What are some of the specializations within this degree program?

• Social Work: Social workers assist individuals facing physical, emotional, or financial issues. In the context of gerontology, social workers may help individuals adjust to the physical and social ramifications of aging.

• Healthcare Administration: Healthcare administrators with specializations in gerontology may manage assisted living homes, nursing care facilities, and other healthcare institutions that serve the elderly. They are in charge of staffing, developing facility policies, and day to day functioning of the facility.

• Home Health Aides: Home health aides serve the elderly and others in long-term home care situations. They help with basic necessities of living, such as personal hygiene, cooking, or mobility.

• Counseling: Counselors offer advice and guidance to people who are dealing with trauma, change, or other difficult aspects of normal life. They may help the elderly and their families adjust to the changes of growing old.

• Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapists help individuals who need to learn new behavior or modify their existing routines in order to live a functional life. They may help the elderly learn to deal with decreased mobility, navigate new living situations, or address mental health concerns.

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What degree levels are available?

• Certificate: 1-2 years to complete
• Associate's Degree: 2 years to complete
• Bachelor's Degree: 4 years to complete
• Master's Degree: 2-3 years to complete
• Doctoral Degree: 4-6 years to complete

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What are the educational and certification requirements?

The educational requirements and necessary certifications will depend on the job you would like to hold after completing your degree program. Many professional positions in gerontology usually require a bachelor's degree, including social work, counseling, and healthcare administration. Home health aides can learn the necessary skills through a certificate, associate's degree, or on-the-job training. Occupational therapists will need a master's degree, while occupational therapy assistants need an associate's.

While the specific degree requirements vary by profession, most degrees in gerontology have the same basic structure of courses. Social science classes explore the social, psychological, and emotional aspects of growing old, while natural science classes examine the physical effects. Degrees also include specialized courses which pertain to the student's focus. Social work students would explore topics in interviewing and social psychology, for example, while those studying administration would take courses in business and accounting.

Certain careers in gerontology require state certification, while others have voluntary certification options. Social workers who wish to work in clinical settings will need to earn their state's social work license; this usually requires a master's degree and a clinical internship. Occupational therapists must graduate from a recognized program and pass their state's licensing exam. The certification for counselors varies by state and by the setting where the counselor works. Home health aides and healthcare administrators can seek voluntary certification. (BLS; BLS; BLS; BLS)

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What kinds of classes will I be expected to take?

• Societal Responses to Aging: This is an example of a social psychology course that is common in gerontology degree programs. Classes of this type explore institutions involved in the aging process as well as ideas individuals have about aging in various societies.

• Social Welfare and Government Services: This policy course explores the social programs that are designed to serve the elderly. Students learn about how these programs function and what their desired outcome is.

• Retirement Adjusting & Planning: Students leave this course with an understanding of how the period of retirement is conceived in American society, and how individuals can prepare financially and emotionally for retirement. This type of class is useful for counselors and social workers.

• Clinical & Field Work: Those that plan on working with the elderly will need to take courses in field work, which allow them to practice interacting with and advising the elderly. Students may intern or work under the guidance of professionals in nursing homes, hospitals, or in other facilities that serve the elderly.

• Human Behavior: A general psychology course, this class gives students a broad understanding of the theories of the human mind and what influences our behavior. Students study both social and physiological aspects of behavior.

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What are the on-site training requirements?

Most gerontology programs have some hands-on fieldwork or clinical aspect students must complete as a prerequisite for graduation. The nature of this work will depend on the student's specialization and the state licensing requirements for their intended career. Since gerontology students usually plan on serving the elderly in their profession, it is logical to expect that they would be required to work with this population as part of their degree program.

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What are some other degrees that are related to this program?

• Healthcare Management: Healthcare administration focuses on the business side of running healthcare facilities. Students study accounting, marketing, human resources, and other aspects of the day-to-day workings of healthcare centers.
• Social Work: Social work degrees look more broadly at human psychology and sociology. Graduates are also trained in hands-on skills for interviewing and talking with people, to help them find social services that can help them.
• Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapy master's programs train students to help rehabilitate people facing mental, psychological, or physical hurdles. Gerontology is only one specialization within this field. Occupational therapy assistants help occupational therapists carry out treatment plans.
• Counseling: While social workers help people in the context of social services, counselors provide more general advice and an opportunity for individuals to talk and be heard. They can help their clients see their problems and issues from new viewpoints.
• Psychology: Psychology is a social science that examines how the individual thinks and behaves. Psychologists study social, emotional, and physiological aspects of human motivation and identity.

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