The University requires all undergraduates to take a course (or courses), approved by the appropriate school or college, that emphasize the sociocultural, political, and/or economic diversity of the human experience at local, regional, or global levels.

• This requirement is intended to help you develop an understanding of the complexities of living in increasingly diverse and interconnected societies.
• Courses that fulfill the diversity requirement focus on cross-cultural analysis and communication; and historical and contemporary inequities such as those associated with race, ethnicity, class, sex and gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ability, religion, creed, age, and socioeconomic status.
• Course activities should encourage thinking critically about topics such as power, inequality, marginality, and social movements, and support effective cross-cultural communication skills.

Diversity credit courses will simultaneously satisfy other Area of Inquiry requirements and do not add to the total number of credits you need to graduate. Matriculated students entering the UW in autumn quarter 2023 and beyond are required to take five (5) credits of DIV coursework. For students who started between autumn quarter 2014 and summer quarter 2023, three (3) credits are required. Students who started prior to autumn 2014 are exempt from the Diversity requirement.