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Gerontology Concentration
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Department of Family and Child Studies

Gerontology Concentration

About the Gerontology Concentration:

The concentration requirements for this program emphasize the study of the family. Through this lens, students learn about family development, relationships, dynamics, functioning, health, and resource management. They examine the various cultural, community, and socioeconomic contexts in which families function and study interventions used to support families across the lifespan with a strong emphasis on gerontology. This interdisciplinary program is unique in that students take several service-learning courses and complete a part time internship enabling them to work with older adults in a variety of community settings. Students who complete this concentration are prepared to work in careers in aging at a time when our society is challenged to provide services for a diverse and growing population of older adults. Job opportunities for gerontology students are in community service agencies, senior living facilities, long term care facilities, community recreation programs and senior citizen centers. This degree also provides students with the educational background they need to pursue graduate study in a variety of areas.

I. MAJOR AND CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS:

A. FAMILY AND CHILD STUDIES CORE 18 SH
FCST 200 Introduction to Family Studies 3
FCST 248 Family Development Over the Life Course 3
#FCST 304 Research Methods for Studying Families and Children 3
*FCST 315 Field Experiences in Family and Child Services -OR- 3
FCST 316 Service-Learning Experiences with Families and Children 3
*FCST 418 Working with Diverse Families & Children 3
##FCST 445 Poverty and Families 3
     
B. FAMILY AND CHILD STUDIES ELECTIVES 6 SH
(Select 6 credits of any courses in the Family and Child Studies Department starting with the alpha code FCST)  
     
C. GERONTOLOGY CONCENTRATION (MULTIDISCIPLINARY) 36 SH
1. Required Courses 30 SH
*BIOL 110 Biology of Human Life 4
*COED 401 Cooperative Education Experience I 8
FCST 201 Introduction to Gerontology – OR - 3
FCST 344 Challenge of Aging (Service-Learning section) 3
PSYC 101 General Psychology 3
     
Choose one of the following: 3 SH
*PSYC 268 Psychological Aspects of Aging  
**PSYC 302 Health Psychology (Service-Learning section)  
Choose one of the following: 3 SH
HLTH 440 Health Aspects of Aging (Service-Learning section)  
*PEMJ 340 Fitness and the Aging Process  
Choose one of the following: 3 SH
PHIL 210 Ethics
PHIL 204 Philosophical Issues / Biomedical Ethics
PHIL 334 Theoretical and Applied Ethics
     
Choose one of the following: 3 SH
HLTH 445 Perspectives on Death
RELG 218 Death, Dying and Afterlife
   
2. Select 6 Semester hours from the following 6 SH
ANTH 350 Anthropology of Aging and the Aged (Service-Learning section) 4
* ENID 398 Autobiography (Prerequisites ENGL 106 or HONP 101) 3
EUGS 360 Environmental Gerontology 3
LSPR 413 Elder Law 3
LSPR 322 Wills / Trusts / Probate Law 3
MUTH 100 Introduction to Music Therapy 3
SOCI 219 Sociology of Aging (Service-Learning section) 3
SOCI 309 Sociology of Health and Illness  
     
MAJOR AND CONCENTRATION TOTAL 60 SH
*Check prerequisites, co-requisites, class standing, special fee and/or special requirements **Students in the Gerontology concentration can be admitted to this course without taking the prerequisite course.
(Go to the chairperson of the Psychology department to obtain permission to register.)
#Not open to Freshmen,
## Junior/Senior status
 
Click here for the General Education Requirements (1983 GER)
Click here for the General Education Requirements (2002 GER)
Click here to print the Gerontology Concentration worksheet