Health Sciences Degree (B.S.), Concentration in Gerontology

Overview

The Health Sciences major’s concentration in Gerontology provides a pathway for Health Science students to gain the skills and understanding necessary to work with an older population. The courses in the concentration in Gerontology include the five foundational Health Sciences courses and an additional number of multidisciplinary courses aimed at helping students develop an understanding of the physical, social, and psychological aspects of aging. This concentration is appropriate for students who are wanting to work with an older population, students seeking careers within long-term care facilities, and for students wanting to go into graduate school for specialized training in health care and/or gerontology.

Requirements

Program Description

The Health Sciences major's concentration in Gerontology provides a pathway for Health Science students to gain the skills and understanding necessary to work with an older population. The courses in the concentration in Gerontology include the five foundational Health Sciences courses and an additional number of multidisciplinary courses aimed at helping students develop an understanding of the physical, social, and psychological aspects of aging. Gerontology is an interdisciplinary social science and students claiming a concentration in Gerontology need to have an understanding of the statistics and the research methods that are an intrinsic part of social science disciplines. This concentration is appropriate for students who are wanting to work with an older population, students seeking careers within long-term care facilities, and for students wanting to go into graduate school for specialized training in health care and/or gerontology.

 

Health Sciences Core Requirements (15 Credits)

All Health Science students must complete the following core courses with a grade of B or higher:

Gerontology Concentration (25-26 Credits)

Students completing the Gerontology concentration must take the following courses and earn a grade of C or higher.

Gerontology Required Courses

  • *Students can complete both BIOL 0237 and BIOL 0239 as a substitute for GERO 0201. 
  • Students must choose any one research course from the following:

Gerontology Elective Courses

Students must choose any two electives from the following:

Additional Graduation Requirements

All students must meet the  and complete a general education or common core of studies, distributed among the different academic areas as detailed in  or .

Learning Outcomes

  • Increase student flexibility to explore a variety of aspects of healthcare.
  • Utilize a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving and patient care.
  • Prepare students to be leaders in the new model of healthcare.
  • Increase relevance of university curriculum.
  • Increase accessibility of graduate school prerequisites.
  • Increase marketability of students as they apply to graduate schools and professional positions.
  • Broaden teaching service and scholarship opportunities for faculty members.
  • Promote interdepartmental collaboration.
A Health Sciences student negotiates obstacles with a walker