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Critical Cultural Competence

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers the Certificate in Critical Cultural Competence. The certificate program helps students develop an appreciation for their own cultural identities. It also helps them become critically self-reflective in their orientation to differences in other people's cultural identities as defined by matters such as race, ethnicity, gender, class, and sexual orientation.

The certificate program is open to undergraduate students across the University. It is administered by the School of Social Work.

Certificate

Certificate students build the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they will need in order to increase their effectiveness in relating to others across cultural differences and in domestic and international environments that are increasingly diverse.

Intended outcomes for students who complete the certificate are:

• greater appreciation of cultural differences;
• increased ability to interact with individuals of diverse backgrounds;
• adoption of a philosophy of treating people fairly, equitably, and thoughtfully;
• critical self-reflection and awareness of one’s own culture;
• ability to assess and understand culture-related privilege and disprivilege; and
• concern with issues of power and privilege, and social justice.

The certificate requires the following course work.

Students begin the certificate with 208:120 Foundations of Critical Cultural Competence, which is offered spring semesters and is prerequisite to the course work that follows. They complete a minimum of three elective courses (9 s.h.) that cover at least two diversity categories; a maximum of two electives may be taken from the same department, and two of the three electives must be 100-level or above. An additional experiential elective (3 s.h.) with an immersion-learning or service-learning component is required. Students complete the certificate's requirements with the capstone course, 208:190 Integrative Seminar in Critical Cultural Competence, which is offered spring semesters.

In collaboration with the certificate program's coordinator, students establish study plans while completing the foundation course. The coordinator works with the academic advisor in the student's major to ensure that the study plan complements the student's academic program and career interests. The program coordinator approves the final study plan, recommends the sequence in which course work should be taken, schedules required courses, and keeps a record of each student's approved program and progress.

Once a student fulfills the requirements for the certificate and completes an undergraduate degree, the certificate is noted on his or her transcript.

For more information, contact the School of Social Work.