The interdisciplinary program in Gerontology is designed to provide students with academic and field experiences in the area of aging. An understanding of the basic processes of aging and of its social consequences is valuable not only for students who wish to pursue careers directly related to gerontology but also for students interested in traditional careers in other areas and interested in their own aging. As the number of older persons in our society continues to increase, it will be important for people in every occupation and profession to have a basic understanding of the aging process. The goal of the program is to provide students with that basic understanding.
Gerontology is both an interdisciplinary and a multidisciplinary field. Invariably, the best research, training, and service programs in gerontology have developed when professionals from a variety of traditional academic disciplines have been afforded the opportunity to work together, each contributing a unique expertise while benefiting from the expertise of others. The Minor in Gerontology is built around a core sequence of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary courses that are taught from a variety of different academic disciplines. This approach is designed to bring together information from multidisciplinary sources, integrate theoretical and applied concepts in gerontology, and communicate to students the need for an integrated approach to meeting the needs of older persons.
A Minor in Gerontology can be useful in combination with a broad range of majors. With the aging population growing rapidly in the U.S. and globally, there are consequences that translate into diverse career options. Projections indicate opportunities in city planning, administration, management, recreation, counseling, physical therapy, social work, program development, research, long-term care administration, and healthcare, for example.
