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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

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.

For detailed course descriptions, please visit the university catalog for the Labor Studies BA.

Introductory Courses (6 Credits):

• LABOR 210L - Labor and Working Class History in the United States 3 Credit(s)
• AMST 101 - Popular Culture in America 3 Credit(s)
  or
• ECON 101 - Introduction to Microeconomics 3 Credit(s)
  or
• ECON 102 - Introduction to Macroeconomics 3 Credit(s)
  or
• HIST 266 - American History since 1877 3 Credit(s)

Research Methods Course (3 Credits): Complete one from below.

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

Electives (21 Credits): Take seven electives from the list below.

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

Capstone (3 Credits)

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

For more information on curriculum, including course descriptions and degree requirements, visit the Academic Catalog.

• Gain an in-depth understanding of the history, theory, and practice of the labor movement, including its influence on social and economic policies.
• Develop critical thinking, research, and communication skills, as well as the ability to analyze complex issues related to labor relations.
• Apply knowledge and skills to real-world situations, including workplace issues, labor disputes, and public policy debates.

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.

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