In addition to the major requirements (below), students must also complete the General Education Requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences, including foreign language through 103 or equivalent. Total credits for the Disability Studies major: 55, 35 of which must be upper division.
The degree information below is also available as a handout.

A. Disability Studies core courses (15 credits)
ALL of the following:
  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 230 (5): Introduction to Disability Studies
  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 433 (5): Disability, Law, and the Community
  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 434 (5): Civil and Human Rights Law for Disabled People
B. Courses Directly Related to Disability Studies (6-10 credits)
TWO of the following:
  • ANTH 305 (5): Anthropology of the Body
  • ANTH 322 (5): Comparative Study of Death
  • ANTH 374 (5): Narrative, Literature, and Medical Anthropology
  • ANTH 376 (5): Anthropology of Disability
  • ANTH 474 (5): Social Difference and Medical Knowledge
  • ANTH 475 (5): Perspectives in Medical Anthropology
  • ANTH 476 (5): Culture, Medicine, and the Body
  • ANTH 478 (5): Introduction to the Anthropology of Institutions
  • ASL 201 (5): Intermediate American Sign Language I
  • ASL 202 (5): Intermediate American Sign Language II
  • ASL 203 (5): Intermediate American Sign Language III
  • ASL 305 (3): Deaf Studies
  • ASL 306 (3): Deaf History
  • B H 421/DIS ST 421 (5): History of Eugenics
  • ASL 495 (3): Literature and Poetry
  • BIS 325 (5): Disability and Human Rights
  • CHID 260 (5): Re-Thinking Diversity
  • DANCE 235 (3, max. 9): Integrated Dance: Training and Composition
  • DANCE 336 (3, max. 9): Integrated Dance: History, Methodology, and Praxis
  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 332 (5): Disability and Society
  • DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 430 (5): Topics in Disability Studies
  • LSJ 420 (5): Politics of Rights
  • PHIL 242 (5): Introduction to Medical Ethics
  • PHIL 409 (3): Philosophy of Disability
  • SOC W 576 (3): Empowerment Practice with Persons with Disabilities
Note: A handful of special topics courses, such as "The History of Eugenics", may be considered for use in the Directly Related category. Please see the Disability Studies adviser for permission to use a course not on this list.

C. Courses Broadly Related to Disability Studies (16-20 credits)

Choose ONE from EACH subset below:


Identity Theory (3-5 credits)

  • AES 151 (5): Introduction to the Cultures of American Ethnic Groups
  • ANTH 207 (5): Class and Culture in America
  • ANTH 228 (5): Identities: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in Anthropology
  • ANTH 444/JSIS A 403 (5): Politics of Representation in Modern China
  • C LIT 211 (5): Literature and Culture
  • GWSS 200 (5): Introduction to Women Studies
  • PHIL 206 (5): Philosophy of Feminism
  • SPHSC 308 (3): Social-Cultural Aspects of Communication

Value Theory (5 credits)

  • PHIL 102 (5): Contemporary Moral Problems
  • PHIL 240 (5): Introduction to Ethics
  • PHIL 338 (5): Philosophy of Human Rights
  • PHIL 345 (5): Moral Issues of Life and Death
  • PHIL 346 (3): Personal Values and Human Good
  • PHIL 411/B H 474 (5): Justice in Health Care
  • PHIL 408 (5): Philosophy of Diversity
  • SOC WF 200 (5): Introduction to Social Welfare Practice

Science Studies (3-5 credits)

  • ANTH 308 (5): Anthropology of Women's Health and Reproduction
  • ANTH 473 (5): Anthropology of Science and Technology
  • ANTH 477 (3): Medicine in America: Conflicts and Contradictions
  • BIO A 101 (5): Human Biological Diversity
  • BIO A 201 (5): Principles of Biological Anthropology
  • BIO A 372 (5): Uses and Abuses of Evolutionary Views of Human Behavior
  • ENGL 264 (5): Literature and Science
  • ENGL 364 (5): Literature and Medicine
  • GEOG 380 (4): Geographical Patterns of Health and Disease
  • GEOG 480 (5): Environmental Geography, Climate, and Health
  • HSTAA 316 (5): History of American Science
  • PHIL 459 (5): Philosophy of Medicine

Civil and Human Rights (5 credits)

  • AES/LSJ 330 (5): Beyond Civil Rights: Law, Culture, and Change
  • ANTH 323/LSJ 321 (5): Human Rights Law in Culture and Practice
  • ANTH/JSIS B/GWSS 345 (5): Women and International Economic Development
  • EDUC 305 (5): The Purpose of Public Schools in Democracy
  • GEOG 342 (5): Geography of Inequality
  • GEOG 445 (5): Geography of Housing
  • HSTAS/JSIS A 245 (5): Human Rights in Asia
  • LSJ 320/POL S 368 (5): The Politics and Law of International Human Rights
  • SOC 360 (5): Introduction to Social Stratification
  • SOC 364 (5): Women in the Social Structure
  • SOC WF 404 (5): Cultural Diversity and Justice
D. Enough Additional Credits from any of the Approved Disability Studies Class Lists to Reach the Minimum 55 Credits (5-13 credits)

Any course not on the approved lists must be approved by the Disability Studies adviser.


E. DIS ST 435: Advanced Seminar in Disability Studies or INDIV 493: Senior Study (5 credits)

You're encouraged to meet with the Disability Studies adviser to discuss your options for fulfilling this requirement; in most cases DIS ST 435 will be the recommended option. Whichever you choose, this requirement represents the culmination of your studies in disability studies. You must earn a minimum 2.7 grade in order for it to count toward your major. Also, either course will count as 5 credits toward your "Additional Writing" requirement.

INDIV 493 is a final independent study project/paper on a topic of interest to you within the field of disability studies.

DIS ST 435 provides an opportunity to review foundational principles and do independent research on a topic in the field of disability studies.