Curriculum
Master's Program
The Master's in Comparative and International Disability Policy (CIDP) program offers the flexibility of being completed in one year over three terms - Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters - or on an extended part-time basis.
The Master's degree consists of 39 credits total.
- 24 credits are allotted for core courses
- 9 credits are allotted for specializations/elective courses
- 6 credits are allotted for a practicum project or Master's thesis
There are currently two specializations possible within the CIDP program:
- Disability Studies
-
Management and Leadership
Core Categories (24 Credits Total)
Required Core Courses (15 credits)
- International Relations Theory and Disability Rights
- Introduction to Disability Policy Analysis
- Microeconomics for Public and Disability Policy Analysis
- Disability and Social Policy (Mandatory Second Term)
- Disability Policy and Organization: UNCRPD
Required Research Methods (6 credits)
-
Research Seminar: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches
(Mandatory First Term) - Informing and Evaluating Policy
Required Communication and Technology (3 credits - one of the following)
- Assistive and Adaptive Technology
- Cross-Cultural Communication and Collaboration
-
Professional Development for Disability Policy Practitioners
Specialization/Elective Categories (9 Credits Total)
Sample Courses Within Disability Studies Specialization:
- Disability Ethics
- Disability Leadership
- Gender Equity and Disability Issues
- Disability and Diversity
Sample Courses Within Management and Leadership Specialization:
- Strategic Communication
- International Negotiations for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
- Public and Non-Profit Management and Leadership
-
Communication, Culture, and Social Entrepreneurship
Practicum Project or Master's Thesis (6 Credits Total)
(Note: Practicum project incorporates the Comprehensive Exam Requirement through a paper and presentation relating the student’s project to previous coursework and the relevant literature)
- Practicum Project
- Supervised Master's Thesis
