All PMIR students are required to successfully complete 12 elective credits to obtain their degree. Elective requirements will primarily be filled through 1-credit elective courses, with one 3-credit option offered remotely (MIR 875) during each Summer term. Approximately 20 skills seminars will be offered on a two-year rotation, allowing students the flexibility of choice.
Electives are intended to offer students the chance to focus on areas of LR/HR that are of specific interest based on each student’s professional goals and timetable.
Note: Electives vary year-to-year and between full and part-time programs; not all options will be available in any given year.
Skills Seminars
These seminars are designed to provide students with the critical analytical, research, and interpersonal skills required of Human Resources and Labour Relations professionals in the workplace. When offered, each seminar will have specific content within the general topic of the course title.
Each seminar usually meets over four closely scheduled remote classes.
Attendance is mandatory. Students who wish to drop a seminar must do so before the second scheduled class or with the permission of the instructor.
This seminar will focus on occupational health and safety issues, legislation and major programs, with an emphasis on developing, managing and maintain policies and programs related to current definitions of occupational health and safety.
Seminars on key employment topics such as team building, stress management, dealing with difficult people, etc. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved.
Seminars on key employment topics such as quantitative and qualitative analytical methods and tools: design and use of metrics. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved.
This seminar focuses on developing the skills associated with analyzing compensation structures and costing changes to compensation. While the seminar uses union negotiations as the context, the skills associated with costing collective bargaining proposals have more universal applications for modelling compensation cost structures at union and non-union organizations
Seminars on key employment topics such as costing agreements, grievance handling, etc. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved.
Seminar on key employment topics such as recruitment, selection, interviews, opinions, surveys. Specific topics may vary from year to year as issues change and different instructors are involved.
Seminars on key employment topics negotiation skills and strategies, and collective bargaining that focuses on long term and sustained results. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved.
Seminars relevant to building and managing effective work teams. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as Issues change and different instructors are involved.
This course is designed to introduce students to the basic principles of conducting a mediation in the context of a labour and employment dispute. Students will have an opportunity to co-mediate in a mock mediation. Experienced mediators will observe and coach students through the exercise.
Seminars on key employment topics related to supporting employee wellness and mental health. Specific topics may vary from year to year as issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.) Seminars on key employment topics that support positive Individual and organizational outcomes with respect to workplace health and safety, individual wellness, and employee mental health. Specific topics may vary from year to year as issues change and different instructors are involved.
Seminars on key employment topics such as legal considerations and consequences of workplace misconduct, unethical behaviour, human rights violation. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved.
Seminars on key employment topics such as performance appraisal, effective feedback and coaching. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved.
This course will focus on developing skills related to workplace investigations, including practical tools in assessing workplace issues and writing well-drafted investigation reports.
Seminars on key employment topics regarding workplace management practices and programs that support employee inclusivity, equity and diversity. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved.
Students typically either do a project or case exercise in employment relations, on either an individual or small-group basis. Group cases or exercises may involve presentations of a report or findings. Specific requirements may vary from year to year depending upon the specific topic
Seminars on contract language interpretation, grievance and arbitration processes, and legal responsibilities and requirements. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved.
Seminars on developing skills to effectively manage and lead others. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved.
The labour arbitration skills seminar typically takes the form of a Moot Competition, based on a fictional case in a formal setting that simulates a real arbitration, which supports the development of formal presentation and advocacy skills in the practice of arbitration in employment relations. Although typically centered on a Moot Competition, the seminar may provide alternative approaches to learning and developing skills related to the practice of labour arbitration
Other Electives
This course provides an introduction to the basic principles and skills in accounting and finance that are relevant to employment relations specialists. Topic areas may vary from year to year but typically include financial concepts, statements and tools, principles of accounting, budgeting processes, financial forecasting, costing and reporting and the regulatory regime.
This course examines technological change in the workplace and the relationship between technological change and employment relations outcomes. Examples of aspects of technological change examined include effects on employee skills and education, work organization and methods, employment arrangements and levels, and union-management relations.
Research-based Electives
The purpose of the directed special studies/reading course is to provide additional flexibility in the MIR program to enable students to pursue in-depth study of a topic/subject relating to industrial relations and human resources management that is not covered by existing course offerings. The scope of this course will be arranged by the student in consultation with the instructor. Although the exact course format and requirements will depend on the nature of the subject area and on the discretion of the instructor, the following guidelines may be helpful: the minimum workload for the course is the same as required for a normal course; the student is normally required to undertake a review of the literature, including an annotated bibliography of the subject covered by the course; the student is normally required to write at least one major paper (minimum 20 typed pages or 5000 words in length) as a requirement for the course. The course is available only under special circumstances and with the permission of the Director. This course may be taken in any one of the three terms, but it can only be taken once during the MIR program.
Written under the direction of a faculty supervisor and normally about 50 pages in length, the research essay provides students with the opportunity to undertake independent research of an IR/HR issue or a case study of an organization and to develop the ability to express their ideas in an organized and literate form. Preliminary work is normally completed in the winter term and research and writing conducted during the spring/summer term. Counselling for the research essay (choice of an appropriate topic, selection of a supervisor, etc.) is provided by the School. Every effort is made to inform students about the research interests and activities of faculty members and associates and to encourage them to undertake topics related to these. The written essay will be examined by a committee composed of the supervisor, and one other member of the faculty of the School or a related department.
Additional information can be found on the Master’s Research Project Guidelines page