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Bachelor of Human Resources and Labour Relations

Regulations effective Sep. 1, 2024.

The Bachelor of Human Resources and Labour Relations is an integrated, multidisciplinary program of courses that examines employment relations within their social, legal, political, and economic contexts. The program will be of interest to trade unionists, managers, human resource specialists, and individuals interested in better understanding the employment relations of their own workplace.

Planning your program

Our online program plans can assist you in selecting the courses needed to fulfill your program requirements.

Athabasca University has also developed program learning outcomes that describe the career options that may be available to you upon graduating.

Program requirements

Students complete the program regulations in effect at the time of their enrolment.

Students are strongly encouraged to register in ENGL 255 early in their program.

Students who hold a recognized first degree and who wish to obtain an AU undergraduate degree in a different subject area, must apply under the second undergraduate degree regulations. These students may transfer in up to 50 per cent (45 credits) into the three-year degree program, based on course work in the first degree that is applicable. Preparatory (100 level) credits cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of a second undergraduate degree.

Program structure

program structure
Total credits in the program 90
Required core courses 30
Electives and option courses 60
Maximum transfer credit 66
Minimum at senior (300/400) level 54
Residency requirement. A minimum of 24 credits must be obtained through Athabasca University. 24
Graduation with Distinction or Great Distinction. At least 24 credits must be obtained through Athabasca University in order to be considered. 24
Maximum Prior Learning and Assessment (PLAR) credits 30
No preparatory (100-level) courses will count towards this program

Required core courses

(30 credits)

required core courses
ENGL 255 – Introductory Composition (3)
EDUC 317 – Training and Development in Organizations (3)
HRMT 386 – Introduction to Human Resource Management (3)
IDRL 316 – The Practice of Labour Relations (3)
IDRL 309/LGST 310 – Human Rights, the Charter and Labour Relations
 (3)
or
LBST 330 – Workers and the Economy
IDRL 215 – Introduction to Labour Relations (3)
IDRL 308 – Occupational Health and Safety (3)
IDRL 320 – The Law of Work (3)
SOCI 321 – Sociology of Work and Industry (3)
SOSC 366 – Research Methods in the Social Sciences (3)

Electives

(45 credits)

electives
Note: A minimum of 9 credits must be selected from the courses in HRMT and/or IDRL.
ACCT 253 – Introductory Financial Accounting (3)
ACCT 355 – Cost Analysis (3)
All ADMN courses
ANTH 275 – Faces of Culture: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3)
CMIS 245 – Microcomputer Applications in Business (Windows) (3)
CMIS 351 – Management Information Systems (3)
COMM 243 – Interpersonal Communication (3)
COMM 277 – Group Communication (3)
COMP 361 – Systems Analysis and Design (3)
All ECON courses
 
All EDUC courses
All GOVN courses  
HIST 336 – History of Canadian Labour (6)
All HRMT courses
 
All IDRL courses
 
All LBST courses
 
All LGST courses
 
All ORGB courses
 
PHIL 252 –Critical Thinking (3)
PHIL 333 – Professional Ethics (3)
All POEC courses
PSYC 200 – Introduction to Career Development (3)
PSYC 300 – Theories of Career Development (3)
PSYC 310 – Learning and Instruction (3)
PSYC 387 – Learning (3)
PSYC 401 – Learning Through Life (3)
PSYC 405 – Creating a Working Alliance (3)
SOCI 300 – How Humans Organize: From Primary Groups to the World Wide Web (3)
SOCI 301 – Social Statistics (3)
SOCI 332 – Women and Unions (3)
SOCI 345 – Women, Gender and Work in Canada (3)
SOCI 381 – The Rich and the Rest: The Sociology of Wealth, Power, and Inequality (3)

Options

(15 credits)

options
Junior- or senior-level credits from any area, including from the electives above (provided they haven’t been used to satisfy the elective requirement). Students who wish to substitute another course(s) for the electives may do so with the permission of the program director. (15)

As of 2023, the BHRLR has been accredited by CPHR-Alberta, the professional association for human resources professionals. HRLR graduates who wish to obtain Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR) designation will be exempted from the National Knowledge Exam if they complete the courses in the CPHR stream as part of their course requirements. All Canadian residents (except Ontario) who complete the CPHR stream are eligible for the exemption. For more information about the CPHR stream at AU go here: https://www.athabascau.ca/humanities-and-social-sciences/resources/ba-hrpa-accreditation.html

For more information on the CPHR please visit https://www.cphrab.ca/become-a-CPHR 

Information effective Sep. 1, 2024 to Aug. 31, 2025.

Updated July 24, 2024 by Office of the Registrar (calendar@athabascau.ca)

https://www.athabascau.ca/calendar/ e4d571af0a2a55fc5964e4ffbe96e4f1