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Our admissions process is not formula-driven. Instead, we make informed decisions based on your background.

Admission Requirements

The Admissions and Financial Aid Committee will evaluate your admission to LER based on the whole picture – what you’ve studied and where, how well you did in your classes, GRE or GMAT scores (optional), prior work experience, and what your references have to say about you. We encourage a wide variety of students to apply because we find that different majors, ethnic backgrounds, and work experiences enrich our classes.

You must also meet the general entrance requirements of the Graduate College at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Statistics Requirement

You must complete an undergraduate course in statistics before you can take the graduate level statistics course. We strongly recommend this course be completed before enrollment (it may be taken without graduate credit during the first semester, but doing so may delay completion of the program due to course sequencing).

How to Apply

All applicants must submit the following:

• Completed online application through the Graduate College at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. All supporting materials must be submitted online with the application.
• Application fee: $70 domestic and $90 international
• Transcripts of all academic work submitted online with application
• Three letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your ability to do graduate level work and/or your commitment and interest in the field of human resource management and industrial relations – submitted electronically
• The GRE/GMAT requirement is waived for both the online and on-campus MHRIR programs at this time.
  • GRE/GMAT waivers are not offered for the PhD program.
• For on-campus international applicants, minimum English language scores for admissions consideration include TOEFL score of 96 ibt or IELTS overall score of 6.5. Additional information regarding full status admission and exemptions can be found on The Graduate College website.
  • Online international students must receive a minimum total TOEFL score of 103 ibt or minimum overall IELTS score of 7.5. You can learn more about the English proficiency requirements here.
• Declaration of Finances (International applicants only) with Program Code 10KS0364MHRI on the form (on-campus programs only)
• Statement of purpose submitted online with your completed application
  • For MHRIR applicants, the academic statements include the below prompts:
    • Please write a statement that answers the following questions (1,000 words max):
      • How has your academic and professional background, including any professional training, prepared you for graduate study?
      • How will our program help you achieve your intellectual and professional goals?
      • What are your academic interests, and why do you wish to pursue graduate studies in this specific program?
  • For Ph.D. applicants, the academic statements include the below prompts:
    • Please write a statement that answers the following questions (1,000 words max):
      • How has your academic background, including any training, research, or other educational experiences, prepared you for graduate study?
      • What are your intellectual interests, and what scholarly questions are you interested in exploring in graduate study?
      • Are there any specific faculty members whose research interests align with your own with whom you would like to work?
      • How will our program help you achieve your academic and professional goals?
  • For all applicants, the below series of questions require short answers. Questions 1 and 2 are required while questions 3 and 4 are optional.
    • Please describe any experiences and/or challenges that may have shaped your intellectual and personal development.
    • Provide insight into your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect in which scholars with diverse perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and collaborate productively and positively.
    • Please address any concerns you may have in your application. If, for example, you do not believe that your academic credentials demonstrate your true capabilities, please explain why. Also, describe any gaps in your academic career and work experience or any extenuating circumstances in your profile of which the admissions committee should be made aware.
    • If there is something that you would like to highlight that you have yet to discuss in other areas of the application, please do so here.

Unlike many MBA programs, we do not require an interview. However, we strongly encourage you to visit campus and see for yourself how our high-tech, high-touch environment can help you succeed.

Application Deadlines

The Fall 2024 on-campus MHRIR application deadline was February 1, 2024, and those that have applied with a completed application, by this deadline, will hear admission decisions by the March 15, 2024. We are extending the Fall 2024 on-campus MHRIR application deadline until May 1, 2024, and will consider all additional completed applications. For the extended deadline, we will make decisions on a rolling basis.  Please contact Assistant Dean Becky Barker (ebarker@illinois.edu) for more information. On-campus MHRIR Spring 2025 applications will open in August 2024 and are due on November 1, 2024. Decisions will be made after the deadline and applicants will be notified around December 1, 2024.

The online program admits individuals on a rolling basis and accepts fall applications until July 1, spring applications until November 1, and Summer applications until April 1. We will consider late applications, past the deadlines, until we reach our enrollment capacity. Please contact Director Eden Haycraft Smothers (ehaycra@illinois.edu) for more information.

For the PhD program, January 7 is the deadline for fall admission.  Please contact Assistant Dean Becky Barker (ebarker@illinois.edu) for more information.

Tuition

You can learn more about tuition rates and financial aid options here.

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