Graduation

Students must graduate at the ceremony immediately following completion of their degree requirements:

  • If program requirements are completed and grades received by the SGS deadline in April, students graduate in June. 
  • Students who complete program requirements and whose grades are received after the April deadline, but before the September deadline, will graduate in November. 

The Centre hosts a reception for graduating students and their guests, normally following the convocation ceremony.

  • Students who complete program requirements by the end of the fall semester and whose grades are received by the SGS deadline in January, can elect to graduate in March (in absentia). There is no ceremony and the diploma is mailed at the end of March. Students can elect to wait until the June graduation ceremony and there are no additional fees.

At least two months prior to the anticipated program completion date, students must submit the MIRHR Convocation Notice form to the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources. PhD student do not require the form. 

Consult the School of Graduate Studies Graduation website for information about name changes, deadlines, confirmation of degree letters and outstanding fees.

Information on time, location, and tickets for convocation ceremonies are normally e-mailed to the student’s UTOR e-mail account approximately three weeks prior to convocation. Please ensure your address is correct on Acorn. 

Check the Office of Convocation website for further details.

Graduation Awards

Frank Reid Prize

The Frank Reid Prize is presented at each convocation to the top graduating student from the Master’s program. 

The Prize was established as a tribute to Frank Reid’s service as Director of the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources from 1997 through 2009, his deep commitment to Master’s students and his desire to achieve excellence in the MIRHR Program. During his tenure, a number of significant changes place, including the addition of Human Resources to the name of the Centre, Master of Industrial Relations (MIR) and PhD degrees. The study of employment issues in both union and non-union environments, that has always been a hallmark of the Centre, would now be formally recognized.

The Matt Dowdle Leadership in IRHR Award

The Matt Dowdle Leadership in IRHR Award was established by the CIRHR in memory of Matt Dowdle (MIR 2004), an alumnus of the MIRHR program who remained actively engaged in service for the CIRHR and was also actively engaged in his professional community.

The award is presented at each convocation to a graduating student from the Master of Industrial Relations and Human Resources program who has displayed qualities of leadership and team building during the course of their studies. The award is also awarded annually to one alumnus of this program who has displayed these qualities within their professional career.

A call for nominations will be sent out in advance of each presentation of the award.

Please send nominations to t.pitel@utoronto.ca