Because St. Ignatius called us to see God in all things and all persons, a Saint Louis University education values diversity and inclusion. It’s also part of the Jesuit tradition to view the education of those who lack access as one of the ways that we can create a more just and equitable world.
Diversity-Related Majors and Minors
At SLU, many academic departments and programs offer courses that fulfill U.S. and global diversity requirements. Additionally, we offer a number of undergraduate majors and minors, as well as graduate programs, in the areas of diversity, social justice, multicultural learning and service leadership, including:
Support and Outreach
African-American Male Scholar Initiative
SLU's African-American Male Scholar Initiative provides mentorship and support to our undergraduate African-American male students to help ensure their retention and graduation.
Office of Diversity and Student Affairs (School of Medicine)
The School of Medicine's Office of Diversity and Student Affairs assists in the recruitment and subsequent support of qualified candidates who are underrepresented in the field of medicine or from groups known to have suffered discrimination and oppression.
Office of Inclusion and Diversity Education (School of Law)
The School of Law's Office of Multicultural Affairs and Outreach coordinates a variety of programs and collaborates with faculty, staff, students, alumni and the St. Louis community to enhance recruitment, retention and mentoring of diverse constituencies within the law school.
INTO SLU
Through INTO SLU, we are working to increase the number of international students who study at Saint Louis University. This not only gives more students around the globe access to a SLU education, it also exposes our U.S. students to an even wider range of cultural perspectives in our classrooms.
Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards
Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship
In keeping with Dr. King’s legacy, SLU's MLK Jr. Scholarship is granted to undergraduate students who are committed to social justice, academic success, service, leadership and intentional cultural awareness experiences.
Pioneers of Inclusion Endowed Scholarship
Established in 2014 by our Black Alumni Association to mark the 70th anniversary of integration at SLU, this Pioneers of Inclusion Endowed Scholarship recognizes the strength and courage of those five men and women who became our first African-American students back in 1944.
Graduate Fellowship Diversity Program
To help enhance diversity in various disciplines’ respective workforces, these fellowships are awarded to newly accepted master's or doctoral level students who demonstrate outstanding scholastic achievement and potential for success in graduate studies at SLU.
The John H. Gladney Diversity Award
Given annually to a fourth-year medical student, the Dr. John H. Gladney award is named after a former chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology and the first African-American to hold the position of chairman of a basic science clinical department in SLU’s School of Medicine.
Discussion and Dialogue
Intergroup Dialogue Course
In this unique course for credit, trained student facilitators lead weekly discussions around issues of race, gender and other social identities. The course provides a safe space for individuals to discuss difficult topics and helps students enhance their communication skills.
Diversity and Global Citizenship Learning Community
Students living in SLU's Diversity and Global Citizenship Learning Community further their knowledge of diverse peoples, communities and societies. Related courses include “Politics of the Developing World” and “Urban Issues: Poverty and Unemployment.”
Race, Poverty and Inequality Conference
This national conference on race — drawing top scholars from across the country into this important conversation — launched in August 2016. We also offer a special diversity speaker series that explores a wide array of issues throughout the academic year.