Gerontology Program

Undergraduate Certificate in Gerontology

Point of Contact
Dr. Frieda Butler
Coordinator
Phone: 703-993-1911
Email: fbutler@gmu.edu

A certificate in gerontology is offered for students who are enrolled in an undergraduate degree program and would like additional academic experience in gerontology. The certificate program is designed for students who wish to prepare for work with older adults and for professionals already working with the elderly. The program provides a background of basic knowledge in gerontology and permits students to acquire specialized skills in a variety of disciplines. Students in the program receive professional training in areas such as nursing, recreation, social services, physical education, and administration. The Program is interdisciplinary and various academic units participate: The School of Nursing, the Department of Global and Community Health, the Department of Health Administration and Policy, the Department of Social Work, Adult Education, Recreation and Leisure Studies, Physical Education, Psychology, and Sociology and Anthropology.

Program Requirements

Students who wish to enter the certificate program must be accepted in an undergraduate program and must complete an application for the undergraduate certificate program. Application forms may be obtained from the College of Nursing and Health Science and submitted to the Gerontology Certificate Program, College of Nursing and Health Science. Students can also download the form from our website at http://www.gmu.edu/departments/gerontology. The bachelor's level certificate program in gerontology consists of 24 credit hours of course work. The required courses include a minimum of 12credit hours of electives, and 6 hours in a practicum in gerontology. Students receiving the certificate must either hold a baccalaureate degree or have earned a baccalaureate degree from George Mason University by the time they receive the certificate.

A Partial List of Gerontology and Related Courses
Please refer to the catalogue for additional courses.

• Required Core Courses: (9 Credits)
  • GCH 480 - Health Maintenance and Health Aspects of Aging
  • PSYC 415 - Psychological Factors in Aging
  • SOCI 441 - The Sociology of Aging
  Gerontology Electives: (Minimum of 3 Credits)
  • NURS 505 - Case Management
    
  • PRLS 315 - Therapeutic Recreation for Selected Populations
  • PRLS 415 - Leisure, Wellness and Special Population
    
  • SOCW 483 - Selected approaches to Social Work Intervention: Social Work with the Aging and their Families.
  • GCH 350 - Health Education, Promotion, and Holistic Health Perspectives
  Other Elective Courses: (Minimum of 9 Credits)
  • HEAL 110 - Personal Health
    
  • HEAL 323 - Program Implementation and Evaluation of Health, Fitness & Recreation Resources
    
  • HAP 332 - Concepts of Health Promotion & Disease Prevention through the life span.
    
  • PHED 410 - Social / Psychological Aspects of Health & Fitness
    
  • PRLS 210 - Leisure in Society
    
  • PRLS 310 - Program Design and Marketing in Health Fitness & Recreation Resources
  • HEAL 377 - Women's Health
  • HEAL 350 - Interventions, Populations at Risk
  • HAP 303 - Strategic Health Management and Planning
  • HAP 378 - Health Care Delivery in the United States
  • HAP 416 - Leadership and Management of Health Systems I
  • PRLS 327 - Foundations of Therapeutic Recreation
  • PRLS 416 - Issues and Trends in Therapeutic Recreation
  • PSYC 317 - Cognitive Psychology
  • PSYC 321 - Counseling Psychology
  • PSYC 324 - Personality Theory
  • PSYC 326 - Therapeutic Communication Skills
  • PSYC 461 - Special Topics
  • PSYC 518

Any Department

Readings and Research in Gerontology Independent Study in Gerontology

Practicum Requirements

Practicum in Gerontology I & II ( 6 Credits )

This should be arranged with the preceptor no less than six weeks in advance for the practicum.

Explanation of Credit Hours
Course titles are followed by numbers in parentheses (0:0:0), separated by colons. The numbers have the following significance:

• First Number: credits for the course
• Second Number: hours of lecture or seminar per week for the course
• Third Number: hours of laboratory for the course

For independent study, readings, topics, or similar courses, individual instructors set hours.

Further Information

Inquires about the Gerontology Certificate program should be directed to the College of Health and Human Services, Department of Global and Community Health .
Phone: (703) 993-1911, Fax: (703) 993-1908
Email: fbutler@gmu.edu or aweiss2@gmu.edu (703-993-3126)