TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. General Information
A. Career Opportunities
B. The Ohio State University
II. Admission Process
A. Admission Requirements—Degree Seeking Students
B. Admissions Material
C. Non-degree Admission
D. Conditional Admission
E. Prerequisites
F. First-time Registration Material
III. Curriculum
A. Ph.D. Curriculum Committee
B. Curriculum Requirements
1. Course Distribution Requirements
2. Categories of Coursework
a. Labor and Human Resources Specialization
b. Social Science Theory and Application
c. Research Methods and Techniques
3. Certification in Spoken English
4. General Layout of Program by Quarter
C. Research Proposal
D. General Examination
1. LHR Majors
2. LHR Minors
E. Dissertation
F. Transfer Credits
G. Student Performance in Program
1. Reasonable Progress
2. Performance Appraisal and Development
IV. Academic Standards
A. Credit for Courses
B. Grading
C. Incompletes
D. Graduation
V. Fees, Financial Support and Related Matters
A. Fees
B. Graduate Associateships: Teaching, Research, Administrative
C. Fellowships
D. Other sources of Financial Aid
E. Housing
VI. Research Opportunities
A. University Libraries
VII. LHR Courses
VIII. The Faculty
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
The Ph.D. in Labor and Human Resources is designed to prepare candidates for teaching and research positions in colleges, universities and other research-oriented institutions as well as for leadership positions in industry and government. Recent PhD graduates have obtained positions at such institutions as Indiana University, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University and Tulane University. Employment opportunities for graduates of this program are expected to grow at an above average rate. The increasing complexity of human resource management, coupled with an emerging need for organizations to maintain a competitive advantage through the building of human capital, has led to an ever-growing need for expertise in the area of labor and human resources. This, combined with increasing societal concerns for such problems as unemployment, discrimination, the proliferation of manpower, health, and education, all help to account for projected increases in employment. This growing demand for practitioners in the field implies a demand for teachers and researchers who will generate and disseminate knowledge.
B. THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
The Ohio State University is located approximately two and one-half miles north of the center of Columbus. It offers the cultural climate of a major university in a rapidly expanding metropolitan area that has a population of over 1,500,000. It is the largest of the state universities in Ohio and one of the ten largest universities in the country with a total enrollment of over 55,000.
The University, a land-grant institution founded in 1870, has provided graduate instruction since 1878. The master’s degree is awarded in 132 study areas and the doctorate in 100. About 10,000 students are enrolled in the Graduate School.
Degrees in Labor and Human Resources are administered by The Department of Management and Human Resources, an academic unit within the Fisher College of Business which also includes the Departments of Accounting and Management Information Systems, Finance, Management Science, and Marketing. Other programs within the College of Business include: undergraduate and Master’s programs in Business Administration, a Master’s program in Labor and Human Resources, a Master’s in Accounting and Doctoral programs in Business Administration and Accounting/MIS.
The Ohio State University provides various opportunities for graduate students to participate in governance activities at the department, college and university level. The following is a partial list of student and university organizations in which students may take part:
1. Graduate Student Representative to the Graduate Studies Committee of the Management and Human Resources Faculty
2. Council of Graduate Students for The Ohio State University
3. Student Representative to the University Senate
II. ADMISSION PROCESS
A. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS—DEGREE-SEEKING STUDENTS
To be admitted to the graduate program in Labor and Human Resources, the student must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with an academic record that clearly demonstrates ability to pursue graduate studies in this field. As a general rule, applicants will not be admitted to the program unless they have a 3.0 (out of possible 4.0) cumulative point-hour ratio for all previous academic work, though the records of non-traditional students will not be examined strictly from an academic perspective. Students who wish to take some LHR courses without obtaining a degree should refer to Section III.C., Non-Degree Admissions, below.
In addition, admission decisions are based on the following information: (a) Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT); (b) three letters of recommendation from persons acquainted with the applicant’s academic program, scholastic ability or related employment experience; and (c) an autobiographical statement indicating the applicant’s educational and personal career objectives, including how a PhD degree in LHR will contribute to one’s career plans, one’s areas of research interest, and any previous preparation (academic or experiential) acquired.
All information is considered in its totality in the admissions process. The average GRE scores for current students are: 592 V, 761 Q, 714 A. The average TOEFL score for non-native English speakers is 263. Average grade point average for undergraduate work is 3.5. Most of our students have undergraduate majors in psychology, economics, business, sociology, and Communication. Many have completed a Master’s degree in a related field prior to entering, although it is not required.
B. ADMISSIONS MATERIAL
The Graduate Studies Committee (GSC), comprised of faculty members from the Management and Human Resources Department, who teach in the program, decides whom to admit into the LHR Master’s and Ph.D. programs. Application deadlines are as follows:
Application deadlines for Autumn Quarter consideration
November 30 - Fellowship consideration (international applicants)
December 31 - Fellowship consideration (domestic applicants)
December 31 - Final deadline for all applicants
Applications received after December 31 for Autumn quarter consideration may be considered on a space available basis
NOTE TO INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS: For Fellowship competition consideration ONLY, complete applications must be received at The Fisher College of Business by November 30. Applications from international applicants that arrive after November 30 and by December 31 will be reviewed for other non-fellowship funding opportunities
All students who wish to be admitted with financial aid must submit their completed applications by this date.
The GSC will only consider those applicants for whom ALL of the admission material has been received. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all the material is received. Generally, all admission decisions are made by the end of March. Applicants can expedite admissions process by doing the following:
1. Application: Applicants should indicate clearly that they are interested in the PHD in Labor and Human Resources.
2. Transcripts: Applicants should request 2 official transcripts from all institution(s) of higher education attended.
3. Autobiographical statement
4. Three letters of recommendation. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that these letters are received.
5. Examination scores: All applicants for degree admission must submit GRE or GMAT test scores by the closing date.
6. Resume: Students should also include in the packet an up-to-date resume/vita.
Applicants should call the LHR Application Coordinator at (614) 292-8511 to determine which of your admissions materials have not been received. Questions about the program itself can be addressed by the Program Coordinator for the Labor and Human Resources Program at the same number.
C. NON-DEGREE ADMISSION
Applicants may seek admission to OSU as graduate non-degree students. A student interested in admission as a graduate non-degree student should apply directly through the Graduate School, 247 University Hall. Students, if admitted, are considered graduate non-degree students “at large” and may then register for courses of interest. Please note: many courses may be restricted to graduate students with regular standing in the program. Current students always have priority for business college course enrollment, and graduate non-degree students will be removed first if courses overfill. According to the Graduate School, students who have been admitted to any graduate program at OSU are not eligible to apply for graduate non-degree admissions. These students may apply for program transfer, or they may register for a limited number of graduate MHR courses after obtaining re-activation permission from the admitting program.
D. PREREQUISITES
Prerequisite to study in Labor and Human Resources is the completion of at least 20 hours in the social sciences.
E. FIRST-TIME REGISTRATION MATERIAL
Registration materials are mailed to the student prior to the beginning of the first quarter of enrollment. If time does not permit mailing, registration materials may be obtained from the Graduate School, 247 University Hall, 230 N. Oval Mall, Columbus, Ohio 43210 (Telephone 614-292-6031). Course information is also available on-line at http://www.ureg.ohio-state.edu.
III. CURRICULUM FOR DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN LABOR AND HUMAN
RESOURCES
A Ph.D. is earned by satisfactory completion of course requirements, successful performance on both the written and oral components of the general examination, and demonstration of research competency via defense of a dissertation. The Ph.D. in Labor in Human Resources involves the development of an individualized curriculum within the limits described in Section B.1., Course Distribution Requirements. A student develops a curriculum after consulting with and gaining the approval of a Ph.D. curriculum committee. The Ph.D. program is administered through the Management and Human Resources (MHR) Department. Most of the faculty members with whom a doctoral student works will hold appointments in the MHR faculty, and courses that fulfill major requirements for the Ph.D. in Labor and Human Resources are designated "MHR" in university bulletins, catalogues, and schedules. The majority of faculty members who will sit on the Ph.D. curriculum and dissertation committees (described below), however, must be members of the Labor and Human Resources Graduate Faculty. (The designation LHR rather than MHR is used here because the Graduate School recognizes graduate faculty associated by program rather than by department.) A list of LHR Graduate Faculty members is published annually in the Bulletin for the Graduate School, Book 2.
A. Ph.D. CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
All new students will be initially assigned the Ph.D. Program Coordinator as their advisor. However, after entry, students are encouraged to select their own advisor from among the Category III LHR Graduate Faculty Members; students should notify the Ph.D. Coordinator and the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) after doing so. With the advice and approval of an advisor, the student shall select at least three other members of the Graduate Faculty at The Ohio State University (OSU) to serve with the advisor as the student's Ph.D. Curriculum Committee. At least two members and the advisor must be LHR faculty. The student's advisor chairs the Curriculum Committee.
Faculty members from other instructional units may serve on the student's Ph.D. Curriculum Committee. Normally this is done when the student's theoretical and applied science courses are in disciplines not represented in the Faculty of Labor and Human Resources. However, only a maximum of two faculty members from other instructional units may serve on the committee. They can not substitute for any of the three LHR Graduate Faculty members. The student's Ph.D. Curriculum Committee must be approved by the GSC to ensure representation by the applicable fields on the committee.
A student should have developed a program by his or her third quarter. It is in the student's best interest to have a program approved no later than the beginning of the second year of study. The student initiates the review by completing the Ph.D. program sheet. Students should consult with their advisors at least quarterly for curriculum advice and for evaluation of their progress.
B. CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS
1. Course Distribution Requirements
Students may enter the Ph.D. program with either a baccalaureate or a master's degree. The minimum number of course credits required and the distribution of these credits differ depending on the students background. A student with a baccalaureate degree must complete at least 135 credits; at least 90 credits are earned via coursework and normally 45 credits are earned in writing the dissertation. The distribution requirement for the 90 coursework credits is:
a. Labor and Human Resource Specialization 35 hours
b. Social Science Theory and Application 30 hours
c. Research Methods and Techniques 25 hours
d. Dissertation 45 hours
135 hours
Students who enter with a related master's degree may be able to reduce the number of course credits taken (see Section E, Transfer Credits), but at least 45 course credits must be completed at OSU in addition to 45 dissertation credits.
2. Categories of Coursework
a. Labor and Human Resource Specialization
With the consultation of an advisor, a student should choose to specialize in either Human Resource Management or Organizational Behavior. Specific courses in labor and human resources are used to develop the student's expertise in the selected area of specialization.
Generally, the LHR specialization comprises of seven courses related to the chosen area of specialization. If possible, 900-level seminars are to be taken rather than lower-level classes. Students should complete the balance of this requirement through Independent Study (MHR 893) courses.
In completing this portion of the program, all students are required to complete the following sequence of doctoral seminars:
MHR 913 - Seminar in Human Resources/Organizational Behavior
MHR 913.01 Foundations of Human Resources/Organizational Behavior (5)
MHR 913.02 Topics in Human Resources (5)
MHR 913.03 Topics in Organizational Behavior (5)
MHR 914 - Advanced Seminar in Human Resources/Organizational Behavior
MHR 914.01 Advanced Topics in Human Resources (5)
MHR 914.02 Advanced Topics in Organizational Behavior (5)
Course content in MHR 913.02, 913.03 and the 914 seminar series will be split into eight 5-week modules focused on the following content areas:
Staffing Organizations
Training and Development
Compensation and Benefits
Performance Management and Strategic Human Resource Management
Organization Work Groups and Teams
Work-related Attitudes
Negotiation and Trust
Special Issues in Human Resources/Organizational Behavior
In making course selection decisions, the student should be aware of restrictions governing MHR 851 and 852 (Conceptual and Historical Foundations of Labor and Human Resources I and II), and 860 (Management of Human Resources). These courses should not be taken by students having a master's degree in Industrial Relations (IR) or Human Resource Management (HRM) from any institution. In the case of 860, it should not be taken by students possessing an undergraduate degree in IR or HRM. For students without an IR or HRM background, MHR 851, 852, and 860 may only be taken in the first year of the Ph.D. program. These three courses will not count in the LHR Specialization area of the Ph.D. program regardless of the student's background. MHR 851 and 852 may, however, be counted in the Applied Sciences section of the program for students without an IR or HRM background.