Get ahead on your undergraduate career and get a minor with IGR
The 15-credit minor in intergroup relations education will change your life forever. Students learn critical analytical skills, problem-solving in groups, intercultural leadership, and a synthesis of intellectual and practical skills to help them create a more just and equitable world. This minor combines with any major at the university to provide students with skills to bravely achieve change together. IGR minors will develop skills to:
- Raise critical consciousness
- Interrupt dominant narratives
- Collaborate across difference
Intergroup education focuses on intergroup contact across social identities, the examination of inequality and conflict, and how groups build coalitions in the face of power inequities. The IGR minor is a valuable complement to any major. Now more than ever, it is crucial for students to become competent national and global citizens who are prepared to understand this nation's history and to work across social divisions and conflict toward a more just and peaceful world. Students who earn a Minor in intergroup relations education will develop the insight and skills to lead diverse organizations and work effectively across difference.
- Kelly Maxwell, Ph.D., assistant dean for undergraduate education, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Express interest and speak to an advisor
Please complete our minor interest form and an advisor will contact you. If you have questions or need further assistance, please email IGRcourses@umich.edu.
Requirements to earn a minor in intergroup relations education
Minimum 15 credits
- Foundation core courses: Choose either of the following classes
- ALA/PSYCH/SOC 122: Intergroup Dialogues (2 credits), or
- ALA 220/PSYCH213/SOC 218: Foundations of Intergroup Relations (3 credits)
- Tracks: Choose ONE of the following tracks that focus on either the experiences of Facilitation or Campus Communities and Research.
- TRACK ONE: Facilitation
- ALA/SOC 320, PSYCH 310: Training in Intergroup Dialogue Facilitation (2 credits)
- ALA/SOC 321, PSYCH 311: Practicum in Facilitating Intergroup Dialogues (3 credits)
- ALA 270: Special Topics in Intergroup Dialogue (2 credits)
- TRACK TWO: Campus Communities and Research
- Research Methods Course (SOC 210 or STATS 250 or STATS 280) (4 Credits)
- Campus Community Course (ALA 324) (3 Credits)
- IGR Research Practicum (ALA 329), ALA 323, PSYCH 326, or SOC 394 (2 or 3 Credits)
- TRACK ONE: Facilitation
- LSA elective course
- ALA 228 Conflict and Co-existence; ALA 322 Advanced Practicum, ALA 324 Facilitation for Effective Leadership, ALA 471 Leading Community Building, or other approved electives from other departments, see below* (2-4 credits)
- Here is a list of approved LSA Elective Courses for the Minor
- Senior Capstone course (offered in Winter 2021)
- ALA 429/SOC 471/PSYCH 411 Senior Capstone (3 credits)
Visit IGR's course descriptions for more information about each course.
*If students are taking or would like to take a course that they believe qualifies as an LSA elective course for the IGR minor, please first reference the elective criteria:
- The course must address social identities and intergroup relations in some way
- The course should discuss issues of inequality, power, privilege, and oppression
- Or the course should focus on leadership and social change
- The elective must be at least a 200-level course
If students think a course meets the requirements, they must email their advisor and include the following information:
- A brief write up of the course and why you believe it should be an IGR minor elective
- A copy of the course syllabus
Frequently asked questions
The IGR facilitator practicum course (ALA/SOC 321, PSYCH 311) counts for three credits but has five hours of class time. Why don’t I receive five credits for practicum?
We listened to you! Some students did not have room in their schedules for five credits and others wanted to receive five credits for this class. Students who enroll in our three credit practicum can simultaneously enroll in ALA 270, Special Topics in Intergroup Dialogue Facilitation, in the same semester for an additional two credits. This option allows for practicum students to receive a total of three or five credits, depending upon what best fits their needs. Minor students who are in our facilitation track are required to enroll in ALA 270 in the same semester that they take practicum. Students who enroll in ALA 270 are expected to plan the end of semester dialogues celebration. Finally, ALA 321 now satisfies the LSA Race & Ethnicity requirement.
When is Foundations of Intergroup Relations (ALA 220, PSYCH/SOC 218) offered?
Foundations of Intergroup Relations (ALA 220) has become a very popular course, and so we are offering it multiple times each semester. Though it can be counted towards the IGR minor, we encourage students who are planning to minor in IGR to take ALA 122 (Intergroup Dialogues). We have also limited several sections of ALA 220 to only first-year and sophomore students.
When is the IGR Capstone Course (ALA 429/SOC 471/PSYCH 411) offered?
Currently, the IGR capstone course, Social Justice in the Real World, is only offered during the winter term. As demand for the class (and the minor as a whole) grows, we will request to offer the course during both the fall and winter terms. See your IGR minor advisor for more information.
Can I count courses toward the IGR minor that I am using towards a different major(s) or minor(s)?
As per university policy, students may have one course that overlaps between a major and a minor. If a student has a double-major, you may still count ONLY one course as an overlap between majors and a minor. Students may not have any overlapping courses between two or more minors.
Do I have to take the minor courses in a particular order?
University policy requires that students declare a major before they are eligible to declare a minor. For the facilitation track, while there are no prerequisites for ALA 320, IGR encourages students to take ALA 122 first. IGR's capstone course (ALA 429) is generally reserved for your final IGR course.
What is the process for declaring the minor in intergroup relations education? Who do I need to contact or meet with?
In order to declare the IGR minor, students must meet in person with one of our IGR minor advisors: Dr. Stephanie Hicks (sdhicks@umich.edu), Dr. Donna Kaplowitz (DonnaKap@umich.edu), Dr. Christina S. Morton (CSPR@umich.edu) and Danny Alvarez (alverdi@umich.edu). In this meeting, students will have the opportunity to discuss the requirements for the minor, what track they might consider, how this may be different than other minors, how this Minor may help students advance their future careers. Students will complete a declaration sheet, and IGR staff will process the Declaration of Minor with the Newnan Academic Advising Center to update their student records. It may be helpful to come to this meeting with a printed copy of the minor requirements checklist and having reviewed the checklist prior to the meeting. Please remember it is university policy to declare a major BEFORE a minor.
Can I meet with an advisor about the minor, even if I won’t be going through the process of declaring in the meeting?
Absolutely! IGR strongly encourages students, including those who may not be enrolled in IGR course(s), to come in and meet with an IGR advisor. If students are interested in setting up an advising appointment or have questions, please complete the IGR minor interest form and an advisor will contact you.
I'm interested in doing research AND facilitating a dialogue. Is this possible?
Yes! We have many students who do both research and facilitate with us. However, you will only be able to count either research or facilitation towards the minor. Not both. There are a few exceptions so check with igrinfo@umich.edu if you have questions.
If I am enrolled (or will be enrolling) in research, can I spread my research credits over multiple semesters?
Yes! Research credits may be completed over multiple semesters. Students typically receive two research credits during one semester, and one research credit the following semester. IGR can customize the number of credits (up to three credits) to accommodate the student's class load.
I’ve completed a majority of the required classes for the IGR minor, but I’m graduating soon and won’t have time to complete all the requirements. Am I able to “back into the IGR minor”?
Maybe! We will work with students to help them meet the necessary requirements. Students must meet with one of the minor advisors in-person to discuss your options. Email igrinfo@umich.edu to schedule a meeting.
Questions?
Please email any questions to IGRcourses@umich.edu.