Bachelor of Arts in Labor Studies

Important: The School of Labor Studies underwent a comprehensive curriculum review last year and as a result there are changes to the degree offerings, programs, courses and overall requirements. Specific information will be forthcoming on this page by June 1, 2012.

The Labor Studies major encourages students to develop a broad-based understanding of labor’s context, opportunities  and challenges.

Requirements: Students must complete the 5 required core courses (of 3 credits each) in addition to 5 upper-level courses (of 3 credits each), including at least two courses from other major areas.

A partial list of options appears below: Click here for course descriptions.

• Ethics in Decision Making
• Union Structure and Governance
• Organizing and Representing the New Work Force
• Labor and the American Political System
• Employment Rights
• Strategic Grievance Handling
• Labor in the Global Economy
• Images of Labor in Film

Cost

The NLC offers affordable tuition rates:

• $235.00 per credit hour for AFL-CIO affiliated union members and members of Working America, the AFL-CIO’s community affiliate.
• $285.00 per credit hour for non AFL-CIO affiliated union members

School of Labor Studies Major
Requires students to complete 30 credits – 10 required courses of 3 credits each.

Required Core Courses for All School of Labor Studies Degrees

Introduction to Labor Studies - LBCR-4000
This course introduces participants to the required writing and analytical standards of the College. Through course discussions and essays, students critically evaluate recent scholarship  practice and current issues the field of labor studies. (3 semester credits)

Labor and the Economy - LBCR-4600
This course focuses on the breakdown of the post-WWII economic order, the transition to  policies in the domestic and global economies that have been detrimental to labor, and the economic and political dynamics leading to the current global economic crisis. Topics include neoliberalism, globalization, Keynesian economic policies, and the role of labor in  developing social and economic policy. (3 semester credits)

Comparative Research Methods - LBCR-4700
Comparative Research Methods is a required course for completion of the Bachelor of Arts degree from the NLC. It is an upper-division course designed to provide student with tools for conducting social science research about various problems in connection with their work and/or their course assignments, including but not limited to the completion of a well written research design for the required Senior Project. The course examines and compares various strategies for data collection and analysis, and provides an understanding of the appropriateness of each research method for addressing specific research problems.  The pre-requisite for registration in Comparative  Research Methods is the completion of most course credits for the B.A. degree, or the verification by the instructor of a work-place problem  which the student is responsible for solving. Course requirements include the submission of a final, well researched and written Methodology paper and the instructor’s review and approval of research instruments, such as interviews, surveys or other qualitative tools, which are indicated by the chosen research methodology strategies. (3 semester credits)

Senior Seminar - LBCR-4800
This course provides an opportunity for students to integrate their cognitive skills by bringing them to bear on a specific topic relevant to their major field of study and work experience. Each  student will choose an aspect of the seminar topics for extensive independent research (Senior Project). Students will present their results in both written and oral form and will be introduced to types of research papers, methodology, and citation forms. Students will be grouped by area of interest and faculty advisor. (3 semester credits) Permission of instructor advisor required.

Senior Project - LBCR-4900
Students are required to complete a Senior Project in conjunction with the Senior Seminar. The project should emphasize the student’s role in the labor movement in conjunction with classroom experience. Students use the Senior Seminar to select a topic and faculty advisor. Both oral and written presentation of the work is presented in the Senior Seminar. (3 semester credits) Permission of instructor advisor required.

Prerequisite course requirements, credit load, and/or course availability may affect a student’s individual progress. Consult an NLC Admissions Counselor at 301-431-5440 for individual program planning.

Course Descriptions

Employment Rights  LBST-4070
This course examines federal laws that govern nonunion and union workers including antidiscrimination laws, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
(3 semester credits)

Ethics in Decision Making  LBHU-4170
This course examines choices through an ethical lens and the study of ethical theories as applied to a series of moral problems. Issues from the workplace will be examined to see which principles of right conduct, if any, clarify, guide, or determine their decisions. Labor case problems will be included. (3 semester credits)

Images of Labor in Film  LBHU-4160
Working people, their unions, labor issues, and political movements involving the working class have not been a major presence in films. But when images of labor do appear, they are rarely presented in a favorable light. It is, therefore, very important to see and to understand  those images that have appeared because U.S. culture receives so much of its information (and ultimately many of its opinions) from visual media. The course will survey a number of important films that have strong images of labor, both positive and negative. Students will be expected to see four or five films during class hours. (3 semester credits)

Note: This class is dedicated to the memory of Tom Powers, partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Powers and Lewis. Tom worked his entire life as an advocate for working people and their unions, with a special emphasis in the entertainment and education fields. The NLC honors Tom’s life, his spirit and his commitment to justice for all.

Labor and the American Political System  LBST-4030
Difficult times demand new skills and the election in November, 2008, changed the rules of the game. LBST 4030 provides a modern overview of the fundamentals of the American political system, examining the institutions and processes involved in both electing and governing. Students will receive basic knowledge of how the government works and how to work the system. In addition, students will engage in critical analysis of the mainstreams of American political thought, from the writings of such noted thinkers as Machiavelli, Jefferson, Adams and others. Of equal importance is a critical review of labor’s political involvement in domestic policymaking, from the Workingmen’s Associations to the modern AFL-CIO “Labor 2008” political campaign. Understanding labor’s involvement in the political system provides insights into how labor can gain greater political power and advance the trade union movement agenda. (3 semester credits)

Labor and Trade in the Global Economy  LBPE-4988
Labor and Trade in the Global Economy looks at how trade has been transformed to affect not only wages and jobs but public services and democratic decision-making. Students use case studies of NAFTA to critique the economic arguments used to justify globalization in its current form; examine capitalism as an economic system to understand its effects on labor; learn about 34 the roots of NAFTA in the in the so-called Third World Debt Crisis and discuss alternatives to NAFTA and WTO-style trade agreements for building a more just global economy.
(3 semester
credits)

Organizing and Representing the New Workforce LBOR-4180
As new immigrants and young workers enter the workforce in ever larger numbers, there are many new challenges for unions to face in involving these workers in the union movement, 36 especially in organizing and bargaining campaigns. This course will explore the challenges and opportunities this new workforce brings to the labor movement, and look for solutions in both historical and present day campaigns. Questions of race and gender and how the union movement deals with these issues will also be explored. (3 semester credits)

Union Structure and Governance  LBOR-4151
This course examines union governing and administrative structures and functions at the local union, district or regional, and national levels within the framework of the local central body, the state labor council, and a national federation (AFL-CIO). (3 semester credits)