What are the basic qualifications for admission into the PhD program?
Are there any course prerequisites?
What are the deadlines for admissions application material?
How long is the program?
How many students are selected each year?
What type of job would I be preparing for?
What type of specialties would I focus on?
Do I need to take the GRE?
Are there assistantships available?
What criteria are used in admission decisions?
I am an international applicant. Are there any special things I should know?
What are the basic qualifications for admission into the PhD program?
The admissions committee seeks students with at least a 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) undergraduate GPA and scores of at least 500 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Please note that admission to the program is very competitive and those admitted typically have higher GPAs and GRE scores. Also viewed positively are research experience and a familiarity with the research that has been published by our faculty. Our program is geared toward training individuals to go into academic positions, so a career goal consistent with this emphasis is important.
Are there any course prerequisites?
An undergraduate course in microeconomics must be completed with a grade of C or better before enrolling. Introductory courses in macroeconomics, general psychology, and statistics are recommended, but not required.
The department does not require any specific undergraduate major, and a Master's degree is not required for admission into the PhD program.
What are the deadlines for admissions application material?
The deadline for PhD application materials is January 1. PhD students are admitted for the Fall semester only; there is no Spring entry into the program. All students are strongly encouraged to apply early to ensure that all materials are received in time.
How long is the program?
The program is designed to be completed in four years, although some students take an extra year. We do not accept part-time students and we do not have an evening PhD program. Regular interaction with faculty and other PhD students is essential to success in a PhD program.
How many students are selected each year?
We typically select between 2 and 4 students each year into the PhD program.
What type of job would I be preparing for?
Our PhD program in HRIR is designed and intended to prepare students for academic careers, a career involving teaching and research. Individuals solely interested in a consulting career do not fit as well into our program.
What type of specialties would I focus on?
You would choose to specialize in two of the following areas of HRIR, but would get background in all of these areas:
- staffing, training, and development
- organizational behavior and theory
- compensation and benefits
- labor market analysis, and
- labor relations and collective bargaining
Do I need to take the GRE?
Yes. Applicants to the PhD program must submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. We do not accept GMAT scores as part of the application for the PhD program. For more information on the GRE, see http://www.gre.org/.
On the University of Minnesota campus, the GRE can be taken in the Computer-Based Testing center in Eddy Hall. You can register by calling 612-624-5520. For additional information, see the University of Minnesota Computer-Based Testing web page.
At the conclusion of the test, the scores should appear on the computer screen. Please write the scores down and include them on your HRIR application (or e-mail them to hrirgrad@umn.edu if you have already submitted your application).
Computer-based scores from China (including Hong Kong), Korea, and Taiwan from the years 2001 and 2002 will not be accepted.
Are there assistantships available?
In previous years, students accepted into our program have been awarded a paid assistantship (requiring 20 hours of work a week), and sometimes a fellowship and summer research award. The assistantship has historically included a 100% tuition waiver during the academic year and qualifies the student for enrollment in the Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Plan, with our department paying the full health care premium. Typically, students are expected to be a teaching assistant for one of their assistantship years and research assistants in other years. Offers, however, do vary depending on budgetary issues.
What criteria are used in admission decisions?
An admissions committee will review your GRE scores, your undergraduate or graduate grade point averages, your letters of reference, your statement of objectives, and previous research experience. It is important that the applicant fit with our program. We excel in training individuals for academic positions. Individuals solely interested in a consulting career do not fit as well into our program. English proficiency is also key. While admission is competitive, we strongly encourage you to submit an application for review.
I am an international applicant. Are there any special things I should know?
Here is some additional information for our international applicants.
The TOEFL, MELAB, or IELTS is required of all international applicants whose native language is not English, except those who will have completed 24 quarter credits/16 semester credits (within the past 24 months) in residence as a full-time student at a recognized institution of higher learning in the United States before entering the University of Minnesota. This requirement will not be waived.
The operational standard for admission to the Graduate School is a score of at least 550 on the TOEFL (or 213 on the computer-based TOEFL test taken after June 1998)—we (the Department of Human Resources and Industrial Relations) require 570 or higher. We will also accept 80 or above on the MELAB, or 6.5 on the IELTS; individual programs may have higher TOEFL, MELAB or IELTS requirements.
International students also face special requirements to teach. Specifically, international students must satisfactorily pass the SPEAK Test when they arrive or provide official documentation of their score on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) before they can teach or serve as a teaching assistant. The University offers the SPEAK Test at no cost to students who have been admitted to the Graduate School. For details on the SPEAK, see http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/int/gradFAQ.html. It is in your interest to take this test early on so that you have sufficient time to seek appropriate remedies as needed if you do not pass the exam.
Note also that computer-based GRE scores from China (including Hong Kong), Korea, and Taiwan from the years 2001 and 2002 will not be accepted. | 
