Social workers understand how diversity characterizes and shapes the human experience and is critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors including age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, political ideology, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. Social workers appreciate that, as a consequence of difference, a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege, power, and acclaim.

In keeping with the School's mission and the commitment to educate students for practice in a heterogeneous society, curriculum content on human diversity is integrated into nearly every course. In addition, students must take one or more courses from a list of approved first and second year offerings. The requirement in human diversity is intended to provide students with an analytical framework to understand human behavior and political processes in the environment of a diverse society to satisfy the following five goals:

1. To promote respect for ethnic and cultural diversity as an integral part of social work's commitment to preserve human dignity.
2. To foster knowledge and understanding of individuals, families, and communities in their socio-cultural and socio-economic contexts.
3. To analyze the ethnic and political issues related to the patterns, dynamics, and consequences of discrimination and oppression.
4. To develop skills to promote individual and social change toward social and economic justice.
5. To provide a theoretical framework for integrating an approach toward diversity within students' own particular area of expertise (e.g., clinical, community, organization, management, etc.).

Each year students will be provided a list of courses that meet the diversity requirement. Students who would like to substitute a course must obtain a copy of the syllabus for that course and submit a written memo to the Dean of Students explaining why that course will meet the goals provided by the diversity requirement. Because the diversity requirement is intended to give students an analytical framework with which to integrate questions of diversity within their education at SSA, and to enhance the development of practice behaviors for work with diversity and difference in practice, no waivers of this course are considered. Approved courses in human diversity for the 2012-2013 academic year are listed below.

40622 Psychodynamic Perspectives in Practice with LGBT Clients
42100 Aging and Mental Health
42800 Clinical Intervention with Socially Vulnerable Clients
43300 The Exceptional Child
43622 Life Course Development: Immigrant Adolescents and their Families
43900 Disability: Medical, Ethical and Psychosocial Issues
44301 Psychodynamic Perspectives on Spirituality
44401 Sexuality across the Life Cycle
44800 Urban Adolescents in Their Families, Communities, and Schools: Issues for Research and Policy
45112 Contemporary Immigration Policy and Practice
45200 African American Families: Theories and Research on the Role of Fathers
47222 Promoting the Social and Academic Development of Children in Urban Environments
47432 Criminal Justice and Social Work Interface
47500 The Health Services System
47622 Community Development in International Perspective
47812 Human Rights and Social Work: Opportunities for Policy and Practice
60100 Drugs: Culture and Context
60200 Spirituality and Social Work Practice
61200 Introduction to Aging: 21st Century Perspectives
61400 The Social Meaning of Race
62112 Cultural and Political Understandings of Youth
62700 Clinical Work in an International Context
63300 International Perspectives on Social Welfare Policy and Practice
63500 The Civil Rights Movement
63600 Culturally Responsive Intervention, Assessment, and Treatment
63900 Male Roles in Life Course Development in Family, Community and Civic Society