Accessibility Studies
FAQs for non-matriculated students interested in Accessibility Studies Certificate
You might not be a Central Washington University undergraduate or graduate student but you can still take courses as a non-matriculated student.
How do you apply to the program? This is done online at www.cwu.edu/accessibility-studies under Prospective Students. The drop down menus encourage you to plan when you would take each course, but I am happy to work with you directly to figure that out.
How do you register? You start by contacting the registrar at reg@cwu.edu . Once you have registered with the university you will be given the codes for registering for classes, another online process.
What are the courses and when are they offered? You can take the three core courses in any order and even at the same time.
• ASP 305 Accessibility & User Experience (4 cr) is offered every quarter. No prerequisites.
• ASP 325 Universal Design (4 cr) is offered Summer and Winter. No prerequisites.
• ASP 425 Universal Design (5 cr) is offered Summer, Fall, and Winter
• ASP 435 Accessible Information Design (5 cr) is offered Winter, Spring, and Summer. Prerequisites: ENG 101-102 or some equivalent means of establishing college level fluency.
Once those are underway, you can sign up for
• ASP 485 Accessibility Capstone (2-3 cr) which can be arranged individually. Pre/co-requisites: ASP 305, 325, 435.
We also arrange field experiences (ASP 492, 2-12 cr) that can overlap with your employment. Each credit means 40 hours of internship activity. You do not need this to complete the certificate but it is certainly helpful especially for providing extra support for the capstone project.
How long does the Accessibility Studies Certificate take? You can complete the certificate in one to four quarters. CWU is on a quarter system, with courses starting in Summer (June), Fall (September), Winter (January), and Spring (March). Each quarter is 10 weeks long. The final course, ASP 485, is the capstone which is arranged individually and often people take more than a quarter to complete. We also offer all four courses together in an intense summer session.
How much work is involved? As far as the online course experience, all the instructors arrange synchronous meetings in order to support students. The work is accomplished by independent reading and completion of online week-long modules which include interaction with others via online discussion boards.
The capstone project is a more involved investigation and formal paper. Completion of the certificate requires passing a comprehensive test of knowledge form the other three courses. However, it is open book, and you can re-take it if necessary.
Who else takes Accessibility Studies classes? Some students are pursuing their bachelors’ degrees and this is part of their Accessibility Studies Minor or part of an interdisciplinary studies major. Most, though, are interested in personal and professional development and are just seeking the certificate. Others are just taking individual courses.
The students are from all fields: teaching, law, social work, museums, recreation, computer science, human resources, communication, technology, sports management… You name it! Accessibility is applicable when people are involved.
Who can I talk to about the Accessibility Studies Certificate? Contact Dr. Naomi Petersen at Naomi.Petersen@cwu.edu
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Questions? Contact Us.
Accessibility Studies Program
Black Hall 214-5