New York Union Semester

New York Union Semester at the CUNY School of Professional Studies is an innovative semester-away program, for national and international students, open to both undergraduates, graduate students and college graduates. The program provides the opportunity to learn about organized labor in a challenging environment both inside and outside the classroom.

As interns at unions and affiliated organizations in New York City, students gain an understanding of the inner workings of organized labor while they make a real contribution to the work of the movement. In the classroom, students analyze the experience they are gaining in the field, by studying the labor movement , both past and present.

The program is intensive and rigorous - and very rewarding for program participants!

Union Semester is a full-time intensive academic and internship program. Internships are 32-hours a week and students attend four classes each week.

Students who successfully complete their internship and a full Union Semester course load are awarded a Certificate in Labor Studies by the School of Professional Studies (SPS), CUNY.

Why participate in Union Semester?

Develop a deeper understanding of the labor movement

Sharpen your analytic skills and knowledge - be more effective in school or on the job

Obtain professional experience to build your path to a career in labor and social justice

Earn transferable college credits

Combine an academic background in labor studies with exposure to related fields including law, economics, history or political science

Receive a partial tuition scholarship and a weekly stipend to help cover program costs and living expenses

Unions need the participation of educated young people, committed to social change. Organized labor supports Union Semester because it offers students and unions the opportunity to work together toward common goals. Union Semester brings together young people from across the country who care about workers’ rights and the critical social and political issues facing workers today—a living wage, adequate health care, decent working conditions and an end to discrimination in all its forms.

How will Union Semester help me in my future goals?


Union Semester internships provide valuable work experience. The Certificate in Labor Studies from CUNY is a credential that can be used when pursuing future academic and career endeavors. Union Semester is for students who are interested in a wide range of careers, including those in public policy, teaching, law, social work, economics, journalism, advocacy— or any other that requires an understanding of contemporary urban society.

Many Union Semester graduates go on to find jobs in the labor movement. Some have even been hired by the union they interned with. Union Semester alumni receive job postings from unions and organizations who want to recruit Union Semester graduates.


Please review the Program Information packet and if you have any questions about whether the program is a good fit for you, contact :

Amy T. Morris, Program Coordinator,

New York Union Semester, The Murphy Institute, CUNY, 25 W. 43rd St., 18th Floor, New York, NY 10036

212-642-2075 - phone

212-827-5955 - fax

info@unionsemester.org

http://www.unionsemester.org/

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The Murphy Institute is part of the
School for Professional Studies
and the Graduate School and University Center
The City University of New York