Graduate Certification in Gerontology

Gerontology Certificate

Brandon Wallace, Program Director
(615) 898-2509
Brandon.Wallace@mtsu.edu

The certificate program in Gerontology provides supplementary education in gerontology for students preparing for careers in a broad range of positions. This program is also designed to give those already working in the field an opportunity to enrich existing skills and knowledge and to provide further opportunities for career advancement.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the graduate certificate program requires an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college with an undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 or higher (4.0 scale).

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must

  1. submit application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
  2. submit official transcripts of all previous college work;
  3. submit a letter demonstrating their interest, detailing prior field experience, and outlining career goals and aspirations.

Certificate Requirements

Candidate must 

  1. complete 15 hours of graduate courses (see Curriculum section below for specifics);
  2. maintain a cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.00 in courses leading to the certificate.

Curriculum: Gerontology

Candidate must complete 15 hours in the following course of study:

Core Requirement (3 hours)*

 

  • PSY 5610 - Adult Development and Aging  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    PSY 5610 - Adult Development and Aging

    3credit hours

    Prerequisite: PSY 1410 and PSY 2300 recommended but not required. A survey of the research on adult development. Examines the physical, intellectual, social, vocational, and personality changes during the adult years.

  • SOC 5020 - Sociology of Aging  3 credit hours  
    OROR  dotslash:OR title:OR 
    OR 

    SOC 5020 - Sociology of Aging

    3credit hours

    Demographic, social, and cultural aspects of aging. Emphasis on the types of problems encountered by older persons in American society.

  • SOC 6550 - Seminar on Aging  3 credit hours  

    SOC 6550 - Seminar on Aging

    3credit hours

    In-depth investigation of selected topics in social gerontology.

*Note:

All students are required to complete at least one core course.

Electives (12 hours)

The remaining hours are to be selected from the following courses in conjunction with career goals and aspirations. Additional core courses may be completed as electives.

  • CDFS 5390 - Families in Later Life

    3credit hours

    Prerequisite: Human Sciences majors - CDFS 3310, CDFS 3320, or PSY 4190; Sociology majors - SOC 2600; or permission of department. Examines families in later life from an ecological approach with emphasis on family forms and relationships.

  • CDFS 5391 - Aging Health and Development

    3credit hours

    Prerequisite: CDFS 4390 or SOC 2600 or permission of department. A service learning opportunity that seeks to provide students with understanding of the concepts and application of aging, families in later life, assessment, and gerontological program planning and implementation.

  • LSM 5380 - Disabilities and Diversity in Leisure, Sport and Tourism

    3credit hours

    Important issues such as advocacy, accessibility, legalities, and the importance of and broad range of opportunities in the provision of recreational services for persons with disability in our society. For LSM majors only.

  • LSM 5470 - Leisure and Aging  3 credit hours  

    LSM 5470 - Leisure and Aging

    3credit hours

    Aging relative to the individual, family, peers, and society with an emphasis on leisure. The holistic approach including physical, psychological, social, cultural, environmental, and cognitive aspects explored. Interdisciplinary approach ideal for the developing or practicing human service professional.

  • NFS 5210 - Nutrition in Aging

    3credit hours

    Prerequisite: NFS 1240 or 2220. Nutritional needs of elderly individuals and how these requirements are affected by physiological, pathological, and socioeconomic changes associated with aging. Emphasis on assessment, nutrition counseling skills, and resources to assist elderly individuals with adequate nutrient intake.

  • PSY 5610 - Adult Development and Aging

    3credit hours

    Prerequisite: PSY 1410 and PSY 2300 recommended but not required. A survey of the research on adult development. Examines the physical, intellectual, social, vocational, and personality changes during the adult years.

  • PSY 5630 - Death and Dying  3 credit hours  

    PSY 5630 - Death and Dying

    3credit hours

    An experiential course covering the folklore of thanatology, the funeral industry, handling grief, counseling the bereaved, the hospice concept. Objectives include an attempt to view death with equanimity and personal growth through confronting death.

  • SOC 5020 - Sociology of Aging

    3credit hours

    Demographic, social, and cultural aspects of aging. Emphasis on the types of problems encountered by older persons in American society.

  • SOC 5030 - Topics in Gerontology

    3credit hours

    An opportunity to integrate gerontological theory and research techniques in working with the practical problems of older persons.

  • SOC 5040 - Health Care Delivery Issues

    3credit hours

    Sociological analysis of health care delivery and major issues facing providers, patients, and citizens in the twenty-first century, from the level of social interaction through the broader structures of health care systems and policies. Includes sociological approaches to health and medicine, health care institutions, insurance and reimbursement structures, and vulnerable populations, along with future issues and directions in U.S. health care delivery.

  • SOC 5800 - Special Projects  1 to 3 credit hours  

    SOC 5800 - Special Projects

    1 to 3credit hours

    Field experiences or reading courses through which special interests or needs of the student may be pursued under individual supervision. No more than three hours may be used in the major. Arrangements must be made with instructor prior to registration.

  • SOC 6510 - Independent Study  3 credit hours  

    SOC 6510 - Independent Study

    3credit hours

    Recommended for students past the midpoint in their master's programs. Designed to provide an opportunity to fill perceived gaps in the program of study and as precursor for the thesis. Arrangements must be made with instructor prior to registration.

  • SOC 6550 - Seminar on Aging  3 credit hours  

    SOC 6550 - Seminar on Aging

    3credit hours

    In-depth investigation of selected topics in social gerontology.

  • SOC 6661 - Program Evaluation

    3credit hours

    (Same as PSY 6661.) Prerequisite: SOC 3040 or permission of instructor. Methods and issues of client-centered social program evaluation. Topics include evaluation methods, proposal construction, report writing, and presentation techniques.

  • SOC 6670 - Mental Health and Aging

    3credit hours

    The basic concepts associated with mental health and the aging process. The epidemiology, assessment process, and approaches to treatment stressed. A positive approach to the mental well-being of the older adult provided.

  • SOC 6900 - Practicum: Applied Analysis

    3credit hours

    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Supervised independent study in which student is placed in an organization on a contractual basis. Course directed toward student pursuing career in applied sociology.

Program Notes

Students with little or no experience working with the elderly are encouraged to complete SOC 6900 - Practicum: Applied Analysis. Special projects, independent study, and thesis research may also be counted toward the certificate with approval of the program director.

Students may transfer up to six (6) credit hours of approved coursework into the certificate program. The time limit for use of credit toward the certificate is six years from the date of enrollment in the earliest course applied toward the certificate, including transferred courses.

Candidate must file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the semester in which candidate intends to graduate.

Can I Complete the Certificate Online?

At present we do not offer enough online courses to allow the certificate to be completed entirely online. However, it is possible to complete the certificate with a combination of online, evening, and individual study courses. Not all courses are offered in these formats. Thus, while it is possible to complete the certificate without coming to campus during regular business hours, course choices are more limited.