Program Overview

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Disability Studies and Psychology

Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences @ UWindsor

Program Overview & Highlights

• Honours 4-Year Program
• Combined Honours Programs Available
• B.A.

Benefit from training in both psychology and disability studies in this program that gives you many hands-on learning opportunities. We offer community volunteer experience and placements, giving you an edge when it comes time to launch your career. We’re here to give you the individual support you need to succeed.

Exclusive first-year course for psych majors only where you'll get support from upper-year mentors.

Gain practical experience in community placements to prepare you for a successful career.

Learn More About Our Program

95.4%

of our graduates are employed within 2 years.1

1 Two Years after Graduation (OUGS Social Sciences, 2020)

$2.53M

in scholarship and award money2

2 in FAHSS

139K

hours of service contributed by FAHSS students in the community.

200+

undergraduate students have published or presented original research in FAHSS

What Lancers Are Saying

I picked UWindsor because of the first-year mentorship program where you get to spend time with fourth-year student mentors.

Ainsley Ault

Student
Psychology

Faculty & Staff

Recruitment & Outreach Coordinator

Sheri Lowrie

FAHSS Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator

Hi, I’m Sheri Lowrie — though you might know me better as your cool Auntie Sheri on campus! I’m here to support you as you navigate your path to becoming a proud Lancer in one of our Faculty of Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences programs.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Language, with minors in Communications, Media and Film, and Sociology. Whether you prefer texting, emailing, a virtual coffee chat, or a cozy conversation on my couch, I’m always here to help you reach your academic goals and make the most of your university experience.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Admission Requirements

High School Student from Canada

• Course Requirements: English/ENG4U (min. avg. 60%)
• Minimum Average: 70%
• Mean Average: 82%

High School Student from Outside Canada and the United States (International)

• Course Requirements: Grade 12 English
• Minimum Average: 70%
• Mean Average: 82%

Career Tracks

• Disability service worker
• community support worker
• behavioural aide
• mental health worker
• child and youth worker
• Psychologist
• residential worker

Related Programs

• Psychology
• Disability Studies
• Social Work and Disability Studies

Plan Your Program

Term: Fall 2025

Important Notes

1. ENGL-1010 is required for all FAHSS Majors. Students with 80% or higher in Grade 12 ENG4U (or equivalent) are exempt from this course requirement and will substitute it with an additional course from any area of study.
2. All FAHSS programs require students to take one course with Indigenous content, perspectives, or materials. This can be done at any time during the student’s undergraduate education. See this link for course options:
   Not all Indigenous content courses are offered every term.
3. Language courses also count as Arts or Science courses.
4. Students studying within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences are encouraged to review the FAHSS Overview page.
5. PSYC 1150: Section 1 is for Majors only. Section 2 and Section 30 are for non majors.

Required Course Notes

Major Courses

• IACS-1000 (previously DISB/SJST 1000)
• PSYC 1150
• PSYC 1160
• SWRK 1170
• SWRK 1180

Required Course

• ENGL 1010

Recommended Other Courses

• GART 1210 (see note 2)
• One Arts or Language course
• One Science or Language course
• One course from Any Area of Study

Required Courses

DISB 1000: Social Justice in Action (SJST 1000)

Students investigate the local and global origins of a contemporary social problem through the eyes of social justice activists. Students will assess the strengths and limitations of strategies and theoretical frameworks for social change and use this knowledge to create social action messages that raise public awareness, influence government or corporate policy, or positively change attitudes and behaviours. (3 lecture hours per week) (Also offered as DISB 1000.)

ENGL 1010: Academic Writing

An introduction to the fundamentals of effective writing in academic contexts. Topics may include language, essay writing conventions, critical thinking, research, editing and revising, and academic integrity. (1.5 lecture, 1.5 laboratory hours per week.) (Arts elective only; does not count for credit in the major or minor Fall 2025 Undergraduate Calendar 104 course requirements of any English or English and Creative Writing degree programs.) (Credit cannot be obtained for both ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1001 or GART 1510.)

PSYC 1150: Introduction to Psychology as a Behavioural Science

Introduction to selected areas in psychology including learning, perception, physiological psychology, emotion, and motivation.

PSYC 1160: Introduction to Psychology as a Social Science

Introduction to selected areas in psychology including developmental, social, personality, and clinical.

SWRK 1170: Meeting Human Needs through Social Welfare

This course examines the historical, philosophical and political aspects of the development and delivery of the Canadian Social Welfare System. Special attention will be focussed on ways to identify and assess the needs of, and services to, vulnerable populations within the context of social and cultural diversity.

SWRK 1180: Meeting Human Needs through Social Work

This course examines the ways in which social workers in generalist practice intervene to meet the needs of clients within the Canadian social welfare system. Attention will be paid to the development of an understanding of generalist social work practice within an ecological and systems perspective. This course provides an introduction to social work processes. Attention will be given to the needs of vulnerable and marginalized populations within traditional and alternative social work perspectives such as ecological, systems, strengths, feminist, and anti-oppressive practice. Students will gain an understanding of personal, professional, agency, and societal needs and values and how they influence social work practice. Students will be introduced to the generalist social work practice perspective within a problem-solving process that includes focused assessment, intervention, termination, and evaluation of practice. Ethical and professional issues such as confidentiality and accountability will be introduced.

Recommended Courses

GART 1210: An Introduction into Indigenous Topics

This course introduces students to Indigenous histories, perspectives, and modern realities through an Indigenous lens. The role of colonization is introduced as Indigenous relationships on Turtle Island changed as a result of contact and colonization. This survey course provides a learning opportunity for students to engage in Indigenous pedagogy and worldview as they learn how history impacts the contemporary lives of Indigenous people. Through exploring relationships, this course engages critical reading, writing and thinking skills through course lectures and seminar activities. The history of relations assists in understanding how colonization’s policies and statutory documents thereafter affected Indigenous peoples, such as the Royal Proclamation, Treaties, the Indian Act, the British North America Act (1867), and the Constitution Act (1982). Today, these colonial-state governance documents are a significant part of Indigenous-Crown and Indigenous-settler relations. (2 lecture hours and 1 tutorial hour per week.) (Also offered as SOSC-1210.)