Ohio University

Careers and Graduate Schools

Career development and preparation are an important part of the university experience. As a student registered with ODS, you may have particular questions or concerns about your disability related to employment or graduate and professional school. Whether you are searching for a career path, finding an internship, or applying for graduate school there are many resources to assist you in meeting your personal goals.

Just as you are eligible for academic accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you may be eligible for any necessary accommodations for entrance or licensure exams or even in the work place. Accommodations in the work place may range from the use of assistive computer technology to some flexibility with project deadlines or a reduced distraction work area. If you have not begun to think about how your disability may or may not interact with your career goals, these resources are designed to help initiate that process.

Follow these links for basic information regarding:

Accommodations in Graduate and Professional School
Entrance and Licensing Exams
Federal Workforce Recruitment Program
Job Searching

Additionally, the Office of Career Services is available to work with any Ohio University student or alumnus and offers a variety of services and resources. The Office of Career Services is working in partnership with ODS to be prepared to help students with a disability through the career selection and job search process. To find out more about the services available, be sure to take a look at the Career Services webpage.

Accommodations in Graduate and Professional School

As a student with a disability, you may be eligible for academic accommodations at any graduate or professional school which receives Federal funding or facilitates Federal Financial Aid. Once you have made the decision to attend a particular program, be sure to register with the university's Office of Disability Services. Much like your experience at Ohio University, you could expect to submit documentation of your disability and meet one on one with a counselor to determine reasonable academic accommodations at the graduate or professional level.

Entrance and Licensing Exams

Most graduate or professional schools will require some type of entrance exam. Many licensed professions also use a standardized exam to test for basic competencies within the profession. If you will be registering to take such an exam, you may be eligible for testing accommodations depending upon the nature of your disability. The determination of such accommodations is not made by ODS, however your assigned representative may be able to assist in the application process. You are encouraged to start the process early as it may take up to, or longer than, eight weeks for a decision to be made.  Individual licensing boards or organizations typically administer the licensing exams and can be contacted directly for information on test accommodations.

For more information about common entrance exams follow these links:

• Educational Testing Service:  GRE, Praxis, TOEFL
• Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
  
• Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
• Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
  

Job Searching

Preparing to graduate college and search for a job can be a little overwhelming. There are many things to consider from developing your resume to interviews and negotiating a job offer. If you think you may need even a simply accommodation for your job, you may have additional concerns about your rights and responsibilities as well as when and how to request the accommodation. The Office of Career Services and ODS have teamed up to provide some workshops that may address these particular questions and have compiled resources that may be helpful as well. To attend one of these seminars be sure to check on the Current Programs section for dates and times. You can also schedule a time to meet one on one with a career counselor or your ODS representative.

Click here to see a listing of job search sites and resources for job seekers.

Federal Workforce Recruitment Program

Consider participating in the Workforce Recruitment Program which offers recruitment and referral to federal internships and permanent positions with some opportunity in the private sector! In 2008 the WRP interviewed 1800 students nationwide and placed over 450, primarily for internships. Last year, two Ohio University students were offered opportunities. Interviews will take place during the Winter Quarter. For more information please contact Carey Busch (buschc@ohio.edu).