Minor in Cultural Proficiency

Overview

Cultural competency is the ability to work effectively and sensitively across cultural contexts. It involves learning, communicating and connecting respectfully with others regardless of differences. Culture can refer to an individual’s race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status and age, among other things. All these factors strongly influence people’s lives and experiences.

Students, regardless of background or identity, bring both cultural understanding and self-awareness to their work. This new course will introduce the process of building this understanding and awareness enabling students to begin developing skills to interact positively within our diverse campus community and global society.

Benefits

Benefits of this new Minor are that it is designed to:

1. Increase intercultural respect and mutual understandings necessary to participate in a global society.
2. Increase creativity in problem-solving through new perspectives, ideas, and strategies.
3. Increase participation and involvement among cultural groups.
4. Increase trust and cooperation so necessary to be an effective global citizen.

Requirements

Ideally, students should begin the Minor in their second year.  Fifteen hours of course work are required to complete the Minor as follows: 

Required Courses (9 units) 

ED 203 Foundations of Cultural Competency in a Changing World (3 units)
Culture, cultural diversity and multiculturalism constitute some of the most significant social issues in America today. Oriented around the core concept of culture and cultural groups, this course is designed to introduce the participant to the basic concepts of culture and cultural diversity, and develop an awareness and appreciation for the full range of diversity. 

ED 409 Integrative Seminar in Cultural Competency (3 units)
Prerequisite: Ed 203 with a grade of C (2.0) or better.
This course will include an examination of culturally appropriate practice issues that are essential considerations for effective service delivery, including African American families and ethnic subcultures predominant in the U.S. 

CSP 401 Quest for Identity (3 units)
  Impact of interpersonal, social, and cultural variables on understandings of self, relationships, and the world. Social construction of multiple identities.

Elective Courses (6 units) 

Minimum of two approved elective courses covering at least two diversity categories not from the same (home) department. See the General Catalog for specific course electives. 

• Africana Studies (3 units)
• American Indian Studies  (3 units)
• Anthropology (3 units)  
• Asian Studies (3 units)  
• Chicana/o Studies (3 units)
• Communications (3 units)  
• Counseling and School Psychology(3 units)
• Dual Language and English Learner Education (3 units)  
• Education(3 units)  
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies (3 units)  
• Women’s Studies (3 units)

Fall 2017 Course Schedule

Textbooks

	A Guide To Developing Cultural Competency For Students In Higher Education Advancing the Multicultural Curve On The College Campus RACE, CLASS and EQUALITY
	Guide to Developing Cultural Self Awareness for Students in Higher Education Summer
	Guide to Developing Cultural Competence for Students in Higher Education

Contact

Dr. Tanis King Starck Assistant Dean, College of Education Email: culturalproficiency@sdsu.edu