Bachelor of Arts in Labor and Employment Studies
The Labor and Employment Studies program provides students with an introduction to and understanding of the study of labor and employment relations, broadly defined. Over the past few decades, the study of labor and employment relations has expanded significantly to include new topics that did not previously exist as areas of academic inquiry: globalization and employment relations, international labor standards, human rights and labor standards, corporate social responsibility and corporate codes of conduct, monitoring and accountability frameworks, global supply and value chains, corporate governance and employment relations, “decent work,” equality and diversity at work, labor and “global cities,” employment relations in emerging economies, high-performance work systems, global corporations, and global unions. These topics form the basis of the courses that make up the requirements for the major.
Program Learning Outcomes
By the time they have finished this program, students will:
- Improve their analytical thinking skills.
- Improve their reading, analytical, and discussion skills.
- Improve their communication skills.
- Improve their debating skills.
- Improve their research and writing skills.
Labor and Employment Studies (B.A.) — minimum 39 Units
Required Courses (18 Units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| LABR 250 | Introduction to the Study of Labor | 3 |
| LABR 251 | Know Your Work Rights | 3 |
| HIST/ECON/LABR 474 | History of Labor in the United States | 3 |
| LABR/SOC 552 | Comparative Employment Relations | 3 |
| LABR/SOC 553 | Labor Standards and Corporate Social Responsibility | 3 |
| LABR/SOC 555 | Labor Rights in the Global Economy | 3 |
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (3 Units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 300GW | Seminar in Historical Analysis - GWAR | 3 |
Related Electives (15 Units)
Upper-division LABR courses or cross-listed with LABR not used to satisfy core requirements can be used as electives.
Final Experience (3–4 Units)
Internship or Final Research Project
Complementary Studies (12 Units)
Bachelor of Arts students must complete at least 12 units of Complementary Studies outside of the primary prefix for the major. (Note: Students may not use an alternate prefix that is cross-listed with the primary prefix for the major.) Students who complete two majors or a major and a minor automatically complete the Complementary Studies requirement. An additional way to complete Complementary Studies for students in the Labor and Employment Studies major is to count the 12 Complementary Studies units toward elective units in the major. Consult with your major advisor for assistance.
General Education Requirements
| Requirement | Course Level | Units | Area Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Communication | LD | 3 | A1 |
| Written English Communication | LD | 3 | A2 |
| Critical Thinking | LD | 3 | A3 |
| Physical Science | LD | 3 | B1 |
| Life Science | LD | 3 | B2 |
| Lab Science | LD | 1 | B3 |
| Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning | LD | 3 | B4 |
| Arts | LD | 3 | C1 |
| Humanities | LD | 3 | C2 |
| Arts or Humanities | LD | 3 | C1 or C2 |
| Social Sciences | LD | 3 | D1 |
| Social Sciences: US History | LD | 3 | D2 |
| Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) | LD | 3 | E |
| Ethnic Studies | LD | 3 | F |
| Physical and/or Life Science | UD | 3 | UD-B |
| Arts and/or Humanities | UD | 3 | UD-C |
| Social Sciences | UD | 3 | UD-D |
| SF State Studies | |||
| Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective. | |||
| American Ethnic and Racial Minorities | LD or UD | 3 | AERM |
| Environmental Sustainability | LD or UD | 3 | ES |
| Global Perspectives | LD or UD | 3 | GP |
| Social Justice | LD or UD | 3 | SJ |
Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.
First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)
The roadmaps presented in this Bulletin are intended as suggested plans of study and do not replace meeting with an advisor. For a more personalized roadmap, please use the Degree Planner tool found in your Student Center.
Transfer Student Roadmap (2 Year)
For students with an AA-T in Law, Public Policy and Society.
For students with an AA-T in Global Studies or Social Justice Studies
General Advising Information for Transfer Students
- Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
- The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
- a course in U.S. History
- a course in U.S. & California Government
For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.
Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.
Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).
Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.
Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.
Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.
Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs
Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.
Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.