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PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM

The Certificate of Graduate Study in Gerontology Program addresses the educational needs of full-time and part-time students who will be engaged in planning, administration, and provision of services for older adults. Students who are earning master's or doctoral degrees in related disciplines are offered the opportunity to obtain specialized preparation for career paths in the expanding fields of gerontology and geriatrics. Given the increasing number of older citizens in our society, human service professionals require current knowledge about the biological, health, psychosocial, economic, administrative, service delivery and social policy aspects of aging.

The Gerontology Certificate Program is administered by the Graduate School of the University of South Carolina and is planned by the University's Interdisciplinary Academic Committee on Gerontology. With a commitment to excellence, the Certificate of Graduate Study in Gerontology Program has been developed in relation to standards and guidelines established by the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.

THE PROGRAM

The Gerontology Certificate Program provides graduate students with rich opportunities to learn from gerontology educators within several academic units of The University of South Carolina. The interdisciplinary certificate is granted upon completion of a structured program of 21 credit hours of graduate level courses.

Each student's program must include at least l2 credit hours of required courses and 9 credit hours of electives. At least l2 of the 21 credit hours must be earned in courses at the 700 level or above. All students are assigned an academic advisor who provides assistance in constructing an individualized program of study.

Retention standards parallel those in graduate degree programs. Candidates must achieve at least a "B" average on all USC courses taken for graduate credit before being awarded the certificate. No more than 6 hours of "C" or "C+" credit may be applied toward the certificate, and 9 hours with grades of below "B" will render a student ineligible to continue in the Certificate program.

The maximum time allowed for completion of a certificate is 6 years. Transfer credit will not be accepted toward this Certificate of Graduate Study.

With the approval of the academic unit concerned and subject to the regulations of The Graduate School, courses taken in the Gerontology Certificate Program can be applied toward a graduate degree. The College of Social Work particpates in the Gerontology Certificate Program and some of the elective courses for the M.S.W. program can be used to fulfill requirements for the Certificate. Students participating in the Ph.D. program in Health Services Research in Aging may utilize some Gerontology Certificate Program courses to fulfill degree requirements.

Each student's program of study will be sponsored by one or more departments authorized to offer graduate study. All programs of study are finally approved by the Graduate School.

CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS

A. The Core Curriculum (four courses required)

1. PSYC 700 (equivalent to SOWK 77l)

Psychosocial Approaches to Gerontology (3 credits)

Co-prerequisite to other courses

2. MEDI 700

Health Aspects of Aging (3 credits)

Co-prerequisite to other courses

3. SOWK 772

Programs and Services for the Elderly (3 credits)

4. Practicum/Field Instruction or Supervised Research (3 credits)

Students can meet this requirement through a departmentally approved residency, field instruction, or supervised research course, exclusive of the student's thesis or dissertation. Social work students may apply one semester of field instruction in an approved aging agency setting to meet the requirement. Health administration students may complete the practicum through a public health residency. The practicum requirement for students in all disciplines must be jointly approved by the student's academic unit advisor and the Graduate Director of the Gerontology Certificate Program.

B. Elective Courses (three courses selected)

Nine credit hours of electives may be selected from a broad list of graduate level courses available throughout the University. Elective courses approved by the University's Academic Committee on Gerontology are offered in such academic units as social work, health administration, health promotion and education, exercise science, epidemiology, speech-language pathology and audiology, medicine, philosophy, psychology, sociology, education, and nursing. It is required that a student take one elective outside their academic discipline.

All Health Administration students are required to take HADM 764 (Long Term Care Administration).

Other courses, including Independent Study, may be considered for elective credit when the student sets forth in writing a formal request containing a cogent rationale; and the rationale is approved both by the academic advisor and the Graduate Director of the Gerontology Certificate Program.

Students are encouraged to choose elective courses carefully with their respective advisors in relation to specific career goals.

Currently enrolled graduate students at The University of South Carolina normally are recommended for admission by an academic department, college, or school. Students currently enrolled in graduate programs, and others, must apply for admission to the Gerontology Certificate Program through The Graduate School. Requirements for admission include:

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. A minimum GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or a GPA of 3.0 for the last two years of undergraduate coursework.

2. A written account of the applicant's past experience, including a statement of purpose for seeking the gerontology certificate and career goals.

3. Scores on the GRE (Graduate Record Examination), unless the applicant already has earned a graduate degree or is currently completing the requirements for a graduate degree. GRE scores are used primarily for advisement.

4. Two letters of recommendation which attest to the individual's ability to successfully undertake graduate study.

5. Official transcripts of all colleges attended.

The initial step in seeking admission to the program is to contact:

Mrs. Geraldine B. Washington, LMSW
Administrative Assistant
South Carolina Center for Gerontology
DeSaussure College
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208

Telephone: (803) 777-4221
Fax: (803) 576-5501
E-mail: geraldinew@gwm.sc.edu

Information will be provided for completing the application to The Graduate School.

The University of South Carolina System provides affirmative action and equal opportunity in education and employment for all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or veteran status.