Minimum Requirements for Admission

Possession of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution is required. Application for admission to the Leadership Certificate in Disability Studies program must be made to the School of Graduate Studies.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating from this program will:

• explain disability as a socially conferred status;
• describe how attitudes and beliefs about disability may affect the development of legislation, legal decisions, and policies;
• reflect on their own role and relationships with people with disabilities in service and non-service contexts and discover strategies for the inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities in the community;
• demonstrate the ability to conduct an in-depth analysis of major events in the history of the disability movement and their relationship to current legislation, policy, legal issues, and service delivery affecting people with disabilities.

Program Requirements

The Interdisciplinary Leadership in Disability Studies certificate program is offered through the School of Graduate Studies and the Institute for Human Development. Disability Studies is a relatively new, interdisciplinary field that studies disability from a social and cultural context. The certificate can be completed either in conjunction with a graduate degree program or as a free-standing credential. Students in such diverse fields as sociology, psychology, nursing, pharmacy, law, social work, public administration, urban planning and design and education are well suited for this certificate. Students who receive the certificate will be prepared to influence public policy, professional practice, societal arrangements and cultural values that shape the meaning of disability.

Required Courses

Curriculum Requirements

At least 60 percent of the certificate course work must be at or above the 500 level.

Credit Hours

A minimum of 12 credit hours is required for the certificate.

Requirements for Retention

Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average while enrolled. The minimum acceptable grade for 400 level courses is B, and for 500 level and above courses, B-.

Time Limit for Completion of Certificate Program

All work toward the Leadership Certificate in Disability Studies must be completed in 4 years.

Contact Information

For additional information contact:

UMKC Institute for Human Development
5030 Cherry Street Room #120
Kansas City, MO  64110
(816) 235-5684
ILDS@umkc.edu