About the Program

Minor

The Disability Studies minor provides a space to explore questions such as these: how has disability been defined in various historical moments, in various cultures and eras? While impairment has unquestionably been a frequent experience throughout human history, has disability—the construction of impairment as a generic social category—been a historical constant, or is it a modern invention? What social ideologies, cultural systems, and societal arrangements have shaped the meaning and experience of disability? How has disability been defined or represented in cultural and artistic productions, public laws and policies, modern professional practices, and everyday life?

Declaring the Minor

After taking all the required courses, students declare the minor in the semester they intend to graduate by taking the following documents to the Disability Studies minor coordinator (Patrick Civello, 263 Evans Hall) in person. Material not delivered directly to Patrick runs the risk of not being processed. This material must be submitted no later than the last day of classes of the semester in which the student intends to graduate. Please include the following:

• Transcripts. (Transcripts printed through the Bear Facts system (available through summer 2016) or CalCentral (starting fall 2016) are acceptable. Please choose the printing option that includes your name). If you are taking courses for the minor in the semester you plan to graduate in, print a copy of your current registration as well.
• A completed Petition for Confirmation of Minor Program form.
• A list of five courses (two core and three electives) you wish to use to satisfy the Disability Studies minor, as well as the semester and year the courses were taken. You must identify any course that overlaps with any of your majors or other minors. Only one course can overlap.

Please be sure that your name, local phone number, and email address is up to date, as Patrick may need to contact you if questions arise. The minor petition will then be reviewed for approval. Upon approval, the petition will be sent to the Registrar's Office. The registrar will include the completion of the minor on your transcript. It will appear only in the "Memorandum" section of your transcript, not on your diploma.

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Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements and are noted officially on the transcript in the memoranda section, but are not noted on diplomas.

General Guidelines

1. All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements below must be taken for graded credit.
2. A minimum of three of the upper division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.
3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.
4. Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven Course Breadth requirement, for Letters & Science students.
5. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.
6. All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which you plan to graduate. If you cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time, please see a College of Letters & Science adviser.
7. All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling.

Requirements

Faculty

Faculty

Mel Chen, Associate Professor. Gender and Women’s Studies.

Michael Dear, Professor. City and Regional Planning.

Katherine Sherwood, Professor. Art Practice.

Susan Schweik, Professor. English.

Lecturers

Chris Downey, Lecturer. Architecture.

Georgina Kleege,  Lecturer. English.

Marsha Saxton, Lecturer. Undergraduate and Interdisciplinary Studies.