Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion (online) PGDip

Course overview

Drive change and build expertise with an online Postgraduate Diploma in Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion

Take your commitment to disability rights, inclusion and social justice further. Our online Postgraduate Diploma in Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion offers an in-depth exploration of global challenges, equipping you with advanced knowledge and practical skills to influence policy, practice, and social change worldwide.

Why study disability studies, rights and inclusion?

Disability is one of today’s most pressing social justice and human rights issues. Around one billion people worldwide experience disability—a figure that is rising due to ageing populations, poverty, inequality, climate change, conflict, and natural disasters. Disabled people are more likely to experience poverty, face barriers to education, and have limited employment opportunities compared to non-disabled people.

The online Postgraduate Diploma in Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion gives you the chance to explore these global challenges in depth. You will develop advanced knowledge and practical skills to promote the rights of disabled people and contribute to building more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable societies.

Flexible online learning for a global classroom

As an online learner, you will join a diverse, global classroom of like-minded students in an accessible and inclusive environment. The PGDip includes eight modules of the MSc programme, offering a comprehensive and in-depth study experience.

Whether you’re already active in the field of disability rights, or looking to expand your expertise, this course will give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to create tangible change in disability rights, inclusion, and social justice.

Across the programme, you will :

• Examine global perspectives on disability, the social creation of disability and social models of disability
• Gain an understanding of cultural and human rights frameworks related to disability
• Analyse how and why disabled people experience inequality
• building inclusive societies and futures
• Explore the role and impact of disability activism and advocacy with an intersectional approach
• Examine and influence disability policy, services and practice in a range of sectors, including law, architecture and design, medicine and healthcare, and the creative industries disability policy, services and practice in a range of sectors, including law, architecture and design, medicine and healthcare, and the creative industries
• Investigate intersections with other fields such as gender studies, transport studies, geography and beyond geography and beyond
• Consider global challenges like climate change, natural disasters and conflict from a disability rights lens.

Who is this course for?

This Postgraduate Diploma is for learners who want to expand their expertise and influence practice in disability rights and inclusion:

• disabled people and their allies
• policy makers and public sector professionals
• Service providers and professionals in disability support
• NGOs and community organisation workers
• those new to disability studies seeking to think about disability differently, looking for a safe, affirming learning environment
• Anyone aiming to broaden their skills and impact in disability rights, inclusion, and social justice.

Why study this subject at Leeds?

• Ranked in the global top 100 and in the top 13 in the UK (QS World University Rankings 2026).
• Delivered by the School of Sociology and Social Policy and informed by our Centre for Disability Studies.
• Taught by expert academics with contributions from activists, policy makers and practitioners with global experience.
• Our academics are well-known for their work in the areas of disability politics, policy and practice, the sociology of disability, disability law and human rights, and inclusive design.
• The School of Sociology and Social Policy ranks in the global top 100 for Sociology (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025). The School has an international reputation for research on social change that has set new agendas, developed new concepts and methodologies, and transformed policy and practice.
• Leeds has pioneered education in Disability Studies since 1990 and is recognised as a global leader.
• Our Centre for Disability Studies was the UK’s first university centre dedicated to disability research and teaching.
• Commitment to equity, social justice, and inclusion underpins all our work.
• World-class online learning environment, with regular live interactive sessions and global peer networking.

Watch our recent webinar

Catch up on our recent webinar to see how the MSc in Disability Studies (online) can help you advance your career while promoting inclusion and accessibility.

→ Register your interest to access the full recording.

Join our online taster course

Familiarise yourself with key topics in disability studies by enrolling in our short FutureLearn course, Social Model of Disability. Gain practical insights and tools for inclusivity and empowerment. Sign up for Social Model of Disability.

Why study Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion?

Video transcript
Audio described version of the video

Course details and modules

Our online PGDip in Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion has been designed to cater for online postgraduate learners from around the world who wish to balance their studies with other commitments. The course begins with a two-week induction preparing you for successful online study at the University of Leeds and introducing the study skills you will need to complete your degree. 

There are eight 15-credit taught online modules in the Postgraduate Diploma, each running eight weeks, with a mix of tutor-guided and self-guided learning. Students typically spend around 10 hours on tutor-guided learning per week, and 10 hours of independent study. Flexible study options allow learners to pause and resume modules as needed, with a maximum completion window of 32 months.

Course structure

In your first year, you will typically study three modules from the Foundation carousel as well as three modules from the Development carousel. In your second year, you will typically study an additional 30 credits from the Development carousel.

You’ll take part in a weekly scheduled webinar, collaborating with tutors and fellow students. Live sessions take place during the University of Leeds working day and are recorded for those who cannot attend or wish to revisit the content. Module discussion boards and the programme area provide space to connect with peers and share your learning journey.

Foundation carousel

Disability and Inequality (15 credits)

You’ll be introduced to the nature and lived experience of disability inequalities in contemporary global contexts. Starting with the concepts of equality and inequality, you will consider the differing ways these and related concepts like justice, fairness and entitlement are articulated and applied in relation to disability.

Understanding Disability (15 credits)

You will be provided with the foundational knowledge and understanding about how disability has been conceptualised and theorised. You will be introduced to the big ideas that emerged from the disabled people’s movement and to theoretical approaches to disability developed by/employed within contemporary Disability Studies.

Disability and Inclusion (15 credits)

This module introduces you to the nature and lived experience of exclusion and principles and practices of inclusion in contemporary global contexts. Taking as its starting point the concepts of belonging, community, equality and inequality, and justice it considers the differing ways exclusion impacts different population cohorts with a particular focus on disability. This module provides a knowledge for identifying, resisting, and challenging barriers for disabled people and for building theories and practices of inclusion.

Development carousel

Building Enabling Futures (15 credits)

Build the knowledge and skills to engage critically with the ways in which governments and other civil society actors have sought to meet the needs of disabled people and to evaluate the implications of this for disabled people’s lives, individually and collectively.

A Human Rights Approach to Disability (15 credits)

This module explores disability as a human rights issue. You will consider the development and influence of the human rights approach to developing disability legislation, policy, programmes and practices. In particular, you will examine the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD, 2006) and understand its core principles. You will learn how to assess policies, programmes and practices to determine whether they are aligned with the human rights approach to disability.

Realising Disability Equality Through Policy (15 credits)

Gain the knowledge and skills to engage critically with public policy reforms in the field of disability equality. You will be provided with an understanding of opportunities for policy change and the challenges this presents. It allows you to explore the choices facing policy makers, and the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to policy reform.

Disability and Global Challenges (15 credits)

Consider how disability intersects with key global challenges and the implications for disabled people globally. This module provides you with knowledge and skills to critically engage with debates about why certain issues are cast as global challenges and others are not, to assess the specific experiences of disabled people in relation to these challenges and to question what disability inclusion and justice mean in the context of these challenges and the developing responses to them.

Doing Disability Research (15 credits)

Engage with a rights-based approach to disability research and discover key approaches and debates in the field. This includes an engagement with key ethical debates, sampling and a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Becoming Disability Change Makers (15 credits)

This module is designed to be relevant to those who are or strive to be activists, advocates, or allies (be that family-, professional- or academic-allies). What does it mean to be an effective human-rights defender or disability-inclusion change-maker? What are the objectives of these defenders and change-makers? What strategies (tactics and practices) have been used, successfully, to bring about positive change in the lives of disabled people? This module will allow you to explore these questions and find answers.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion (online) PGDip in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

Join our powerful learning network

You’ll be taught by our expert academics with contributions from activists, policy makers and practitioners working in the disability space globally. When you start the course you become a member of our vibrant, global community of over 500 disability studies alumni who have completed Masters or PhD programmes in the field of disability studies at Leeds.

Flexible learning

You can take the course at your own pace and adapt your studies to fit around your work and life commitments. To give you flexibility, it is possible to pause your studies and take them up again at a later point. Most students complete the modules in turn over two years, but there is flexibility to take a break and re-join the programme within a maximum of four years.

If you would like to continue to the next level of qualification beyond the Postgraduate Diploma, you can contact the online admissions team during your studies to discuss your options.

Online learning environment

Your learning will be delivered online via our award-winning virtual learning environment, Minerva. You will study through live online sessions with our module tutors in a mixture of structured and open-ended learning techniques.

We recognise that people have busy lives, so with a 100% online delivery mode, you can manage your learning around your employment and other commitments, without the need to disrupt your life. You will study with a world-leading UK institution without the additional cost of living. We will also provide many tools, including study planners, to help you track your progress and better manage your time.

Read more about studying online with Leeds.

Accessibility

We aim to make your online learning experience as accessible as possible. The majority of the course material conforms to the latest international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 (WCAG 2.1 AAA). For example, all video resources will include captions and transcription, and you’ll have options to participate in online classrooms by both typing and oral speech. Some activities or third-party material may not meet these standards, and we will aim to make any reasonable adjustments that may support your learning. For example, our transcription centre can provide alternative accessible formats.

Minerva is our online learning platform, which can be accessed on different devices including smartphones, tablets and laptop or desktop computers, whenever and wherever it suits you. The platform has been designed by a team of experts to ensure your online learning experience is of the highest quality and prepares you for success, both academically and professionally.

We recommend a high-speed broadband internet connection with a minimum speed of 1.5 Mbps. You will need regular access to a desktop computer, tablet, or laptop, with a webcam. You will also need the ability to view PDF documents and work in Microsoft Office (software and accessible formats provided).

Student support

As an online student with the University of Leeds you will have access to a wide range of student support. Whether in relation to disability, personal tutoring, emergency situations or counselling, you will be supported through every step of your learning journey to ensure you can make the most of your studies. Find out more about our student support service

Disability services at Leeds

Disability Services provides advice, guidance and support to both current and prospective disabled students. There's a wide range of support available to you throughout your studies. You are encouraged contact Disability Services before starting your studies as far in advance as possible, to make sure we can support your learning from the start. Find out more about support for remote learners

On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Assessments provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate the knowledge and skills you have developed in the module. You will be able to focus on areas and topics that are important to you.

Each week your learning will be tailored to support you in completing the assessment. You will also have the option to submit your assessments in different ways.

Our assessment methods include:

• case studies
• reports
• inclusive design plan
• briefing papers
• human rights bulletins
• research proposal
• presentations.

Applying

Entry requirements

A 2.1 (hons) bachelor degree, ideally in a social science or humanities related subject.
OR
A 2.1 (hons) bachelor degree in any other subject plus relevant experience.
OR
A 2.2 (hons) degree in any subject with at least three years relevant experience.

Applications will be individually assessed.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For further information, please contact our admissions team.

English language requirements

Proof of your English Language Proficiency

Proficiency in English language is essential to study at the University of Leeds. You will need either:

• Alternative English Language Qualification
• A degree taught in English from a recognised institution, lasting at least two years at the undergraduate level or one year at the Masters level, which can be evidenced by transcripts and/or certificates.

For more details, contact our Enrolment Advisors at onlineadmissions@leeds.ac.uk

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component.. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

How to apply

The link at the top of this page takes you to the University's online application system, where you can start your application for this course.

If you require assistance in completing the online application, please contact onlineadmissions@leeds.ac.uk and a member of our team will be happy to help

Identification

The University of Leeds requires all applicants for fully online programmes to provide proof of their identity at the point of application. Accepted forms of ID are:

• passport photo page, or
• driving licence, or
• national identity card.

Candidates may be invited to interview by telephone or online as part of the selection process.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Admissions Policy 2026

This course is taught by

School of Sociology and Social Policy

Contact us

Online Admissions team

Email: onlineadmissions@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:

Fees

UK: £9,360 (Total)

International: £9,360 (Total)

These fees apply to those starting their course between September 2025 and July 2026.

The fee is composed of (which can be paid on a module-by-module basis*):

• eight taught modules (15 credits each): £1,170 per module

* If you are receiving a student loan or your fees are being paid directly to the University by your employer or sponsor you will not be able to pay on a module-by-module basis. Please check with the Online Admissions Team.

Additional cost information

Read more about paying for online courses.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.

Scholarships and financial support

Graduates of the University of Leeds (or an affiliated institution) are entitled to a 10% bursary towards tuition fees. Find out more about eligibility for the alumni bursary and how to apply.

UK students may be able to apply for a UK government-backed loan and there may be specific terms and conditions for online courses. Applications should be made through the Student Loans Company. Visit the UK Government website to find out more.

If you have a disability there are a range of external funding and scholarships that you may be eligible for, including:

• Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) - UK students may be eligible for a government bursary that can fund additional support for your studies. Find out more about the Disabled Students Allowance.

Career opportunities

The School of Sociology and Social Policy and our Centre for Disability Studies have long established links with organisations in the UK and overseas. Our experts provide research and consultancy, working with local, national and international organisations to help achieve equality and social justice for disabled people, globally. Our influential network of academics and professionals includes organisations such as the European Network on Independent Living, UNESCO, the International Disability Alliance and Harvard Law School’s Project on Disability.

Thanks to our global connections, you’ll be able to hear first-hand from inspiring contributors about the real-world challenges and opportunities for your future career.

The knowledge and skills you gain from this course will equip you to develop your career in governments and organisations around the globe in a wide range of professional fields. This may include health and social support services, activism, education, statutory and voluntary agencies, legal services, national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs and INGOs), human resources, business environments and charities. You would also be well prepared for further research at PhD level and careers in disability research or academia.

Hear from our graduates

Gill Brown graduated from this course with a PG Cert, and talks about her experience studying online with Leeds on her student profile. You can read her text account and watch her post-graduation video interview.

Careers support

You will have access to the University of Leeds Careers Service’s extensive online resources to help you make the most of your studies and support you to achieve your ambitions.

This includes:

• One-to-one support from a careers advisor via telephone or virtual meeting
• Online career workshops and webinars
• A database of job opportunities and online employer events
• E-resources including the University of Leeds LinkedIn Learning platform
• CV writing tips
• Job application support
• Interview skills advice and practice sessions

The Careers Service can often connect students wishing to work in a specific region with other students in the same country to assist with job seeking. The service can also offer professional development access to our alumni network, online careers support and employer links.