Social Work Minor: Gerontology
The interdisciplinary minor in gerontology is designed for any undergraduate major desiring a concentration of study in gerontology of personal understanding or career preparation. This minor program requires 18 credit hours:
- GERN/SOCI 280 - Social Gerontology
- GERN 305 - Programs and Services for the Elderly
- GERN 400 - Skills and Techniques in Gerontological Assessment Major Elective (a course supporting the student's major or related field of study with 50% of the course content in gerontology)
- GERN 495 - Field Experience/ Seminar, the capstone course in the minor.
- Minor Elective (must be a course in which the content is at least 50 percent in gerontology)
Gerontology Minor - Course Descriptions
- GERN/SOCI 280.
Social Gerontology. 3 credits. An interdisciplinary introduction to the study of aging. The course provides an overview of issues surrounding aging in contemporary society: personal, familial, communal and societal. - GERN 305.
Programs and Services for the Elderly. 3 credits. A review of the programs and services provided for the elderly in the public and private sectors of America. Observations and participation in local programs for the elderly will be required.
Prerequisite: GERN/SOCI 280. - GERN/FAM/SOWK 375.
Grant Writing for Agencies. 3 credits. A collaborative course, which emphasizes active learning, teaches basic skills on proposal writing. Students and agency representatives learn the importance of grant writing for agencies/organizations and research projects often needed to complete graduate education. There is potential for a grant submission by the end of the semester. - GERN 400.
Skills and Techniques in Gerontological Assessment. 3 credits. The study of the skills and techniques used in assessing the elderly client. Assessment is made from the holistic approach: physical, psychological and social.
Prerequisite: GERN/SOCI 280. - GERN 487.
Special Topics in Gerontology . 3 credits. Examination of selected topics in gerontology that are of current importance in the field of gerontology. Course may be repeated for credit. - GERN 490.
Special Studies in Gerontology. 1-3 credits. Independent study in gerontology under faculty supervision. Limited to gerontology minors. Can be repeated for credit.
Prerequisites: GERN/SOCI 280, GERN 305 and GERN 400 or permission of instructor. - GERN 495.
Field Experience/Seminar in Gerontology (1, 6). 3 credits. Supervised field experience in gerontology settings that allows observation and experience with the well and frail elderly. A minimum of six hours in the assigned setting each week and one hour seminar on campus. Prerequisites: GERN/SOCI 280, GERN 305 and GERN 400, major elective and approval of the gerontology minor adviser.
For more information about a Gerontology Minor contact Professor Ann Myers at 568-6980.
