Leadership & Career Studies (L&CS) at Temple University is a four-year certificate program for young adults with intellectual disability or intellectual disability and autism.
L&CS offers an authentic college experience while developing our students' academic abilities, career aspirations, community engagement, and self-determination.
Leadership & Career Studies started at the Institute on Disabilities in 2008 as the Academy for Adult Learning. The Academy for Adult Learning (AAL) was developed to give students with intellectual disability an opportunity to experience an authentic college experience.
Between 2008 and 2016, the AAL was a two-year program, which welcomed between three and eight students each year.
In 2017, the program was restructured as a four-year program and renamed Leadership & Career Studies.
This and more information can be found on the Think College website.
Students are required to take 12 electives and four core courses:
L&CS students do not have academic majors.
Students earn a certificate of completion.
Currently, L&CS does not have a residential component. Students may live near campus in non-Temple housing.
L&CS students spend four years at Temple University engaging with ideas, learning about themselves and others, and enjoying the college experience. They choose their courses based on their interests and direct the support they need.
During their time in L&CS, students complete five semesters of employment experiences located both on and off Temple's Main Campus. They will have a variety of internships, both paid and unpaid, designed to lead to competitive paid employment.
Students also develop relationships with other Temple students and work together on academic, career, and personal goals.
To be considered for admission, students must...
Temple University offers hundreds of clubs and activities for all students. L&CS students are encouraged to participate.
Students register with Temple's Disability Resources and Services office in addition to the supports they receive through L&CS.
Each student in L&CS is matched with Temple students who serve as peer mentors. Peer mentors support students in accessing college student life, from academics to social events.
Current Temple students in good standing are recruited, hired, trained, and supervised by L&CS staff to serve as effective and supportive mentors. Peer mentors support students as they participate in academic, recreational, and social activities.
L&CS works with faculty across the university to support students in the classroom. A dedicated coordinator will support the faculty member to ensure the best outcome for the student, their classmates, and the instructor.
L&CS students are predominately residents of Philadelphia and surrounding areas. They have earned a high school diploma or equivalent and...
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) defines intellectual "disability as a condition characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual function and adaptive behavior, manifesting before the age of 22." More detailed information about this definition of intellectual disability can be found on the AAIDD website.
At Temple University, accommodations are issued by DRS using guidance from the Americans with Disabilities Act.
An individualized learning plan, established through the collaboration of L&CS staff and faculty, may include modifications to course requirements. These modifications are designed to respect course requirements while also supporting the student’s achievement of learning outcomes.
For more information about the program, as a student, family member, or peer mentor, please contact:
Cheryl B. Torsney, PhD
Program Manager, Leadership and Career Studies
Email: [click-for-email]
Phone: 215-204-1356
