EPSY 5135—Human Relations Workshop
The Workshop in Human Relations (EPSY 5135) offered at the University of Minnesota is a 4 credit course and is approved to meet the Minnesota Department of Education (651-296-2046) requirement for licensure. There is an attendance requirement; students are not allowed to miss more than one class.
Class description
An experientially based course including simulation activities,
curriculum writing, and supervised practice in basic human relations
skills emphasizing social psychological principles involved in
stereotyping and prejudice and their implications for educational
practice.
When class is offered
The course is usually offered during the Fall and May
terms. See the
class schedule
to view days and times.
Registration
To register for the course as a non-degree student, please contact
the program at psyf-adm@umn.edu.
For online course registration, contact the instructor for a permission number using the information found in the class schedule then go to the Student Services Web site for instruction on how to complete your registration.
Tuition and fees
Current tuition and fees are determined by your degree status. Information can be
found at Tuition and fees.
Textbook information Required textbooks for the course can be found at the Coffman Bookstore Web site.
Waiver information for workshop in human relations
If you feel that you have taken courses or have training or work experience that could possibly exempt you from taking EPSY 5135—Workshop in Human Relations, you may request a waiver review from Dr. Geoff Maruyama, director of human relations program. Waivers can only be granted to individuals whose coursework or training constitutes a close match to the curriculum of the four credit EPSY 5135 course, which includes a variety of materials, videos and in-class activities.
To be considered for a waiver please submit the following:
- A letter requesting a waiver review. Include a description of any human relations training.
- Copies of course descriptions and syllabi.
- Copies of transcripts.
Send your request to:
Professor Geoff Maruyama, PhD
Department of Educational Psychology
University of Minnesota
153 Education Sciences Building
56 East River Road
Minneapolis, MN 55455
If you have other questions regarding the human relations course that haven't been answered here, call 612-624-6083.
Course information
Human Relations Workshop (EPSY 5135) addresses cognitive biases, prejudice, and discrimination, particularly in teaching and educational settings. The course provides a framework for looking at issues related to racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, victim blaming, disability in-sensitivities, etc., in terms of history, power, and perception across society, groups, and individuals. The course perspective for addressing issues of prejudice is "cognitive" and views prejudice as resulting from everyday cognitive processing of information and focuses on increasing students' awareness of how and why prejudices develop.
The course connects social and cultural diversity in the United States to educational settings and socialization issues. Participants acquire a concept of multicultural and gender fair behaviors as the expected experience. The course allows participants the opportunity to reflect and act on how they, as multicultural individuals, will respond in positive and sensitive ways to diversity. EPSY 5135 addresses the social, political, and economic realities that participants will experience in culturally diverse and complex human encounters. This preparation includes the development of competencies for perceiving, believing, evaluating, and behaving in different cultural settings. The course provides educational tools to help individuals become more responsive to the human condition, individual cultural integrity, and cultural pluralism in society.
Specifically, participants in this course should be able to:
- recognize and deal with dehumanizing biases, discriminations, and prejudices
- create learning environments that contribute to positive interpersonal relations and the self-esteem of all persons
- understand the contributions and lifestyles of the various racial, cultural, and economic groups in our society
- respect human diversity and personal rights