Official Certificate Program in Gerontology
The Official Certificate Program (OCP) in Gerontology is designed to prepare students to meet the growing demand for professionals who understand the opportunities, concerns, and needs associated with our aging population. The program is geared toward a diverse group of students and professionals who desire to increase their aging literacy and find their niche in this growing and exciting field. The U.S. Department of Labor has identified careers in aging as a high-growth industry. The program curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of each student within this interdisciplinary field and can be applied to a wide variety of careers including medicine and caregiving, social service and non-profits, policy and outreach, business and marketing, architecture and urban planning, law and advocacy, exercise science, and management and administration. A graduate certificate in gerontology will provide graduates with a solid foundation in gerontology that will allow them to better meet the needs of the aging population within their particular field or industry.
Program Learning Outcomes
1. Utilize gerontological frameworks to examine the physical, psychological, and social factors underlying the aging process.
2. Understand and critically assess the social policies that affect diverse individuals, families, and societies and members age.
3. Engage in effective communication with older adults, families, and the community to promote well-being while adhering to the ethical principles of the field.
4. Engage with interdisciplinary research to advance knowledge and promote individual and community based interventions to benefit older adults.
5. Enhance one’s ability to communicate their gerontological perspective through assessment and reflection upon past experiences.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Applicants must also have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 point scale (where A is 4.00), or its equivalent. Applicants with a GPA between 2.40 – 2.99 who demonstrate potential and whose coursework and/or experiences relate to gerontology can be considered for conditional admission.
The admissions application, application fee, and official transcripts from each college and university attended (except Central Connecticut State University) must be submitted to the Graduate Recruitment and Admissions Office.
Additional Materials Required
In addition to the regular admission requirements, an applicant for the graduate certificate in gerontology must submit to the Chair of Psychological Science a resume or CV and an essay that addresses his/her past experiences, career goals, and reason for pursuing graduate training in gerontology.
Required Courses (9 credits)
| PSY 511 | Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| GERO 500 | Current Perspectives in Gerontology | 3 |
| GERO 510 | Policy, Aging, and Ethics | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 9 |
Directed Electives (9 credits)
| CNSL 565 | Foundations of Gerontology Conseling | 3 |
| CNSL 566 | Community Resources, Systems, and Challenges in Counseling the Older Adult | 3 |
| ENG 483 | Advanced Creative Nonfiction | 3 |
| EXS 592 | Advanced Physiology of Sport & Exercise I | 3 |
| EXS 593 | Advanced Physiology of Sport and Exercise II | 3 |
| PSY 541 | Health Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 547 | Clinical Health Psychology and Chronic Illness | 3 |
| GERO 590 | Special Topics in Gerontology | 3 to 4 |
| GERO 591 | Advanced Independent Reading and Research in Gerontology | 1 to 3 |
| GERO 595 | Graduate Internship in Gerontology | 3 |
| SOC 441/GERO 590 | Sociology of the Aging Body | 4 |
| SOC 461/GERO 590 | Intimacy and Aging | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 9 |
Total Credit Hours: 18