Gerontology

The bachelor of science in gerontology prepares graduates for positions in agencies and institutions that administer and deliver services for older adults, including senior centers, nutrition programs, nursing homes, assisted living, recreation and counseling agencies, research organizations and social service agencies.

Admission Information

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Quality classroom experiences

Students actively engage in scholarly research, either developing their own project or working with faculty, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Our comprehensive degree program allows students to participate in service learning and field opportunities to gain hands-on social work practice while honing their skills in the classroom.

Stand Out in courses like

Aging, Individual & Society
Mental Health and Aging
Health and Aging
Applied Social Gerontology
Interviewing and Observation

Curriculum

Gerontology graduates will have a strong interdisciplinary background in aging studies. In addition to a liberal arts base, students complete course work in a cognate area such as administration, biology, health, human resource management, nutrition, psychology, sociology, recreation or service planning.

Students can also specialize in long-term care administration, which prepares them to take the licensure exam required to be a nursing home administrator.

Internships and Careers

The practicum experience blends theory from the classroom with practical experience in an agency serving older adults. The gerontology practicum consists of a minimum of 400 hours of on-site, supervised experience in a program, agency or organization that serves older adults.

GO FAR in your career

Assisted Living Facilities
Community Clinics
Family Service Agencies
Home Health
Hospice
Long-Term Care Facilities
Senior Centers
Adult Day Care

More Information

The Gerontology program is part of the Department of Human Services in the BGSU College of Health & Human Services

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in Gerontology are expected to:

Critically evaluate contemporary policies and practices, as well as social and cultural issues, as they relate to the elderly, gerontology, and long-term care;
Demonstrate mastery of key concepts related to aging and societal responses in meeting the needs of the aging population;
Communicate knowledge about aging to diverse audiences, both orally and in writing.

Accreditation

Bowling Green State University [BGSU] is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. BGSU has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 01/01/1916. The most recent reaffirmation of accreditation was received in 2012 - 2013. Questions should be directed to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

The Gerontology program is accredited by the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB) and is in good standing.

More information on accreditation

Professional Licensure

Bowling Green State University programs leading to licensure, certification and/or endorsement, whether delivered online, face-to-face or in a blended format, satisfy the academic requirements for those credentials set forth by the State of Ohio.

Requirements for licensure, certification and/or endorsement eligibility vary greatly from one profession to another and from state to state. The Gerontology program leads to professional licensure.

More information on professional licensure

Gainful Employment

Under the Higher Education Act Title IV disclosure requirements, an institution must provide current and prospective students with information about each of its programs that prepares students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.

The Gerontology program is not a recognized occupation that requires a Gainful Employment disclosure.

Specializations

Long-term Care Administration

* Job placement and salary information was compiled by the Office of Academic Assessment through the Graduation Survey from AY2015-2018. The data are gathered around the time of Commencement and a follow-up survey six months post Commencement. For the salary question, data for programs with fewer than fifteen responses are not included. Salaries for those programs are from the National Association of Colleges and Employers Summer 2019 Survey. For questions regarding the data, contact assessment@bgsu.edu.

Updated: 03/04/2021 03:54PM