Learn about UVM's diversity requirement and transfer credit guidelines.

To be considered for diversity credit, a course must carry at least three credits (or the equivalent). Transfer credit review begins with the Office of Transfer Affairs, where you should submit the following materials. Incomplete or poorly justified proposals will not be considered.

  • A detailed syllabus of the transferred course in question. Additional supporting documentation may be requested if the committee deems it necessary.
  • An essay of approximately one page that explicitly states which requirement (D1 or D2) you are attempting to fulfill and how the transferred course meets the diversity criteria, as outlined in the paragraphs below. To be considered, the essay must include the following:

For D1 credit: Race and Racism in the U.S.

Courses in this category have as a primary focus race and racism in the United States as it pertains to ALANA populations. A D1 course must promote an understanding of:

  • Race and racism in the U.S.;
  • The meaning of power and privilege;
  • The importance and impact of diversity and multiculturalism in U.S. society.
  • The course must also include processes that foster critical analysis and assessment of individual, institutional, and/or systemic forms of discrimination.

It is important that a course approved for D1 credit address race and racism in a substantial and meaningful way. Therefore, please address each of the following points in your one-page essay:

  • How was the subject of race and racism addressed in the course?
  • How did the course address the meaning of power and privilege?
  • How did it explore the importance and impact of diversity and multiculturalism in U.S. society?
  • Approximately what proportion of the course content focused on these topics? For example, a course entitled "Native American Music" could focus mostly on the style and structure of the music itself or it could substantially address the social and cultural forces that have influenced that music. To satisfy the D1 requirement, the course in question must have race and racism as a principal focus.
  • How did the course foster reflection regarding your own attitudes in a manner that was observable by your instructor?

For D2 credit: Human and Societal Diversity

Courses in this category focus on expanding students' cultural awareness. A D2 course is intended to:

  • Promote an awareness of and appreciation for the diversity of human experience in all its forms including, but not limited to race, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, language, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and disability; and/or
  • Foster an understanding of global and international issues including the flow of people, cultures, diseases, and capital or other resources within or across political and geographical boundaries.
  • D2 courses prepare students to contribute positively to local, national, and global communities, to see questions from multiple perspectives, and to move capably among diverse groups and cultures.
  • Courses in this broader category must promote an understanding of and an appreciation for at least one of the many facets of human and/or societal diversity.

Therefore, please address the following points in your one-page essay:

  • How did the course address one or more of the following topics: a) non-United States cultures, past or present; b) the workplace, organization, and/or the community; c) global or international issues, including the flow of people, cultures, labor, capital, diseases, or resources past or present, across or within all international / multinational geographical borders; d) backgrounds and/or orientations related to race, ethnicity, religion, class/socio-economic status, language, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, or other socially constructed categories; or e) interventions and /or techniques to serve the needs of diverse groups in society.
  • Approximately what proportion of the course content focused on these topics? For example, a course entitled "Plants and Society" could focus mostly on plant biology, or it could substantially address the relationship between human cultures and the plants that have sustained them. To satisfy the D2 requirement, the course in question must have human and societal diversity as a substantial focus.