Degree Programs
The National Labor College offers a wide range of adult educational programs in a variety of learning formats including week long residential courses, fully online courses and blended courses with both online and residential components.
College Degree Programs
The college offers two degree programs, a Bachelor of Arts in Labor Studies and a Bachelor of Technical and Professional Studies.
Both degrees require satisfactory completion of 120 semester credits including completion of 3 credit hours in each of the following areas, English, Math, Science, Social Science and Humanities.
The National Labor College is accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education 3624 Market Street Philadelphia PA, 19104 212-662-5606.
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is a low residency format that requires students spend a week in residence at our campus in Silver Spring Maryland in addition to portions of work online.
Hundreds of working men and women just like you have earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from NLC. The program is flexible and enables students to pursue a B.A. while continuing their trade union work.
The NLC offers a simplified classroom schedule. B.A. students do a portion of work online, with on-campus instruction required for one-week during every semester. Semesters last 15 weeks. During the non-residential portion of the semester, students must complete assignments and receive additional instruction from faculty via e-mail, phone, or Blackboard at least once a week.
The BA offers six major areas of study:
(1) Labor Studies;
(2) Labor Education;
(3) Labor History;
(4) Political Economy of Labor;
(5) Union Leadership & Administration;
(6) Labor Safety & Health.
A minimum of 30 credits must be completed at the NLC. The thirty credits are typically comprised of 10 three credit courses.
Five of these are core requirements of the NLC, four are courses in a major/partnership and one is an elective as follows
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The Bachelor of Technical and Professional Studies (BTPS) is a totallyonline degree and offers four areas of concentration within the field of labor studies:
(1) Leadership;
(2) Instructional Technology and Computer Skills (2 tracks);
(3) Occupational Safety and Health; and
(4) Music and Arts (2 tracks).
BTPS Core Requirements include:
- Learning in a Digital World
- American Labor Literature
- Science, Technology, and Our World
- BTPS Educational Planning
- Leadership and Landmark Events in Labor History / Images of Labor in Art
- College Math (various)
- Service Learning Internship
- Capstone Project
Both programs are accredited but the BTPS program is generally tailored to individuals who want the convenience of an online program and who have experience in a technical or professional field that they would like to apply toward a degree. Students with more than 69 credit hours to transfer should consider the Bachelor of Arts degree which allows more of their credits to apply towards a degree.
For additional information on NLC degree requirements refer to the catalogue.
Academic Partners
In addition the National Labor College has academic partnerships with several institutions, unions and/or organizations. Like apprenticeships, partnership credits are awarded based on an individual review of each student’s documentation. Even courses with similar names and content may not count as partnership credit unless it was taken through a certified partnering union and approved by the NLC. For specific information on our academic programs and partners contact a pre-admissions advisor at 301-431-6400 and press#5.
Portfolio Credit
Credit for Prior Learning Assessment
The NLC’s offers students the opportunity to earn up to 30 credits through a writing intensive portfolio development process called Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).The PLA Workshop is an 8 week, noncredit, online seminar, designed to assist students in development of the three main components of learning portfolio that can be assessed for credit: an educational resume, narrative, and prior learning essays. Students who enter the program with fewer than 90 transfer credits, are eligible to participate in PLA portfolio development. Likewise, prospective students with fewer than 56 BA or 45 BTPS may take part in the program to earn credits necessary for admission.
Click here for more information on Prior Learning Assessment.
Internships - The National Labor College also offers opportunities for credit through internship and independent study. For details contact the Provost or a pre-admissions advisor.
Certificate Programs
The National Labor College offers Certificate Programs in the following areas:
- Certificate Union Leadership and Administration
- Certificate Labor Safety and Health
- Certificate Organizing
- Certificate Labor Education
- Certificate Capital Stewardship
- Certificate in Building Trades Union Leadership and Administration
- Certificate in Building Trades Organizational Dynamics and Growth