Augustana’s minor in disability is a great choice for any student who wants to work with diverse populations in the future. The minor is especially beneficial for students in the pre-health professions, but students of any major can improve their career prospects and become better citizens by understanding the social, cultural, medical and other structural barriers faced by disabled persons.
Some examples of Augustana academic pairings for the disability minor include:
- communication sciences and disorders
- communication studies or multimedia journalism and mass communication
- education
- kinesiology
- pre-health fields such as dentistry, medicine or nursing, occupational or physical therapy
- psychology or sociology
- public health
- women, gender and sexuality studies
- other minors such as aging studies, ethics or integrative medicine and the humanities
Distinctions
- Though a growing field, it is not yet common for schools to offer an academic program in disability—and especially rare for a college of Augustana’s size. The University of Illinois at Chicago and Augustana College may be the only two Illinois schools offering disability studies.
- The Quad Cities metro area (pop. 470,000) is a great location for career-building experiences such as internships and volunteering. Augustana’s disability minor takes advantage of disability-focused agencies and organizations in the area for students’ capstone experience; or students can choose research, a creative project or other experience that connects to their future vocation.
- Twice as many Augustana students double major than the national average for undergraduates (about 50% compared with about 25% nationwide)—and even more add at least one minor, for greater flexibility and versatility in their careers.
- The Augustana community seeks consistent growth in diversity, equity and inclusion throughout campus and in the world. In 2019, 2020 and 2022 Augustana won the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine. This national honor recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.