About Program Application Requirements Program Website

The MA program takes an interdisciplinary approach informed by various academic fields including law, anthropology, health studies, history, geography, economics, education, labour studies, political science, social work, sociology, identity politics, gender studies, and refugee and immigration studies. For instance theories of human rights form the basis for understanding how existing legal, economic and social rationales for inclusion relate to systemic barriers and oppression.

The program is offered full or part-time to students from a variety of backgrounds, including persons with disabilities engaged in the disability rights movement, government workers, professionals in the field of disability and people working in non-governmental organizations such as community organizations and advocacy groups.

You’ll have the opportunity to attend refereed conferences, publish in refereed journals and produce op-ed pieces right from your first year.

The PhD program offers a comprehensive curriculum covering major scholarly perspectives. It is offered on a full-time basis only.

The PhD. program structure and environment encourages advanced research, new scholarship and offers other opportunities to contribute to disability studies as an interdisciplinary field of critical inquiry. CDS enables a multi-disciplinary group of students to explore disability from a critical perspective in relation to social policy, social justice, human rights issues, and social movements in Canada and internationally.

Choose York:

  • York offers the first critical disability studies program in Canada. It is research-based and deals with contemporary and historical questions. Our program emphasizes the importance of activism among both students and faculty; community involvement is an essential part of critical disability studies work.
  • Faculty spans diverse disciplines including law, anthropology, health studies, geography, economics, education, fine arts, labour studies, political science, social work, sociology, identity politics, gender studies, refugee and immigration studies, history and aging studies.
  • We offer a law and disability course that is distinct within our program.

Program Description

Critical Disability Studies
MA
Critical Disability Studies
PhD

MA

Application Deadline(s)
January 9, 2019 (Full-time Entry - Fall entry only)
January 9, 2019 (Part-time Entry - Fall entry only)
Program Components (including coursework)
  • Major research paper
Average Program Length
  • Full-time - 1 year(s)
  • Part-time - 2 year(s)
    • Offered
    • Fall Entry - available as a full-time OR part-time program

    PhD

    Application Deadline(s)
    January 9, 2019 (Full-time Entry - Fall entry only)
    Program Components (including coursework)
    • Comprehensive examination(s) AND
    • Dissertation
    Average Program Length
  • Full-time - 4 year(s)
    • Offered
    • Fall Entry - available as a full-time program
    Because the number of applicants greatly exceeds the number of positions available, meeting our minimum admission requirements is not a guarantee of admission.
    We encourage all applicants to submit complete documentation (including those submitted via MyFile - supplementary applications and referee recommendations) within two weeks of the application deadline. Review the Admissions process for timing.
    GPA Requirement
    A-
    Number of Recommendations Required
    3
    Other Requirement(s)
    • Statement of Interest
    • Resumé/CV
    • Sample(s) of scholarly written work

    Completed Application Package means:

    1. Use York University's graduate studies online application
    2. Upload the required and supplementary documents and materials permitted for submission through MyFile. All other required documentation submitted by mail must be sent in a single package.
    Exception: official transcripts sent to York directly from previous educational institutions. Official transcripts must come directly from, and bear the unbroken seal of, the issuing institution.
    See graduate application checklist (PDF)
    Mail or courier completed application package to:
    Mail

    York University
    Office of Graduate Admissions

    P.O. Box GA2300
    4700 Keele Street
    Toronto, ON
    Canada M3J 1P3

    Courier

    York University
    Office of Graduate Admissions

    W322 Bennett Centre for Student Services
    4700 Keele Street
    Toronto, ON
    Canada M3J 1P3

    Language Requirements
    Minimum TOEFL (Paper-based)600
    Minimum TOEFL (Internet-based)100
    IELTS (Academic Module)7.5
    York English Language Test (YELT)Band 1
    YUELILevel 6 with Distinction
    MELABOverall score of 85, no component score less than 80
    CAELOverall score of 70, no component score less than 60
    Minimum CPE ScoreC
    Minimum CAE ScoreB