Diversity Studies

Examine the experiences of others while gaining a better understanding of your own.

Diversity Studies Minor

Learn to view the world through a different lens and value the richness of the human experience. With a minor in diversity studies, you’ll examine the experiences of others while gaining a better understanding of your own.

Ready to become a more informed citizen of the world?

You’ll explore how issues of race, social class, culture, gender, sexuality and ethnicity shape our society, our daily lives and our own understanding of the world.

The diversity studies minor will help you broaden your awareness of others from a variety of viewpoints. You’ll appreciate the role diversity plays in creating more dynamic communities, engage in conversations about cultures and social structures, and learn how to apply that knowledge to your daily life.

In addition to specific courses, you’ll draw from classes from a range of disciplines — anthropology, communications, history, Jewish studies, philosophy, political science, religion, sociology and women and gender studies.

Explore Your Studies

program Resources

DIVS 100

Introduction to Diversity Studies

Introduces students to the study of diversity. Students learn the historical contexts of diversity issues and the scholarly language that has been developed to discuss these issues and investigate how diversity has operated in specific arenas (such as sports or music). This requirement can also be satisfied through taking either ANTH 152 or SOCI 101. 4 SH. CC: Diversity.

DIVS 400

Diversity Encounters Changing World

The capstone course for the minor, this course is a continued examination of diversity issues as they affect personal, group, community and academic discourses. Students work with a faculty mentor to focus, develop and apply knowledge of diversity issues to a significant area of student interest, resulting in a major project. Students need to contact the director of diversity studies to sign up for this course and make arrangements for their particular project. 2 SH.

When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor and consult with their advisor(s).

Learning Goals

Knowledge of the limits and contexts of one’s own experience and the ability to value the different experiences of others.
Recognition and understanding of the diversities of human experience.
Continued growth development as a contributing member of a number of communities within human society.
Commitment to an ongoing development of the life of the mind.

Minor in Diversity Studies

The minor in diversity studies consists of 22 semester hours, including either DIVS-100 Introduction to Diversity Studies, ANTH–162 Introduction to Anthropology or SOCI–101 Principles of Sociology; the capstone course for the minor, DIVS-400 Diversity Encounters for a Changing World: Models of Impact; and 16 semester hours selected from courses in the women and gender studies program, courses in the Jewish & Israel studies program and other courses approved by the director of diversity studies.