Updates to the Diversity Science and Specialization

Through discussions with the department administration, the Diversity Steering Committee, as well as faculty that are currently serving on the DSC, we would like to reintroduce the Diversity Specialization that is offered to graduate students in the Psychology graduate program. The website containing information on specialization is found here. Please note that there are ongoing changes to the information on the diversity specialization website, so please expect changes to specific requirements!

As a brief overview, the Diversity Specializaion is one of the Minors, Specializations, and Options offered by the graduate program, along with the Quantative, Data Science, and Astrobiology specialization options. The below information is gathered from the official website:

The goal of the Diversity Science Specialization is to inform our understanding of human behavior and develop competency in the following areas:

    1. The unique and intersecting psychologies and perspectives of underrepresented groups.

    2. Psychological processes that contribute to the development of identity and bias.

    3. Exploring, identifying, and questioning biases within our own research and the field at large.

    4. The development of psychological services and empirical investigations that are applicable to and implementable in marginalized communities.

Basic requirements for the Diversity Specialization can be found on the website linked above, but highlights about changes and updates to this specialization as of the Spring 2024 quarter are as below:

1. Similar to the other specializations, it will not be present on official degree certificates, but WILL be present on the graduate student transcripts and will show the quarter when it has been approved. 

2. Specific faculty will be designated as contact personnel for the specialization; these faculty members will be responsible for approving courses and reading any writing materials necessary. The contact information will be made available on the website once the discussions are finalized. 

3. "All students working towards the Diversity Science Specialization must enroll in at least one quarter of the Diversity Science Seminar (Psych 557), usually offered during winter term". Please note that the course is cross-registered on the departmental course page as the seminar of the social area. 

4. Courses beyond the ones that are listed on the website CAN be approved. These courses can be offered by other departments at the university. 

5. Seminars and talks within this topic can beyond the department may also be approved as related-materials/courses. 

6. It is possible that the writing requirement is no longer mandatory. If they wish to write one, it will be approved and read by the designated faculty members as well as 2 members of the DSC.

If you are interested in completing the Diversity Specialization, or have any questions, contact: psychdsc@uw.edu 

If further updates are made, they will be updated here!