Gerontology, Graduate Certificate

Point of Contact
Cathy Tompkins, Associate Professor
Phone: 703-993-2838
Email: ctompkin@gmu.edu

Older adults are the fastest growing sector of today’s population. They deserve increased attention by practitioners, policy makers, and researchers alike. The new graduate certificate in gerontology provides students with important knowledge and supplemental skills to better serve the older adult population in a wide range of careers—from elder law attorneys to certified geriatric pharmacists, from strategic policy analysts to educational gerontologists.

A 15-credit program, the graduate certificate in gerontology is ideal for professionals seeking additional training and for current graduate students with a career interest in gerontology. The certificate may compliment any other degree program at the university. Students are expected to complete the certificate requirements in two years, but may take up to three years to complete the coursework with the permission of the department.

For both students pursuing the graduate certificate alone or as a secondary program, more than half the credits required must be taken in degree status for that program. Additionally:

• Applicants applying for the graduate certificate alone should hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 GPA and apply using the standard graduate application to the university.
• Current Mason students pursuing a master’s or doctoral program may apply to complete the certificate as a secondary program using the Application for a Graduate Certificate as a Secondary Program available through the College of Health and Human Services.

The graduate certificate in gerontology is administered by the College of Health and Human Services and housed in the Department of Social Work. For more information, please contact Dr. Cathy Tompkins at ctompkin@gmu.edu or call (703) 993-2838.

View the program requirements for Gerontology, Graduate Certificate. (pdf)

For information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who complete the program, and other important information, please visit our website at http://irr.gmu.edu/new/N_IRRHome/HEOA/HEOA.cfm.