All IRW students will complete the same core set of required courses and this includes some IRE courses. If there is space available in an IRE course that is not part of your program stream you may ask permission to enrol but you should note that the course will not count towards fulfilling electives in your IRW program stream. Requests for enrolment in additional IRE courses will be considered only after the registration priority period for IRHR students has passed.
It is expected that students applying to the program will select a stream at the time of their application based on the fit with their other chosen program(s). This develops the students’ understanding of work and organizations in stream-specific contexts, as electives for each stream align with the IRW program learning outcomes. Students who opt to enrol in a stream that does not align with their other program do so at their own risk. Students must ensure that they will be able to complete the required electives of the stream as no exceptions or waivers will be granted.
There are broadly five major areas of study that fall within the discipline of industrial relations:
1) work
2) organizations
3) management (particularly human resource management)
4) labour and employment relations
5) labour policy and institutions
IRHR covers the last three areas of study. The new major in work and organizations will cover the first two areas of study within the discipline. The IRW and IR/HR undergraduate programs will overlap in their joint focus on work and on certain management-related topics and areas within organizations (e.g., people management). However, the existing major has focused on employment relations and human resource management (with a major emphasis on employment in larger unionized organizations). In contrast, the new IRW program will: 1) confer broad knowledge about how work is coordinated in different types of organizations; 2) build a holistic and integrated understanding of how different organizations are governed, structured, managed, and operate; and 3) explore how work and organizations contribute to the economy as well as community development.