Prospective Students

Doctoral Program

Alumni Reflections

I have traveled all over the world meeting people who study labor and industrial relations issues. Whenever I say I got my Ph.D. at the School, I get immediate acceptance. Opportunities for conducting joint research projects and writing papers together open up.

Motohiro Morishima, Ph.D. 1986
Professor
Graduate School of Business Administration
Keio University, Japan

To me, the most distinctive aspect of the Ph.D. program at Illinois was its interdisciplinary nature. Beyond excellent classes in LER, one had the opportunity to take outstanding classes in other academic programs--in my case, psychology and business administration. When one puts these superb programs together, combined with the culture at LER that encourages students to take courses in and learn from these areas, I cannot think of a place that would have better prepared me for my research career. I feel I had access to some of the best minds in the areas that interested me, both inside and outside of LER. I cannot think of another LER school, or even many universities, that has this outstanding breadth and depth of expertise in many disciplinary areas.

Timothy A. Judge, Ph.D. 1990, A.M. 1988
Stanley M. Howe Professor of Leadership
Department of Management and Organization
University of Iowa

My doctoral experience at LER was excellent. An Illinois LER Ph.D. is a respected commodity, and for good reason. LER is well-known for producing well-trained doctoral graduates. You will work hard if you want to get the most out of the program, and learn a great deal as a result. The LER faculty are knowledgeable and supportive of doctoral education, and the University of Illinois provides an excellent environment for a first-rate education.

Jack T. Fiorito, Ph.D. 1980, A.M. 1976
J. Frank Dame Professor of Management
Florida State University

Getting my Ph.D. degree at the University of Illinois was a wonderful experience. Many faculty advisors are top scholars and educators with excellent international reputations, the training was rigorous and enjoyable, resources for research (e.g., the library) were hard to match, and many fellow Ph.D. students were smart, hard-working, and supportive. At Illinois, I not only learned the basic techniques for doing research, but more importantly, I learned to think creatively and act collaboratively. It is the environment that nurtures the appreciation or "taste" for creative ideas and the passion for creating and sharing new and useful knowledge that makes the Ph.D. program at Illinois stand out.

Jing Zhou, Ph.D. 1996
Assistant Professor of Management
Lowry Mays College and
Graduate School of Business
Texas A & M University