Steve Hicks School of Social Work, Texas Center for Disability Studies, School of Nursing, College of Education, College of Fine Arts, and College of Liberal Arts
The Minor in Critical Disability Studies (CDS) is designed to broaden a student’s conception of disability with a focus on the social context and cultural representations of disability. Critical Disability Studies is an interdisciplinary approach that adds breadth to the traditional, primarily medical, view of disability. Critical Disability Studies reframes the study of disability with a social/cultural/political paradigm, using a minority group model to critically examine existing beliefs, images, ideologies, policies, and stereotypes about disability. The Steve Hicks School of Social Work is here.
Admission Requirements
Students may enter the CDS portfolio program at any point in their undergraduate work, but it is recommended that they do so as soon as they decide to pursue the portfolio. The following information is requested in the application:
- Proof of enrollment and good academic standing in an approved degree program (minimum GPA of 2.0).
- Consent from the student’s Advisor for participation in the CDS portfolio area.
Course Requirements
Coursework for the CDS Minor consists of three core courses and two three-hour electives.
| Requirements | Hours | |
| S W 325 | Foundations of Social Justice | 3 |
| CDI 360K | Current Social Work Topics (Topic: The Social Context of Disability) | 3 |
| CDI 360K | Current Social Work Topics (Topic: Making Systems Work for People with Disabilities) | 3 |
| Six hours chosen from: | 9 | |
| ALD 322 | Individual Differences | |
| ANT 302 | Cultural Anthropology | |
| ANT 349C | Human Variation | |
| CSD 306K | Introduction to Communication Disorders | |
| CSD 308K | Perspectives on Deafness | |
| E 376M | Studies in Ethnic American Literature | |
| EDP 376T | Topics in Educational Psychology | |
| N 347 | Specialized Topics in Nursing | |
| SED 303 | Autism Spectrum Disorder: Truths and Consequences | |
| KIN 352K | Studies in Human Movement: Topical Studies | |
| KIN 360 | Programming for People with Disabilities | |
| CDI 360K | Current Social Work Topics | |
| Please Note: | ||
| All courses in the Critical Disability Studies minor must be taken on a letter grade basis, and students must earn a minimum grade of a C. | ||
Getting Started
Social Work and Interdisciplinary Disability Minor News
- The social work minor and interdisciplinary disability minor are open and are accepted on a rolling basis. There are NO personal essays required. The only requirement to declare the social work or interdisciplinary disability minor is that students have a 2.0 GPA or higher.
- If a student is coded as a social work or interdisciplinary disability minor, they will have access to restricted social work courses required for their minors during the initial registration period.
- The student should direct all questions related to SW/ID minors to BSWadvising@austin.utexas.edu