University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, School of Labor and Employment Relations

What University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, School of Labor and Employment Relations does

The School of Labor and Employment Relations (LER) is an academic unit within the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a public state university, founded in 1946 and headquartered at 504 E. Armory Avenue, Champaign, Illinois, with an additional Labor Education Program site in Chicago. The school delivers degree and certificate programs — on-campus MHRIR (Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations, completable in three semesters), an online MHRIR (completable in under two years), a Human Resources PhD, and a recently added Undergraduate HR Certificate — alongside an HR Data Analytics concentration. Extension and research arms include the Climate Jobs Institute (worker-centered clean energy research), the Labor Education Program (the only statewide provider of professional training for union leaders in Illinois), and a Hazardous Materials Training Program.

LER operates a tuition-driven academic model supplemented by alumni giving and corporate event sponsorship/employer partnership revenue. Distribution is omnichannel: on-campus instruction in Champaign, online asynchronous delivery for working professionals, the Labor Education Program's statewide union training, and the Climate Jobs Institute's policy-facing research outputs. Career services run through the Handshake recruiting platform and a LinkedIn alumni network exceeding 4,000 members, with reported outcomes of 84% of online graduates receiving a promotion or job change within six months, a 26% average post-graduation salary increase, $91k+ average full-time starting salaries, and $37+/hour average intern rates. Partnerships include Cornell University's ILR School (national strike and labor protest database), the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and SEDAC (clean energy workforce mapping under CEJA), and cultural/community organizations such as Krannert Art Museum and East Central Illinois CLUW. The school is led by Dean Simon Restubog (appointed permanent Dean effective August 1, 2026, after serving as Interim Dean since 2024) and produces the annual Illinois Corporate Board Diversity Report under state legislation dating to 2020.

Name

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, School of Labor and Employment Relations

Legal name

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, School of Labor and Employment Relations

Website

https://ler.illinois.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign delivers graduate and undergraduate HR education, PhD research, union-leader training, and worker-centered policy research through its Climate Jobs Institute, serving students, employers, and Illinois state policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Human Resources and Industrial Relations

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAALAN

Human Resources & Talent (SHRM/HRCI Recertification)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

SECONDARYEDABAIAE

HR Compliance, Employment Law & Employee Relations Training

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/HR, Talent, DEI & People Operations Training

Keywords

• Human resources education
• Industrial relations programs
• Graduate degree programs
• Labor education training
• Professional development certificates

Headquarters

HQ city

Champaign

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from graduate and undergraduate tuition for on-campus and online programs including MHRIR, PhD, and certificate programs.
2. Alumni Giving and Donations: The school actively solicits alumni donations and contributions to support scholarships, fellowships, and programs.
3. Event Sponsorship and Partnerships: Revenue from corporate event sponsorships, partnership opportunities, and employer engagement programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The School of Labor and Employment Relations (LER) is an academic unit within the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that delivers Human Resources and Industrial Relations degree programs, including an on-campus MHRIR master's (three semesters), an online HR master's (under two years), a PhD in HR, and an undergraduate HR certificate. It also operates the statewide Labor Education Program for union leaders and workers, the Climate Jobs Institute, and the Hazardous Materials Training Program as extension offerings.

Product overview

The School of Labor and Employment Relations (LER) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign operates as a premier academic institution offering degree programs and professional education. The core academic portfolio includes three degree programs (on-campus MHRIR, online MHRIR, and PhD in Human Resources), an undergraduate HR certificate, and multiple extension programs including the Climate Jobs Institute, Labor Education Program, and Hazardous Materials Training Program. The school has recently expanded its offerings under new leadership to include a Human Resources Data Analytics concentration and enhanced online continuing education, positioning itself as a comprehensive provider for HR education from undergraduate through doctoral levels, with strong career outcomes (84% career boost for online graduates, average starting salaries over $91k for full-time hires).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Climate Jobs Institute: An institute within the school that informs Illinois clean energy transition through research foregrounding workers and communities.
• Labor Education Program (LEP)
• Hazardous Materials Training Program

Products and services

• Human Resources Master's (MHRIR) On-campus Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations (MHRIR) program that can be completed in three semesters and prepares students for HR management careers. A Joint MHRIR/JD variant is also offered.
• Online Human Resources Master's Online Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations program that can be completed in just under two years. Designed for working professionals; 84% of graduates received a promotion or changed jobs within six months of graduation.
• Human Resources PhD Doctoral program in Human Resources and Industrial Relations preparing students for academic careers and advanced research positions, with degree requirements, career opportunities, and placement data.
• Undergraduate HR Certificate Certificate program for undergraduate students seeking to enter the human resources field.
• Online Human Resources Certificate Program Online certificate program in human resources offered to working professionals and through employer partnerships.
• Labor Education Program (LEP) State-wide provider of professional training and development for union leaders and workers in Illinois, based in Champaign and Chicago. Offers an undergraduate minor and continuing professional education.
• Climate Jobs Institute Research institute within LER that informs Illinois' clean energy transition through worker-centered research. Provides reports, tools, and resources; engages labor, industry, communities, and policymakers; mentors student researchers; and fosters applied research collaborations. Released its 2025 Annual Report.
• Hazardous Materials Training Program Provides comprehensive hazardous materials training in the Midwest, part of the institute and extension programs offered by the school.
• Joint MHRIR/JD Program Joint degree program combining the Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations with a Juris Doctor (law degree) for students pursuing both HR and legal careers.
• Online Continuing Education Professional development and continuing education offerings for working HR professionals, part of the school's expanded online and continuing education portfolio.
• LEP Undergraduate Minor Undergraduate minor in labor studies offered through the Labor Education Program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 84% of online graduates received a promotion or changed jobs within six months of graduation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Magdalena Novoa (Department of Urban and Regional Planning)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Climate Jobs Institute partners with Assistant Professor Novoa on the Memorias de la Mujer Lotina exhibition featuring coal community art from Chile.
• Cornell University ILR SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Cornell University's ILR School to create a comprehensive database of strike and labor protest activity across the United States, informing and supporting labor movement activists, policymakers, and scholars.
• Krannert Art MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate Jobs Institute partners with Krannert Art Museum for the Memorias de la Mujer Lotina exhibition bringing coal-impacted communities from Chile and Illinois into dialogue.
• Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate Jobs Institute collaborates with DCEO on clean energy workforce mapping tool and CEJA workforce training programs implementation.
• Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with SEDAC to develop the clean energy workforce mapping tool supporting CEJA workforce training programs.
• East Central Illinois Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with CLUW to host events connecting women labor activists from Chile and Illinois.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cornell University ILR School: Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations is the most direct peer, offering HR/IR graduate programs and research with a longer history and larger endowment. The two schools already collaborate on a national strike and labor protest database.
• Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations: Penn State's School of Labor and Employment Relations offers similar graduate degree programs (MHRIR, PhD) in HR and employment relations with a comparable name and mission, making it one of the closest direct competitors.
• Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations: Rutgers SMLR is a peer professional school focused on HR and labor relations, offering master's and PhD programs with similar curriculum overlap to UIUC LER.
• Michigan State University School of Human Resources and Labor Relations: MSU's School of Human Resources and Labor Relations offers graduate HR/IR education and research comparable to UIUC LER, with similar program structures and target student profiles.
• University of Minnesota Industrial Relations Center: The University of Minnesota's Industrial Relations Center offers HR/IR graduate education and research that competes directly with UIUC LER for faculty, students, and policy influence.

Broad incumbents

• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management): SHRM is the dominant HR professional association offering SHRM-CP/SCP certifications and learning. While not a degree-granting institution, it competes for the same working-professional continuing education audience that UIUC LER serves online.
• MIT Sloan School of Management: MIT Sloan offers an MBA and specialized master's programs (including the Master of Finance in Finance, MBAn) at the broader business management level. It competes for talent interested in HR/management careers but through a generalist business degree.

Emerging players

• Coursera: Coursera partners with universities to deliver online credentials and certificates in HR and management. It competes with UIUC LER's online MHRIR and certificate offerings on price, accessibility, and breadth.
• Western Governors University: WGU is a non-profit online university offering accredited bachelor's and master's degrees in business and HR management at lower tuition. It targets the same working-professional market as the online MHRIR with a more flexible, lower-cost model.

Regional players

• University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business: Wisconsin's School of Business offers master's programs with HR/management concentrations and competes regionally in the Midwest for graduate students who might otherwise consider UIUC LER.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/LER_Illinois
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@universityofillinoisaturba3591
• Facebookfacebook.com/LER.Illinois
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/groups/70290
• Instagraminstagram.com/ler_illinois

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, School of Labor and Employment Relations