Application for Fall 2025 is closed. The Fall 2026 application will open on October 15, 2025.
The IDEAL program is an Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IPSE) program at Georgia State University, focusing on creative media; art, film, theater, and music. Our mission is to prepare students with intellectual disabilities with job skills and employment-readiness information while providing access to university education, resources, and support that leads to higher levels of self-determination, meaningful employment, greater independence, and a higher quality of life.
All About IDEAL
IDEAL students take classes with other Georgia State University students and receive work-related experience through internships. Students have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of university life, such as club memberships, athletic events, arts events, and multicultural events. Our program helps build students’ connections on campus through peer mentors, faculty, and staff. Much like any typically matriculating student, IDEAL students get out what they put in. While we support students to have access to these aspects of university life, students must also choose to engage with them and choose how they will spend their time on campus. Our team will supply each student with resources and opportunities, but students have the autonomy to take advantage of these things or not. Check out some RECENT HAPPENINGS AT IDEAL
The IDEAL program provides a two-year, five-semester course of study where the students audit courses offered by GSU colleges and academic departments, have the opportunity to participate in work-study and internship experiences, and participate in a variety of extracurricular activities on campus. Both core and elective courses are part of the general undergraduate curriculum. Students participate in these classes alongside their peers with and without disabilities.
See below for a list of university classes that IDEAL students have participated in in the past:
- GSU 1010- Orientation
- MUS 1081 Choral Union
- MUS 1082 Treble Choir
- MUS 1090 Jazz Band
- FLME 2700- History of Motion Pictures
- FLME 4120- Production I
- FLME 1010- Film Aesthetics & Analysis
- FLME 4361- Sound Design
- FLME 4145- Digital Editing
- CMIS 4160- 3D Animation
- FLME 3115- Short Screenwriting
- GSU 1010- Orientation
- ACT 2210- Beginning Acting
- THEA 2040- Intro to the Theatre
- ACT 3210- Advanced Acting
- THEA 2100- Play Analysis for Production
- ACT 3210- Advanced Acting
- THEA 2100- Play Analysis for Production
- ACT 4000- Acting for the Camera
- THEA 4130- Stage Management
- CMIS 1020- Fundamentals of Game Art
- CMIS 1301- Programming for Games
- CMIS 2100- Intro to Game Industries
- CMIS 3150- Game Development
- CMIS 4155- Game Engine Pipeline
- ART 1010- Drawing I
- ART 1020- Two Dimensional Design
- DPP 3200- Painting w/ Water Based Media
- DPP 3300- Painting w/ Oil Based Media
- 3DS 3050- Hand Building
- 3DS 3150 Wheel Throwing
- ART 1050- Introductory Studio
Students also participate in a weekly (non-credit) IDEAL program seminar which will focus on a variety of topics including:
- Identifying learning strategies and supports
- Career development and job-related “soft skills”
- Awareness of and involvement with existing campus activities, organizations, and resources
- Development and promotion of self-determination and self-advocacy skills
- Relationships and Dating
- Transportation and Mobility Training
Each semester, IDEAL staff aids students by utilizing the Students Transitioning to Adult Roles (STAR) Person-Centered Planning (PCP) model to facilitate goal setting and monitor progress across five domains: Career Development and Employment, Academic Enrichment, Campus and Community Engagement, Independent Living, and Self-Determination. Each semester focuses on one of the five domains and supports students to build on what they have already learned while identifying how growth in each area supports their overall success and wellbeing.
Upon completing the IDEAL program, students will receive a GSU Certificate of Career Readiness awarded by the College of Education and Human Development. IDEAL students are provided this certificate during the College of Ed’s yearly Honors Day and also have the option to walk in Georgia State Commencement.
IDEAL is a certificate program (not an accredited college degree program) and existing students will receive a certificate of completion in Digital Expression and Literacy along with a personal portfolio, NOT a degree from Georgia State University.
- Academic Enrichment: To advance students’ academic knowledge skills, facilitating lifelong learning, specifically in the areas of film, television, media, and digital expression.
- Career Development and Gainful Employment: To bolster students’ work experience and career development, preparing them to seek, obtain, and secure employment, having gained job readiness skills, knowledge of work etiquette, and skills specific to their focus of study.
- Independent Living: To prepare students for responsible decision-making and to develop essential skills for students to live independently in a setting or context of their choosing.
- Self-determination: To support students’ emotional and social growth, leading to meaningful relationships, greater self-knowledge, advocacy, and confidence beyond college life. To help students build effective interpersonal and intrapersonal communication techniques for success in college, career, and life.
- Campus & Community Engagement: To establish and expand students’ relationships with the broader Georgia State University community and alumni through engaging in coursework and extracurricular activities on campus.
Program Fee Structure
To address the sustainability of the IDEAL Program, we will be incrementally increasing the program fee until we reach a level that allows the program to consistently hire, train, and retain high-level professionals to work with program students and undergraduate and graduate staff. Please see the below chart of our process of gradual program fee increase:
| Academic Semester (16 weeks, includes 2 inclusive classes, involvement in vocational training and university access) |
Program Fee Cost (supports personnel and program based on 15 hours student support) |
Hourly Support Costs (based on 15 hours of support weekly) |
| Fall 2022 | $3000 | $12.50 per hour |
| Spring 2023 | $3000 | $12.50 per hour |
| Fall 2023 | $4000 | $16.66 per hour |
| Spring 2024 | $4000 | $16.66 per hour |
| Fall 2024 | $5000 | $20.83 per hour |
| Spring 2025 | $5000 | $20.83 per hour |
Scholarships are available.
Acceptance Rates
IDEAL averages a 64% acceptance rate.
- Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are motivated to be Georgia State Panthers and members of the GSU campus community. Students also would have an interest in digital media, art, film, theater, and music. Applicants will have typically received extensive special education services in their secondary schools, graduating with a special education diploma, certificate of attendance, or alternative diploma, and would be denied access to a traditional college degree program.
- “Ideal” candidates are motivated, proactive, goal-oriented, involved, work well independently and with others, and are excited about a college opportunity, attending classes, and completing coursework.
Have questions? Contact the IDEAL team via e-mail, [email protected] or call at 404-413-9573
- IDEAL provides access to inclusive education and resources to prepare for meaningful work and expression in the arts and creative media fields.
- IDEAL's goal is to support each student's unique media maker voice, empowering students to explore their identities, learn new skills, and showcase their talents, while producing digital content, learning together with peers, growing social and professional networks, and gaining career-related experience.
- Help make #myIDEALcampus a reality! (Select "IDEAL Fund" under Designation)
Historically, IDEAL has served students graduating from the following counties and high school districts:
- Dekalb
- Fulton
- Gwinnett
- Rockdale
- Henry
- Paulding
As of January 2023, IDEAL students …. The following:
16.7% female
83.3% male
83.3% Black or African American
8.3% Indian
8.3% White
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCCD)'s Making A Difference newsletter featured IDEAL in its summer edition. Georgia State University’s IDEAL Rewrites the Narrative of The College Experience. Click here to read the article.
Featured Professor
The Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) is excited to highlight the professors working with students in the Inclusive Digital Expression and Literacy (IDEAL) Program. Their dedication has been instrumental in helping our students at Georgia State University explore their interests and develop valuable skills.
Devin Reid, Associate Director of Athletic Bands and the Assistant Director of Bands
The IDEAL program seamlessly integrates with the content of my class, enhancing the learning experience without imposing its agenda. This adaptability is crucial, as it allows us, as faculty members, to focus on our teaching without additional pressures.
As faculty, we must work within many parameters in the university, and IDEAL helps to accommodate us in those regards. One of the marching band students, Quindarian Boykin, is in the IDEAL program. I've had the pleasure of watching him for a couple of years, and he is valued just as a regular member of his section. His peers accept him as he is, and he contributes equally to the group.
There was one small accommodation that we had to make, which I really would have made for anybody. We partnered Quindarian with another band member for a short time, and they worked on the same content. In the marching band idiom, every member has their precise "dot" on the field, which is crucial for both safety and the visual integrity of the performance.
Our focus on safety is unwavering as we strive to prevent collisions during our performances on the field for pregame or halftime. However, it is also so that we can make the effect of whatever picture we draw on the field. So, we partnered Quindarian with a different band member, and the plan was that slowly, over time, as he got more comfortable, the extra support would gradually be phased out.
We were excited to work with Quindarian to make that a reality. While IDEAL students may have additional questions, I am happy to answer them. They are respectful of class time and patient in seeking clarification after lessons. They will come up as soon as class ends, and we'll converse. I addressed their concerns and answered their questions, which is a healthy relationship. It keeps the class moving and allows them to move at the pace they need to contribute to the course.
I recommend incorporating IDEAL students into courses whenever possible. They are strong contributing members and are a great asset for creating an inclusive environment among other students.
PEER Mentors
Peer Mentors in IDEAL program holding a sketched portrait of themselves
- We are searching for individuals to serve as Peer Mentors and Peer Supports for our IDEAL students. These individuals work with IDEAL students to help them achieve academic success, develop a social network and establish healthy and independent lifestyles. We offer paid and volunteer positions. Apply to be a Peer Mentor HERE! {hyperlink to application on Handshake}
- Peer Mentor
- Supports students in undergraduate classes as an academic coach
- Connects students with campus organizations of interest
- Assists students in navigating college life
- Serves as a liaison for students' various supports, academic mentors, etc.
- Time Commitment: 5 hours per week
Meet The IDEAL Team
Have questions? Contact the IDEAL Team via e-mail at [email protected] or call at 404-413-9573. Sign up for our mailing list at [email protected] to receive information about our application upcoming info sessions.
Contact Us
Address
Center for Leadership in Disability
Urban Life Building
140 Decatur Street SE
Suite 140
Atlanta, GA 30303