Health Sciences Degree (B.S.), Concentration in Gerontology

The Health Sciences major's concentration in Gerontology provides a pathway for Health Science students to gain the skills and understanding necessary to work with an older population. The courses in the concentration in Gerontology include the five foundational Health Sciences courses and an additional number of multidisciplinary courses aimed at helping students develop an understanding of the physical, social, and psychological aspects of aging. Gerontology is an interdisciplinary social science and students claiming a concentration in Gerontology need to have an understanding of the statistics and the research methods that are an intrinsic part of social science disciplines. This concentration is appropriate for students who are wanting to work with an older population, students seeking careers within long-term care facilities, and for students wanting to go into graduate school for specialized training in health care and/or gerontology.

All Health Science students must complete the following core courses with a grade of B or higher:

• HESC 0101 - Introduction to the Health Care Practice
• HESC 0201 - Human Assessment
• HESC 0250 - Medical Ethics
• HESC 0350 - Research Methods in Evidence Based Practice
• HESC 0380 - Public Health Intervention

Students completing the Gerontology concentration must take the following courses and earn a grade of C or higher.

Gerontology Required Courses

Gerontology Elective Courses

All students must meet the University Graduation Requirements and complete a general education or common core of studies, distributed among the different academic areas as detailed in General Education: WISE or Common Core.