Disability Studies
The Disability Studies Minor offers an interdisciplinary exploration of disability as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon.
Grounded in a social justice framework, students examine the ways disability is shaped by stigma, power, and privilege, equipping students with theoretical tools to analyze disability’s intersections with other social categories. The minor fosters conversations that challenge ableism and reframe disability as a site of possibility rather than limitation by emphasizing inclusion, relationality, and access.
Admission Requirements
Students wishing to declare the minor must complete an interest form and submit it to the Disability Studies faculty advisor. The interest form will request a planned curriculum through the minor.
Program Requirements
The Disability Studies curriculum includes 16 units, comprising four courses in total. Students begin with Introduction to Disability Studies, followed by three electives drawn from a range of disciplines—including the humanities, social sciences, health sciences, and law. This interdisciplinary approach offers a rich and nuanced understanding of disability in both historical and global contexts. At least two of the elective courses must be upper-division.
Required Courses
Learning Outcomes
Students will engage with first-person experiences of disability in a variety of media, including, but not limited to, the collections of the LMU William H. Hannon Library.
Students will identify the conceptual and methodological tools employed in different disciplines to study disability.
Through an exit survey, students will describe how a disability justice perspective has influenced their college experience and integrates with their area of concentration.
Faculty
Amanda Apgar
Faculty Advisor of the Disability Studies Minor
ExpertFile Profile Email Dr. Apgar Interest Form