McMaster launches PhD in Labour Studies

McMaster has launched a new PhD Program that is the only such degree in North America. The program engages closely and critically with the issues of work and labour in contemporary and historical perspective.

The newest component of McMaster University’s School of Labour Studies aims to develop a new generation of scholars prepared to contribute to research leadership in the academy, the community, policy arenas and organizations representing working people.

As a small interdisciplinary program, students will enjoy strong mentorship from leading scholars in the field and benefit from the strong union and community connections of faculty, resource workers and workplaces.

“This is a very exciting time for us in Labour Studies at McMaster,” says Robert Storey, Director of the School of Labour Studies. “We started with a BA in 1981. Added an Honours BA in 1988 and a Masters in Work and Society in 1999. Our new PhD helps cement our status as the premier place to study labour studies in Canada.”

The program, which normally takes four years of full-time study draws from a list of core MA in Work & Society courses as well as from the disciplines such as Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Geography, Social Work, and History. Students can take the PhD on a full-time or part-time basis.

Graduates will be ready to undertake academic employment as well as research jobs, senior administrative and leadership positions in a range of public, private and non-profit organizations with a focus on work and social justice, such as labour organizations, policy research institutes and think tanks.

For more details, see the Doctor of Philosophy in Labour Studies program overview.