Disability Rights Activist Judy Heumann in IHDD's Disability Issues in Adulthood course.

For University Students

Disability Studies Courses

IHDD offers Disability Studies Courses to graduate and undergraduate students at UGA. Additionally, IHDD offers a Certificate in Disability Studies to graduate and undergraduate students. The purpose of the Disability Studies Certificate Program is to provide the students at the University of Georgia with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to become professionals and leaders who are capable of implementing change in attitudes, policy, and practice across the nation. These professionals will promote the true inclusion of all individuals with disabilities as fully-participating members of our communities and nation, with all the rights accorded to every citizen. Potential students include those from the educational, medical, and social sciences, but also include students from virtually every discipline including history, the arts, and humanities. The certificate is available to undergraduate students from any school or college at UGA.

Currently enrolled UGA students who have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 are eligible to apply.

Application

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Students must complete an application before the Disability Studies Certificate can be added to his/her transcript. Acceptance into the Certificate program is contingent upon the application completion, the signed approval of the Disability Studies Coordinator and your Academic Advisor.

  1. Be sure you meet the eligibility requirements
  2. Complete the application and have your advisor sign
  3. Email complete application for approval to Carol Britton Laws, PhD, MSW; Disability Studies Coordinator at cblaws@uga.edu.

Benefits

The Disability Studies Certificate students, also considered IHDD Trainees, are linked into a national network of Interdisciplinary Trainees through IHDD’s affiliation with The Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD). This network provides students with an opportunity to connect with the other 4,000 trainees nationally as well as to participate in events, access resources, develop their leadership skills and social network skills to build their future careers. Find out more at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities trainees page.

Graduating with the IHDD Disability Studies Certificate will:

  • Allow you to participate in AUCD’s Early Career Professionals group. AUCD’s early career professionals are highly sought after by state, national, and international disability organizations.
  • Broaden professional opportunities and increase their marketability by having education and experience related to disability studies.
  • Provide the opportunity to learn from and with students from many disciplines, people with disabilities and their families, and the IHDD Faculty and Faculty Fellows.
  • Increase understanding of the social context of disability that extends beyond the boundaries of specific professions, and increase your capacity to work collaboratively with people with disabilities and their families, advocates, and professionals in multiple fields.
  • Students with disabilities will have the opportunity to explore their identities as men and women with disabilities with a raised awareness of the history and value as a cultural group. They will learn from and work with recognized leaders in the Disability Rights Movement at the local, state, and national levels.
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