MS in Disability and Human Development
Admission Requirements
Applicants are considered on an individual basis. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:
- Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
- Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study. In exceptional cases applicants having a lower GPA may be admitted if they can demonstrate substantial evidence of their ability to complete the program successfully.
- Tests Required None.
- Minimum English Competency Test Score (for international applicants)
- TOEFL 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Test); 60, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Writing 21 (revised Paper-Delivered Test, OR,
- IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores, OR,
- PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
- Program Application Required.
- Letters of Recommendation Two letters or reference surveys required.
- Personal Statement Required.
- Deadlines Application deadlines for this program are listed on the Graduate College website.
Degree Requirements
In addition to the minimum requirements of the Graduate College, students must meet the following program requirements:
- Minimum Semester Hours Required 32.
- Course Work This program requires a minimum of 32 semester hours of credit. At least 12 of these 32 hours must be attained in courses at the 500 level. No more than 12 semester hours may be transferred from accredited and acceptable study at other institutions.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| Disability, Human Development and Community Participation | ||
| Disability Through the Lifecourse | ||
| Concepts in Interdisciplinary Research on Disability | ||
| Concentration Courses | ||
| Disability Studies Concentration | ||
| Select a minimum of two of the following: a | ||
| Cultural Politics of Disability and Health | ||
| Disability Legal Studies | ||
| Disability and Culture | ||
| Disability Policy | ||
| Select an additional 3-5 minimum hours of Disability Studies classes approved by the advisor. | ||
| Assistive Technology Concentration | ||
| Introduction to Assistive Technology: Principles and Practice | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Access Assessment for AAC, Computers, and Mobile Technologies in Assistive Technology | ||
| Augmentative Communication Assessment | ||
| Consideration, Assessment and Documentation of Assistive Technology in PreK-12 Educational Setting | ||
| Seating and Positioning for Wheelchair Mobility and Manual and Powered Wheelchair Technologies (Must take both courses for a total of 3 hours of credit) | ||
| Select an additional 3 hours of AT Assessment course work approved by the advisor. | ||
| Select an additional 3 hours of DHD classes approved by the advisor. | ||
| Electives | ||
Minimum of 8 hours | ||
- a
Other DHD classes may be substituted with approval.
- Comprehensive Examination Not required.
- Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Thesis or course-work-only options are required. No other options are available.
- Thesis: A thesis is strongly recommended for students interested in pursuing careers in scholarship or research. Students electing a thesis must complete a minimum of one 3-hour methodology course approved by their advisor as part of their concentration/elective hours. Students in the Assistive Technology concentration must additionally register for DHD 590 as part of their concentration/elective hours. All students must form a committee, and register for one hour of DHD 593 to develop and defend a short thesis proposal. Students must pass the proposal defense in order to take DHD 598. A minimum of 5 total hours of DHD 598 are required.
- Disability Studies Concentration Course-Work-Only Option: Students in the Disability Studies concentration electing the course-work-only option must register for 3 hours of DHD 594 with a faculty member, and take an additional 3 hours of Disability Studies courses, approved by the advisor.
- Assistive Technology Concentration Course-Work-Only Option: Students in the Assistive Technology concentration electing the course-work-only option must register for 3 hours of DHD 590 with a faculty member or DHD 441, and take an additional 3 hours of DHD courses, approved by the advisor.
Interdepartmental Concentrations
Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their graduate advisor. Interdepartmental concentrations available for this degree include: