadership is a valuable credential for emerging leaders in the labor movement. The certificate program fosters group learning across different unions, communities, and economic sectors. Students may enroll in the certificate program as either a pre-baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate option.

To complete the certificate in labor studies, students must take six labor studies courses. Courses are regularly offered in the early evening, which allows people with full-time employment to engage in the program.

As with the BA and minor in labor studies, the certificate program equips graduates for work in unions, labor organizations, community-based organizations, and government and public service. The certificate program also prepares students for further education in these fields; in particular, many certificate students who have not already obtained a BA, go on to do so.

Especially important to many participants, the certificate provides excellent career advancement opportunities for rank-and-file union members who aspire to leadership positions, for current union staff seeking greater skills and credentials for career advancement, and for younger workers and activists seeking to become more engaged in organized labor.

Career Possibilities

Become a:

  • Labor relations specialist.
  • Union organizer.
  • Community advocate.
  • Public policy advocate.
  • Recruiting coordinator.
  • Human resource associate.
  • Employee benefits manager.

Plan Your Education

How to Apply

Apply for Admission

Please review the first-year and transfer apply pages for important information about application requirements, deadlines, and application status check.

Apply as a First-Year Student 

Apply as a Transfer Student

Financing Your Education

Become a Beacon and pursue your passion in UMass Boston’s diverse, supportive environment. Many students across our 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs receive financial aid—providing access to an education that’s exceptional and affordable. Click below to learn more about financial aid opportunities and deadlines.

Financial Aid Deadlines & Application Process 

Scholarships for First-Year & Transfer Students

Deadlines & Cost

Early action deadline: November 1; Regular Decision Deadline: June 15

Financing Your Education

Become a Beacon and pursue your passion in UMass Boston’s diverse, supportive environment. Many students across our 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs receive financial aid—providing access to an education that’s exceptional and affordable. Click below to learn more about financial aid opportunities and deadlines.

Financial Aid Deadlines & Application Process 

Scholarships for First-Year & Transfer Students

For additional information regarding tuition and fees, please visit the Bursar’s Office or send an email to Bursar@umb.edu.

Curriculum

Labor Studies Courses (18 Credits)

Complete six labor studies courses chosen in consultation with the department.

Introductory Courses (6 Credits)

  • LABOR 210L - Labor and Working Class History in the United States 3Credit(s)
  • AMST 101 - Popular Culture in America 3Credit(s)

  • or

  • ECON 101 - Introduction to Microeconomics 3Credit(s)

  • or

  • ECON 102 - Introduction to Macroeconomics 3Credit(s)

  • or

  • HIST 266 - American History since 1877 3Credit(s)

Research Methods Course (3 Credits)

Complete one from below.

  • ANTH 348 - Ethnographic Inquiry: Introduction to Qualitative Field Research 3Credit(s)
  • ANTH 352 - Applied Social Anthropology 3Credit(s)
  • HIST 481 - Research & Methods: Senior Research Methods in History 3Credit(s)
  • POLSCI 350 - Political Research Methods 3Credit(s)
  • SOCIOL 202 - Methods of Sociological Research 3Credit(s)

Electives (21 Credits)

Take seven electives from the list below.

  • LABOR 120L - Sports and Inequality: Race, Class, Gender, and the Labor of Sweat 3Credit(s)
  • LABOR 240L - Work, Environment, and Revolution in Latin America 3Credit(s)
  • LABOR 275L - Learning to Labor: Work and Education in US History 3Credit(s)
  • LABOR 315 - Labor, Community, and Social Justice Organizing 3Credit(s)
  • LABOR 325 - Workers’ Rights and Human Rights 3Credit(s)
  • LABOR 330 - Race, Class, and Gender at Work: Divisions in Labor 3Credit(s)
  • LABOR 335 - Globalization and Labor 3Credit(s)
  • LABOR 340 - Field Placements in Workers’ Organizations 3Credit(s)
  • LABOR 390L - Working-Class Boston 3Credit(s)
  • LABOR 450 - Labor and the U.S. Economy 3Credit(s)
  • LABOR 480 - Independent Study 1-3Credit(s)
  • AFRSTY 350L - Race, Class, and Gender: Issues in US Diversity 3Credit(s)
  • AMST 360 - Work, Society, and Culture in Modern America 3Credit(s)
  • AMST 405 - The Immigrant Experience 3Credit(s)
  • AMST 440L - United States in a Global Context 3Credit(s)
  • ECON 339 - Political Economy of International Migration 3Credit(s)
  • ECON 391 - Unions and Collective Bargaining 3Credit(s)
  • ECON 420 - Gender and Economics 3Credit(s)
  • ENGL 373 - Working-Class Literature 3Credit(s)
  • POLSCI 335 - Law and Public Policy (A) 3Credit(s)
  • WGS 355L - Gender, Development, & Globalization 3Credit(s)
  • WGS 360 - Gender, Culture, and Power 3Credit(s)
  • WGS 394L - Radical Voices of Resistance: Gender, Race and US Social Movements 3Credit(s)

Capstone (3 Credits)

  • LABOR 340 - Field Placements in Workers’ Organizations 3Credit(s)

Graduate Criteria

Degree Requirements

If this is the student’s only or primary major, the degree requirements below must be completed for graduation. See graduation requirements for more information.

University Requirements
College of Liberal Arts Requirements for Bachelor of Arts

Major Requirements

Complete 33 credits from eleven courses including two introductory courses, one research methods course, seven electives, and one capstone.

Grade: No courses with a grade below C- may be applied toward the major.
GPA: A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for all major courses.
Pass/fail: No courses taken pass/fail may be applied toward the major.
Residency: At least five courses used for the major must be completed at UMass Boston. At least six courses used for the major must be LABOR courses. At least three of the six required LABOR courses must be completed at UMass Boston.

Related Programs

Labor Studies Minor

Supplement any major with the minor in labor studies. Students minoring in labor studies (or simply taking courses in the program) will find that it provides a useful foundation for employment in a variety of occupations – from legal to nonprofit work.

View Curriculum

Labor Studies Certificate

The Professional Certificate in Labor Leadership is a valuable credential for emerging leaders in the labor movement. The certificate program fosters group learning across different unions, communities, and economic sectors. Students may enroll in the certificate program as either a pre-baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate option.

View Curriculum

Students rehearse orchestra playing flutes.

College of Liberal Arts

Learn more about the faculty, research, and programs that make up our College of Liberal Arts.

Explore the College of Liberal Arts

Next Steps

Visit UMass Boston Start Your Application