The Global Labour University

International Masters Programmes
for Trade Unionists

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Programme Structure & Credits

Credits & Disciplines

The students need to complete 120 course credits, which is equivalent to 10 disciplines. They will also be required to write a Masters thesis (45 credits) and complete an internship. In the first semester they should complete the following four compulsory courses:

 

1) Macroeconomics, Development and Job Creation;

2) Strategies of Multinational Corporations and Labour;

3) Quantitative Methods, Research and Thesis Writing;

4) Thesis Project’s Elaboration.

 

These disciplines will run from March to June. Two other support language disciplines are optional: Basic Portuguese and Advanced English. These will run from January to June.

 

Other special seminars offered during the first semester are: One World Seminar; Amazonian Environmental Issues; Health and Safety at Work; Social Vulnerability and Decent Work.

 

Students who complete two relevant disciplines in a related Masters programme - either before or after their stay in Brazil - will have these credits recognised by the State University of Campinas, provided they are from a recognised university. Students must complete eight disciplines in Brazil.

 

In July students will be offered a four weeks internship in a trade union, a labour confederation, a research institute or another institution related to their studies in Brazil. These activities will be considered as the 5th discipline (12 credits).

 

In the second semester students should complete five more courses:

 

6) Economic Development, Labour and Trade Unions - emphasizing developing countries and Latin America;

7) Social Structures, Inequality and Poverty;

8) Trade Union Strategies in a Global Economy, International Economy, Global Management and Trade Unionism.

 

Please note: These three disciplines run from August to November while the two mentioned below run from January to February.

 

9) International Labour Standards, Rights, Policies and Solidary Economy;

10) Thesis Writing: presentation of at least one chapter of the final dissertation.

 

See below the structure of the course.

 

Course Structure

First Semester

 

Second Semester

January - June July August - February
1. Macroeconomics, Development and Job Creation
(compulsory)

5.Internships
(compulsory)
6. Economics Development
Labour and Trade Unions – emphasizing developing countries and Latin America
(compulsory)
2. Strategy of Multinational Corporations and Labour
(compulsory)
  7. Social Structures, Inequality and Poverty
(compulsory)
3. Quantitative Methods, Research and Thesis Writing
(compulsory)
  8. Trade Union Strategies in a Global Economy
International Economy, Global Management and Trade Unionism
(compulsory)
4. Thesis Project’s Elaboration
(optional)
  9. International Labour Rights, Standards, Policies and Solidary Economy
(optional)
    10. Writing one chapter of the final dissertation
(optional)
Language Support
Basic Portuguese
Advanced English
(optional)
  Language Support
Basic Portuguese
Advanced English
(optional)
Special Seminars
One World Seminar
Amazon Environmental Issues
Health and Safety at Work
Social Vulnerability and Decent Work
(compulsory)
  Special Seminars
Amazon Environmental Issues
Health and Safety at Work
Social Vulnerability and Decent Work
(compulsory)

Masters Thesis

The final Masters thesis must be written and filed by the end of the year. Possible topics for dissertations related to labour issues should be discussed and defined with the supervisors at the beginning of the programme. If students prefer to write their thesis in another country they could choose a foreign professor as his/her second supervisor. However the final examination should be at Unicamp. The presence of Brazilian professors in Germany and South Africa could help the supervision of students enrolled in these countries if they decided to spend one semester at Unicamp and/or to write their Masters thesis about Brazil or Latin America.