Graduate Certificate
A Graduate Certificate in Gerontology is offered for students preparing for careers in the aging field and for professionals already working in areas such as health care, social services, recreation and leisure, government, and business. The certificate program is a 21-semester-hour, interdisciplinary curriculum that provides an in-depth exposure to the issues, knowledge, and research about the aging processes and older people. It is designed to integrate knowledge of gerontology into students' own disciplinary fields and may be earned concurrently with a master's or doctoral degree or independently by those who hold a bachelor's or advanced degree.
Students throughout the university may specialize in gerontology by planning their programs of study to include the certificate. Nursing, nutrition, physical therapy, social work, counseling, health administration, exercise science, public administration, and urban policy studies students, as well as those in the natural and social sciences, the humanities, and the arts find the certificate to be a valuable adjunct to their degree programs.
Requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology
(All courses are three semester hours)
1. Core courses (12 hours)
GERO 7200 Health and the Older Adult
GERO 8116 Sociology of Aging
Select one of the following courses:
GERO 7610 Psychology of Aging
GERO 8260 Psychology of Adulthood and Aging
Select one of the following courses:
GERO 7110 Aging Policy and Services
GERO 7260 Social Work with the Aging
2. Elective courses (6 hours)
GERO 6475 Communication and Aging
GERO 7110 Aging Policy and Services (If not taken in core)
GERO 7260 Social Work with the Aging (If not taken in core)
GERO 8102 Life Course Sociology
GERO 8119 Global Aging and Social Policies
GERO 8122 Death, Dying, and Loss
GERO 8124 Ethnicity and Aging
GERO 8200 Aging Program Administration
GERO 8700 Special Topics in Gerontology
GERO 8800 Directed Reading in Gerontology
3. Internship (3 hours)
GERO 8910 Gerontology Internship or an approved alternate internship course
Admission
Graduate students currently enrolled in graduate degree programs at Georgia State University who plan to combine the graduate degree in another field with a gerontology certificate should submit the Application for Admission to the Certificate in Gerontology form, available on the Gerontology Institute website, www.gsu.edu/gerontology, or by contacting the Gerontology Institute.
Students who plan to pursue the graduate certificate independently of a degree program should seek admission to Georgia State University through the Office of Graduate Studies, College of Arts and Sciences. Please go to the College website, www.cas.gsu.edu/grad.html, to Graduate programs and follow the application instructions outlined in the Application Guide. Students may apply online or submit paper application forms found on the website. All materials should be submitted in the manner outlined in the Self-managed Packets section.
Students who are unable to access the graduate office website may obtain an Application Guide and application forms by contacting the Office of Graduate Studies, College of Arts and Sciences at 404-413-5040 (phone), 404-413-5036 (fax), or by email at gascas@langate.gsu.edu.
Although July 1 is the application deadline for fall semester, and November 15 is the application deadline for spring semester, applicants to the graduate certificate program are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Applications will be reviewed by the admission committee as they are received.
In addition to completing all GSU application forms, submitting official transcripts, and paying the required application fee, applicants to the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology must provide the following items:
1. Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores.
2. Three letters of recommendation.
3. A statement of educational and career goals.
4. A current resume#.
Graduate Record Exam
A testing center is located at Georgia State University. Applicants may register for the test by calling 404-413-1737 or obtain test preparation information by calling 404-413-6406. Additional information about the GRE and test preparation as well as the location of other test sites is available at www.gre.org.
