Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science
9244 Bunche Hall
Box 951478
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1478
Labor Studies
310-206-0812
Program e-mail
Labor studies is an interdisciplinary field of scholarship that encompasses historical and contemporary study of the sociocultural economic, legal policy, and political forces that shape the lives of working people, labor markets, employment practices, and social movements seeking greater economic equity for workers and their communities. Labor studies also embraces the insights of critical race, ethnic, working class, and gender studies in order to understand work and social movements as a multidimensional site of study. Labor studies students gain a strong background in social scientific analysis and applied research, and have many opportunities for civic engagement. The program is intended for students who wish to gain an in-depth understanding of the broad array of issues related to labor, work, and social movements. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with a faculty and student coordinator, to create a pathway to graduation and to create a curriculum guide that consists of either a coherent integration of courses according to a thematic or topical investigation or, alternatively, a comprehensive survey of the main issues involved in the study of labor and social change.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree in Labor Studies are prepared for careers in nonprofit advocacy, public service, and labor and social movements broadly defined. With ample opportunities to develop and apply a variety of research modalities through coursework, students are also prepared to succeed in graduate and professional school programs in a wide variety of fields.
Labor Studies is interdisciplinary by its nature, drawing on a variety of fields for instructors and researchers. Labor Studies majors and minors become part of an existing interdisciplinary research community with strong ties to researchers and teachers in the social sciences and professional schools.
