Program Overview
The Disability Studies Minor promotes the study of disability and prepares you for an inclusively designed world. You will examine the concept of disability historically, in contemporary society and in your chosen fields of study. Through required and elective courses, you will explore challenges and opportunities we face in making our world more accessible to all. Students will study and learn about how culture, education, and technology have shaped and continue to shape our definition and understanding of people with disabilities.
While the program is affiliated with special education faculty in the College of Education, the minor does not prepare students to become special education teachers.
Key Features
- Interdisciplinary Approach: Engage with disability studies from multiple perspectives, integrating insights from fields such as sociology, psychology, education and public health.
- Inclusive Practices: Explore strategies for promoting inclusivity and accessibility in various settings, including education, healthcare and community environments.
- Professional Development: Enhance advocacy skills and cultivate a commitment to social change, preparing for roles as change agents in diverse professional settings.
“Being a Disability Studies minor has allowed me to find and embrace a passion in care for patients with disabilities, which I hope to take into my future career. My favorite part of the minor is the community I found through my peers and professors.”
Learning Goals
Learning Goals
- Increase cultural competency by critically examining disability as a global societal phenomenon.
- Acquire an awareness and understanding of the various roles and rights of people with disability in history and in modern society.
- Explore the Disability Studies’ framework within your field of study and intended profession to enhance advocacy, inclusive best practices, and your role as a change agent.
- Examine ways in which systems inhibit and promote full participation of people with disabilities.
- Develop analytical and observation skills and apply inclusive disability frameworks to your academic, professional, and personal life.
Careers
Career Options
Disability Studies is a strong component to add to many careers. Below are a few examples of jobs that benefit from knowledge in disability studies:
- Disability Rights Advocate: Advocate for the rights and inclusion of individuals with disabilities in areas such as education, employment and healthcare.
- Accessibility Specialist: Work to ensure accessibility and accommodation in public spaces, digital environments and educational institutions.
- Policy Analyst: Analyze and develop policies related to disability rights, social welfare, and inclusive practices in government or nonprofit organizations.
- Educational Consultant: Provide expertise in inclusive education practices and accessibility accommodations to schools, universities, and educational agencies.
- Community Organizer: Facilitate community initiatives and programs aimed at promoting accessibility, inclusion and empowerment for individuals with disabilities.
How to Apply
How to Apply
You will be able to apply to the program during a two-week window in the fall.
You will be notified of acceptance into the minor program within one month of application after review by the Disability Studies Team.
Advising will be offered each semester.
- At least one more full academic year left at UMD before application submission
- Successful completion (C- or better) of gateway course CHSE 205
- Student in good standing status at UMD
- Statement of interest consistent with the purpose of the minor
- Copy of unofficial transcript in docx, jpeg, or pdf format
Freshmen and sophomores who apply to and are accepted for the minor will be able to complete requirements within four years.
Juniors admitted to the minor may be able to complete the program in four years depending how the requirements of the DS Minor fit into their plan of study for their major.
Seniors may apply who have completed most of the coursework and write compelling reasons for adding the DS Minor.
Requirements
Program Requirements
This curriculum is designed to help you develop analytical and observation skills and apply inclusive disability frameworks to academic, professional and personal lives.
15 credits total:
- 6 credits (two courses) are lower level foundational courses
- 9 credits (three courses) are upper level electives
- CHSE 205: Disability: From Stigma and Side Show to Mainstream and Main Street
EDSP 220: Disability in Community: Access, Accommodation, and Adaptation
OR
HESP 202: Introduction to Hearing and Speech Sciences
Choose three (all courses are 3 credits):
- BMGT 360: Strategic Management of Human Capital
- COMM 382: Intercultural Communication
- INST 466: Technology, Culture, and Society
- EDHD 310: Your Brain on Education: The Neuroscience of Learning and Development
- EDSP 470: Introduction to Special Education
- HESP 499: Independent Study (Directed study in speech and language) (May enroll in 1-3 credit hours)
- EDSP 498: Special Problems in Special Education (directed study) (Must register for 3 credits)
- ENME 444: Assistive Robotics (Requires permission of ENGR)
- KNES 334: Adapted Physical Activity: Empowering People with Disabilities to Lead a Healthy and Active Lifestyle.
- EDSP 376: Fundamentals of Sign Language
- EDSP476: Communicating with Sign Language
- EDSP311: Peer Mentor Training and Certification
- HESP 386: Experiential Learning (Peer mentoring with college students with disabilities- SIGNA, PEERS)
- PLCY 302: Examining Pluralism in Public Policy
- SOCY335: Sociology of Health and Illness
- FMSC330: Family Theories and Patterns
- PSYC354: Multicultural Psychology in the US
NOTE: Per University policy, no more than six credits from a student's minor or certificate program can also be applied to a student's major (unless exceptions have been made by the student's major program), and no more than six credits may be taken at an institution other than the University of Maryland. All courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
Contact
Contact
