Gerontology, Minor

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.

Program Requirements

The Minor in Gerontology is awarded only to students completing an undergraduate major at UNC Charlotte. A total of 18 hours in gerontology courses with an overall GPA of 2.5 in those courses is required. Students must earn a C or above in courses that are counted toward the minor.

Required Courses

Note:

*Participation in a preliminary orientation session a semester in advance is required to receive a permit for this class. Students must be declared minors who have completed GRNT 2100 , two primary electives, and one secondary elective (at a minimum), and should take this course as close to graduation as possible.

Primary Electives

Select at least two of the following:

Secondary Elective Courses

Secondary elective courses may be chosen from the following list of approved courses related to gerontology in consultation with the Gerontology Undergraduate Coordinator. Other appropriate courses may be chosen as electives in consultation with the Gerontology Undergraduate Coordinator.

ANTH 3132 - Aging and Culture (3) or
GRNT 3132 - Aging and Culture (3)
GRNT 3267 - Sociology of Dying, Death and Bereavement (3) or
SOCY 3267 - Sociology of Dying, Death, and Bereavement (3)
GRNT 3800 - Independent Study in Gerontology (1-8) (total of 3 credits can be counted toward minor)
GRNT 4050 - Topics in Gerontology (1-4)
GRNT 4134 - Families and Aging (3) or
SOCY 4134 - Families and Aging (3)
GRNT 4150 - Older Individual and Society (3) or
SOCY 4150 - Older Individual and Society (3)
GRNT 4260 - Women: Middle Age and Beyond (3) or
HLTH 4260 - Women: Middle Age and Beyond (3) or
WGST 4260 - Women: Middle Age and Beyond (3)
GRNT 4270 - Intergenerational Relationships and Programs (3)
GRNT 4280 - The Experience of Dementia (3)
LBST 1102 - The Arts and Society: Film (3) (Sections 425/426 - Aging and the LIfecourse in Film)
PHIL 3230 - Healthcare Ethics (3)
PSYC 3125 - Older Worker and Retirement (3)
SOCY 4130 - Sociology of Health and Illness (3)
SOWK 4101 - Social Work Practice with Older Adults (3)

Notes:

Because this is designed to be an interdisciplinary minor, no more than three courses in the student’s major may count toward the minor. (LBST 1102 , sections 425 and 426, is taught through a social gerontology lens, so it is considered a sociology course for these purposes.)

Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree from UNC Charlotte may be readmitted to pursue a Minor in Gerontology, just as they may be readmitted to pursue a second major. (For further information on readmission, see the Admission to the University section of this Catalog.)

Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree from an institution other than UNC Charlotte may not receive a Minor in Gerontology from UNC Charlotte (unless they earn a second baccalaureate degree from UNC Charlotte). Such students may request a letter from the program and/or a transcript notation that acknowledges completion of courses specified for the minor but indicates that the minor can only be awarded upon completion of a degree.

The Gerontology Program offers both a Master’s degree and a graduate certificate program in Gerontology. See the UNC Charlotte Graduate Catalog for more details.

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Gerontology, Minor

Program Requirements

Required Courses

Note:

Primary Electives

Secondary Elective Courses

Notes:

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