GERONTOLOGY MINOR

GERONTOLOGY MINOR

Why study Gerontology?

We all grow old if we are lucky! Our society is aging due to a number of factors including the control of infectious diseases, advances in all kinds of technologies, lower death rates as well as lowered birth rates. The Baby Boomers are maturing and will soon start to reach old age.

The study of Gerontology and working in the field of aging represents exciting career opportunities in a wide variety of areas. The Gerontology minor is an interdisciplinary course of study housed in the Sociology/Social Work Department and can be eared with any major. It requires 22 hours of study in coursework related to the study of the aging process, concerns of older adults, and the service delivery system that serves them.

Gerontology Minor requirements:

The Gerontology Minor will consist of at least 22 credits from the required and elective selection below, and between the gerontology minor and a student's major, the student will complete at least 3 credit hours of field placement specifically involving older adults.

Required courses
The core for the Gerontology Minor includes the following courses:

Gerontology Core	Credits
GRN 101 Introduction to Gerontology	4
GRN 490 Gerontology Field Placement*	1-4
GRN 001 Gerontology Internship Completion	0
	5-8 credits

Disciplinary Foundation
(at least 10 credits from the following courses)

BI 225 Physiology of Aging (or)	Credits
HL 211 Health and Aging	3
CD 460 Aging and Cognition	3
SO 201 Sociology of Aging	4
SW 405 Aging Public Policies & Programs	4

Electives
(number of hours taken is contingent on reaching the full 22 units for the minor)

	Credits
HL 213 Death Education	2
PL 185 Issues in Medical Ethics	2
PY 353 Aging in the Family	4
PY 344 Lifespan Developmental Psychology	4
SO 382 Health, Society and Culture	4
	22 total credits

Students interested in taking the Gerontoloby Minor should declare it early in their academic studies. It should be approved by the Gerontology program coordinator and forwarded to the Degree Audits Office.

*Students in the Gerontology minor must take at least three hours of field placement involving older adults. One of those hours must be GRN 490. The remaining two or more hours may come from a student's major or second minor.

Careers in Aging

The range of job opportunities in the field of aging are truly impressive and are expanding rapidly:

recreation, community and religious organizations
health and long term care
assisted living facilities, retirement communities and senior housing
local, state and federal governmental agencies serving older adults
business and industry
advocacy organizations serving older adults
academic, educational and research settings.

For more informaiton on careers in aging contact
the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education at
AGHE
1030 15th Street NW, Suite 20
Washington, DC 20005-1503
(202) 289-9806
or visit their website at www.aghe.org

For more information on jobs in aging visit
http://www.agework.com and http://www.aginghelp.com