Disability Studies

Disability studies is a dynamic, interdisciplinary minor that explores disability as a human experience. Students study the history, culture, and human rights movements of disabled people, analyzing disability's intersections with race, class, gender, sexuality, and nationality. We assume there is no need to fix disabilities. Instead, we build a better world that accommodates and respects people with disabilities.

20+
internship opportunities
90+
students in the minor
10+
interdisciplinary departments

What You Can Do with a Disability Studies Minor

The disability studies minor prepares students for careers in psychology and counseling, health and medicine, government, nonprofit agencies, advocacy, public policy and administration, education, and social work. Graduates can pursue careers in:

  • Human and family services
  • Physical, occupational and speech therapy
  • K-12 education
  • Pre-med and pre-law
  • Arts and museum education
  • Adaptive recreation
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Public interest groups
  • Advocacy
Colin Wilfrid, Disability minor student, playing horn

How Disability Studies Enriches Your Career

"As someone with an intellectual disability, I got to learn a lot about people with physical disabilities. It gave me a lot of broad advocacy skills to advocate on behalf of both physical and intellectual disabilities."

—Colin Wilfrid, Disability Studies Minor

Our Degree Program

Undergraduate students can earn a minor in disability studies with a focus on interdisciplinary studies and fieldwork that provides real-world experience. 

Teacher and kid in class

Learn from Experts in the Field

Students minoring in disability studies will learn from faculty who are known experts in their respective fields. Because each student is given the flexibility to build their own course of study built on their specific interests, there are opportunities to work with faculty representing a broad range of departments.

Children and student at daycare

Get Real-world Experience

Earn credit toward your minor while gaining hands-on experience in the field. You’ll have the opportunity to learn directly from people with disabilities through a wide variety of community partnerships in sports, schools, healthcare, direct support provision, the arts, and many other spheres of life.

Scholarships and Funding

Students in the Disability Studies Program can seek funding through the College of Arts and Sciences, which awards various scholarships both to incoming students and to those already attending the UO.

Undergraduate Scholarships

Academic Support

Students minoring in disability studies can consult our program director or seek support from the advising team at Tykeson College and Career Advising.

Tykeson Advising

Humanities News and CAS Events

LINGUISTICS - Before signing up to travel to Zanzibar, Zoey Blechschmidt knew a few things about the East African country. But most importantly, she had a foundation in Swahili, the language commonly spoken there, and cultural knowledge of the geographic area, thanks to her coursework in the College of Arts and Sciences.
ENGLISH - The trial of two immigrants convicted of murder sparked a media frenzy over injustice in the US judicial system. A century later, everything—and nothing—has changed, says English Professor Mark Whalan.
CINEMA STUDIES - It was a cinema studies major’s dream come true: Four CAS undergrads traveled to Los Angeles to work on the set of Professor Ernesto Javier Martínez’s upcoming feature film. From dressing a background set to operating a boom mic in the trunk of a car, they share what it’s really like behind the scenes of a movie.

All News »


Department of History Coffee Hour
Jan21
Department of History Coffee Hour Jan 21 McKenzie Hall
gradCONNECT: Disabled and Neurodivergent Graduate Student Time Together
Jan21
gradCONNECT: Disabled and Neurodivergent Graduate Student Time Together Jan 21 Susan Campbell Hall
How to: Interview (Workshop)
Jan21
How to: Interview (Workshop) Jan 21 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Writing in East Asia Info Session
Jan21
Writing in East Asia Info Session Jan 21 McKenzie Hall
How to Use Career Resources on Campus
Jan21
How to Use Career Resources on Campus Jan 21
Wine Chat: “Accompaniment with Im/migrant Communities”
Jan21
Wine Chat: “Accompaniment with Im/migrant Communities” Jan 21 Capitello Wines
Resume Extravaganza! (Drop-In Resume Reviews with Career Coaches & Peer Coaches)
Jan22
Resume Extravaganza! (Drop-In Resume Reviews with Career Coaches & Peer Coaches) Jan 22 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Catalysts for Impact Information Session
Jan23
Catalysts for Impact Information Session Jan 23 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
UO Women in Economics: Goals & Gossip
Jan23
UO Women in Economics: Goals & Gossip Jan 23 Anstett Hall
Career Tour-Bioscience & Beyond!
Jan24
Career Tour-Bioscience & Beyond! Jan 24 Ford Alumni Center

All CAS events »