MA International Labour and Trade Union Studies

Course summary

Past students say about the MA:

“The MA has broadened my understanding of union revitalisation and examples from unions in various parts of the world that have embarked on strategies and actions to confront and arrest union decline and crisis”
Ariel B. Castro (Full-time MA student 2008-09)
Senior Specialist for Workers' Activities
ILO Subregional Office for South Asia

Read Ariel’s contribution to Strategies for Confronting the Global Crisis, Multilateralism and Trade and Investment Agreements. This was published by the Global Union Research Network (www.gurn.info/en/) in 2009. Click on the link below:

http://www.gurn.info/en/gurn-special-publications-1/gurn-special-publications-1/selections-from-tuca-publication-on-the-global-economic-crisis

Current students say about the MA:

“The MA ILTUS is an excellent course - it has given me a much better picture of what's happening with unions internationally, and how Unite fits in to this. It has widened my perspective on industrial relations so that I understand what is happening behind the scenes, and this has done a lot for my confidence. I have also picked up really good research and analysis skills. The tutors are really supportive, and having fellow students from across the labour movement and all over the world has been great”
Walton Pantland (Part-Time MA student 2008-10)
Learning Organiser (Scotland)
Unite the Union

“It is true to say that I cannot recall a time in my life when I developed so rapidly, and gained such a breadth and depth of knowledge. It is more vital than ever for the global community of trade unionists that we equip ourselves with the skills to support us in the struggle for improvements in conditions for workers the world over”
Anthony Foster (Part-time MA student 2008-10)
CONNECT Branch Secretary
BT Legal and Regulatory Department

"I am grateful that I found the Ruskin College Masters in International Labour and Trade Union Studies because, the intellectual rigour, the camaraderie of the students and academic staff and the challenges to my preconceptions of academia has given me a much more rounded and fulfilling experience than I would have expected at the start of October 2008. I have made some very good and hopefully lifelong friends from across the globe, and now have some of the intellectual grounding to answer back when trade unions are criticised."
Carol Jess (Part-time student 2008-10)
Workplace representative for ACCORD