Minor in Disability Studies
About This Program
The interdisciplinary field of disability studies explores the experiences of people with disabilities—one of the largest minorities in the United States and worldwide—as well as the ways in which conceptions and representations of disability and “the normal” have shaped human experiences more generally. Treating disability as a crucial element of human diversity, the Disability Studies Minor approaches disability as a social, cultural, and political construct rather than just a medical condition (as it is commonly viewed). Taught by faculty from the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Nursing and Health Innovation, Business, and Education as well as the School of Social Work, this flexible and multidisciplinary minor prepares students for a variety of graduate programs and for careers in law, education, public health, engineering, psychology, nursing, medicine, architecture, social work, communication, public history and museums, and sports management and coaching, among other fields.
Students seeking to minor in Disability Studies should first consult with advisors in their major departments or programs for approval, then meet with the director and academic advisor of the Disability Studies Minor.
Competencies
- Upon completion, minors shall demonstrate their ability to use disability studies concepts, frameworks, and/or theories to develop analytical claims within their writing.
- Upon completion, minors shall demonstrate the ability to apply disability studies concepts to a real-world situation.
- Upon completion, minors shall demonstrate deep knowledge of the disability history.
- Upon completion, minors shall demonstrate competency in the basic research and communication skills appropriate to their major discipline, applied to an issue relevant to disability studies.
Curriculum
A minor in Disability Studies consists of 18 hours. Students choose two to four disability studies core courses and can take up to two approved electives. Then, students take two required courses: U.S. Disability History (DS 3307/HIST 3307) and Disability Studies Internship (DS 4395). No more than four courses may be completed in a single discipline.
| Disability Studies Foundations | ||
| DS/HIST 3307 | U.S. DISABILITY HISTORY | 3 |
| DS 4395 | DISABILITY STUDIES INTERNSHIP 1 | 3 |
| Select at least two from the following: | 6 | |
| TOPICS IN DISABILITY STUDIES | ||
| DISABILITY & SOCIAL WORK | ||
or SOCW 3312 | DISABILITY & SOCIAL WORK | |
| CYBORGS AND PROSTHETICS (Replace "CYBORGS AND PROSTHETICS" with the actual title: "TOPICS IN DISABILITY STUDIES") | ||
| DISABILITY ETHICS | ||
| CYBORGS AND PROSTHETICS | ||
or HIST 4327 | CYBORGS AND PROSTHETICS | |
| RESEARCH IN DISABILITY STUDIES | ||
| DISABILITY IN MASS MEDIA | ||
or COMM 3346 | DISABILITY IN MASS MEDIA | |
| UNIVERSAL DESIGN & ACCESSIBILITY IN THE PERFORMING ARTS | ||
or THEA 3355 | UNIVERSAL DESIGN & ACCESSIBILITY IN THE PERFORMING ARTS | |
| DISABILITY AND ART | ||
or ART 3399 | DISABILITY AND ART | |
| CONFERENCE COURSE | ||
| CONFERENCE COURSE | ||
| TOPICS IN DISABILITY HISTORY | ||
| DISABILITY & WORK | ||
or MANA 4329 | DISABILITY & WORK | |
| CONFERENCE COURSE | ||
| CONFERENCE COURSE | ||
| ADAPTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY | ||
| HISTORY SEMINAR (requires prior approval from director) | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select up to two from the following: | 6 | |
| ART AND THE HUMAN CONDITION | ||
| BEGINNING AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I | ||
| BEGINNING AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II | ||
| INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I | ||
| INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II | ||
| LATINO HEALTH ISSUES | ||
| PATIENTS, HEALERS, AND CULTURE | ||
| USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN PROCESS | ||
| HEALTH COMMUNICATION | ||
| COMMUNICATION AND HEALTH DISPARITIES | ||
| WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL | ||
| WOMEN'S HEALTH ISSUES | ||
| CONSUMER HEALTH AND PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS | ||
| HISTORY OF MADNESS | ||
| IMMIGRATION IN UNITED STATES HISTORY | ||
| U.S. LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY | ||
| HISTORY OF MEDICINE | ||
| SOCIAL DARWINISM AND EUGENICS | ||
| COMPARATIVE CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY | ||
| MEDICAL HUMANITIES | ||
| CLINICAL MEDICINE AND THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE | ||
| AMERICAN HEALTHCARE THROUGH FILM | ||
| SPORT AND SOCIETY: ISSUES AND DEBATES | ||
| URBANIZATION AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS | ||
| LANGUAGE IN A MULTICULTURAL USA | ||
| DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| GRAPHIC NOVELS AND THE MEDICAL WORLD | ||
| BIOMEDICAL ETHICS | ||
| BUREAUCRATIC POLITICS | ||
| HEALTH POLITICS, POLICY, AND ADVOCACY | ||
| ANALYZING AND VISUALIZING POLITICAL DATA | ||
| CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, CIVIL SOCIETY, AND COMMUNITY | ||
| U.S. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS | ||
| FEDERAL SOCIAL POLICY | ||
| HEALTH POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
| HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| SELF AND SOCIAL IDENTITY | ||
| MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY | ||
| SPANISH FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES | ||
| INTERPRETING IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS | ||
| ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY | ||
| ROBOTS, DIGITAL HUMANITIES, AND THEATRE | ||
| The follow require prior approval from director: | ||
| CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND IDENTITY | ||
| SPECIAL STUDIES IN ART HISTORY | ||
| THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTH | ||
| TOPICS IN MULTICULTURAL AMERICAN LITERATURES | ||
| TOPICS IN CRITICAL THEORY | ||
| TOPICS IN MEDICAL HUMANITIES | ||
| HEALTH ISSUES IN DIVERSE & VULNERABLE POPULATIONS | ||
| TOPICS IN BIOETHICS | ||
| DIAGNOSIS OF HUMAN DISEASE | ||
| SOCIAL INEQUALITY | ||
| SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE ACROSS POPULATIONS AND CONTEXTS | ||
| SPECIAL EDUCATION LEGAL AND POLICY ISSUES | ||
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Note that some electives change focus from term to term and may therefore not be relevant to the minor during a particular semester. Credit will only be given when the topic of the course (or a substantial portion) focuses on issues related to disability. Other relevant courses not listed may also be used to fulfill the minor, with approval from the director of the Disability Studies Minor. For that reason and for the purposes of planning the internship, it is important that students consult with the advisor for the minor before registering each semester.
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DS 4395 is a supervised internship/capstone course through which students apply the academic skills they have acquired in Disability Studies courses. Interns work at an approved business, academic, or non-profit site that focuses on adapted sports, disability history, assistive technology, disability rights and policy, or universal design and accessibility; they also complete a capstone essay. Students should complete this course as one of their final courses for the minor and must have already taken or be taking DS 3307/HIST 3307.
Advising Resources
All new and continuing students interested in Disability Studies should meet with the DS advisor and director. We can help them design a Disability Studies course and internship plan that matches their career and/or graduate school interests.
Location:
University Hall, Suite 333
Email:
Refer to the Disability Studies advising page below.
Phone:
817-272-2371
Web:
For further advising information, including Disability Studies classes, internships, scholarships, and the director’s and academic advisor’s emails, visit our website.