<p>So I'm going to be a freshmen in ILR next year and I cannot decide what my concentration will be. I applied to ILR for the mix of business and law, I'm not really into the whole human resources/union type stuff so I was looking at either International and Comparative Labor or Labor Economics. I really don't want to be stuck doing union work because I really see myself in a corporate career. I'm thinking International and Comparative Labor because it really seems like International Business to me which is what I'm interested in. But there is also Labor Economics, which, for lack of a better reason, has economics in its title. So which is more condusive to more pro-business people? Am I just in the wrong major? Should I consider transferring to AEM? How hard is that?</p>
<p>Also, can anyone give me a definitive answer as to whether ILR kids can minor in the AEM minors like finance, international trade, or management?</p>
<p>You're still in high school and haven't taken a single course at Cornell yet? Slow down. Try the classes first. You may find you love HR, for example. Nothing wrong with thinking about these things now, of course, but you never know what you're working with until you get into it.</p>
<p>To mirror ffhrea, wait until you get here. I am currently a freshman in ILR so I would know about the bevy of tracks. At the beginning at the semester, I really was not interested in labor organizing and unions. Now, I have seen how close labor is to my interests and will perhaps get involved with a local labor council. Who knows, maybe after talking HR I will get interested in that field. So, just keep you mind open. For me, I really would like to go law school. But, I am always open to going on a different path than law school or a different path in law than labor law.<br>
Regarding minors. I think you have to be in CALS to do an AEM minor, but look on the CALS website. The two other minors ILRies usually take are Inequality Studies and Law and Society, which I am both in. However, there is an Economics minor for ILR.<br>
If you are interested in business, ILR does of a 5 year MBA program with the Johnson School, but (not to dampen your spirits) I heard it is really hard to complete.<br>
Keep in mind that you can take AEM classes without being in AEM and if you do not like ILR, you can always transfer into AEM via the internal transfer program.</p>
<p>the thing about the 5 year mba is that you have to get all your graduation ILR requirements done REALLY early...</p>
<p>this means you wont have time to enjoy many electives in the other colleges/schools at cornell...also it's really difficult b/c some semesters there is a very lacking amount of interesting ILR classes...</p>
<p>for example this Spring Semester there really arent as many courses nor are there any interesting ones like they offered in the Fall...</p>
<p>Yeah, I heard that. It is like trying to get into the Vet school's early admit program. The program is really hard to complete, but if one is really dedicated, it still is an option to consider.</p>
<p>Concentrations in ILR fields are extremely informal and will never show up on a transcript. A concentration in one of the six ILR departments merely means that you are taking most of your ILR electives in those fields, nothing more. Minors are much more formal (i.e. actual paperwork, appears on transcript) and completed in different colleges. </p>
<p>Like everyone else, I suggest you don't even think about a minor or a concentration until you get here and see what you enjoy. I've completely fallen for Anthropology, a field I couldn't even describe before I took a Freshman Writing Seminar in it (my fourth choice on the ballot, too.) I would minor or double major if I could, but Anthro and many of the other departments I like do not offer such options. AEM is one of them: the AEM minor is only for CALS students, but you can still take plenty of classes there. However, not having the name on my transcript isn't stopping me from exploring those fields.</p>
<p>I also stress that you give ILR a chance before deciding to transfer out. To echo ResurgamBell, ILR is a very unique approach to business that people in pre-MBA programs don't get. You can take plenty of AEM courses as an ILRie, but AEM students are often closed out of the required ILR core classes since we have priority.</p>
<p>glame, so u have a major and 2 minors then? I'm going to AEM next year and it'd be pretty cool if I could do the same thing. </p>
<p>Are you only able to do it cuz ILR has less core reqs or something or should it work for any major, and would you consider it to be more work than just a straight up double major?</p>
<p>The Law and Society and Inequality Studies minors are not that intensive. L and S requires that you take four courses, one in each of four categories, and attend four events before graduation. Inequality requires that you take one core class (Controversies about Inequality), then one overview course, and then four courses.<br>
For me, it is not that much more work because some of the classes I can use for both (like Problems of Contemporary Society), the classes can be used toward/complement my ILR degree, and they are courses I would like to take anyway. So I am just getting credit and recognition (on the transcript at least) for work I am doing. In addition, I am interested in poverty, the growing inequality, and law school, so these minors complement my interests as well.<br>
I am not too familiar with the requirements for the AEM major, so I cannot judge that. As for double majoring, I cannot judge that because being in ILR, there is only one major: ILR. So, if I wanted to major in Sociology, Economics, or Government in CAS or PAM in HumEC, I do not believe I can. Personally finding info on minors can be hard since there is not one full list of minors. But, I do know the AEM minors are on the website.</p>
<p>A large number of courses satisfy the Inequality elective requirement. My personal story-- I took a course that satisfied the core requirement (ILROB 626 Inequality in Organizations, which no longer exists) and got an e-mail inviting me to become an inequality concentrator. It turned out that I had already taken many more courses that counted as "inequality" electives than are required for the concentration, many of them through ILR.
However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend going out of your way to get a formal concentration; I would be motivated by the subject matter instead, and use the concentration requirements as guidelines for what you should know.
Also, to echo intl_echo, you essentially don't concentrate within ILR. You simply take electives from the various departments, and people tend to focus on departments that suit their interests.
Concentrating in Economics is actually relatively demanding. When I graduated, the econ concentration required intermediate micro theory, intermediate macro theory, econometrics, and two advanced electives (in addition to the stats and labor in ILR's core curriculum). This turns out to be similar to econ's major requirements (the same three core econ courses, plus five electives).
I'm not sure about AEM either.</p>
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Personally finding info on minors can be hard since there is not one full list of minors.
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<p>This is indeed a problem -- it was a problem when I was a student as well, and I know intl_echo complained about it as well. (I had minors in economics and inequality studies within ILR.) You kids should start up some sort of ad hoc committee to lobby the vice provost of undergraduate education to do something about this. And at the very least an email to Moody-Adams couldn't hurt. In my experience she is actually very responsive.</p>
<p>intl_echo and Ren -- There was another thread talking about ILR that I thought would be good for you both to respond to. (Only because I know who you are... ;)) Did you see it?</p>
<p>yeah what used to be called concentrations are now properly called minors (like they are at other schools) </p>
<p>a concentration is now a focus of courses that you choose based on your interests...</p>
<p>i am an international relations minor which is pretty intense (4 core courses, and 1 elective for each core (4 electives in all) plus 2 languages)</p>
<p>i supplement my IR minor by taking internationally focused ILR courses...</p>