University of Northern Iowa

Gerontology Majors

Summary

 

The gerontology major offers students a choice of two tracks, one track emphasizes the administration of long term care facilities and qualifies students for admission to the State of Iowa exam for licensure of facility administrators. This track requires 42 to 51 credit hours depending on whether students complete the three-hour internship or the 12-hour extended internship to qualify them for the state examination.

 

The second track provides students with a broad social sciences perspective on aging. Up to 41 credit hours are required, depending on which courses are chosen.

 

Major:

Gerontology: Long Term Care, B.A.

Gerontology: Social Sciences, B.A.

 

Minor:

Gerontology

 

(Click major/minor/certificate title to see typical courses for the program)

 

Back to top

Careers

 

Graduates of this program can find employment in:

  • Advocacy & Human Services

  • Community Agencies, including non-profit and for-profit agencies

  • Religious organizations

  • Health care & long-term care settings

  • Government agencies

  • Retirement communities

Websites for Career Exploration

Gerontological Society of America

Association for Gerontology in Higher Education

ElderWeb

Job Listings

 

Back to top

Unique Features

  • Housed in Latham Hall, renovated in 1990. Features multimedia classrooms and state-of-the-art computer, design and textile testing laboratories

  • Student-oriented faculty

  • Opportunities to apply learnings in internship work experiences

  • Opportunities for involvement in undergraduate research projects, field trips, international study and applied learning experiences

  • Opportunities for professional development through participation in departmental organizations:
    Phi Upsilon Omicron national honor society
    Northern Iowa Family Services Organization (NIFSO)
    Student Interior Designers of Northern Iowa (SIDNI)
    Textile and Apparel Association (TAPP)

Back to top

Scholarships

 

Scholarships for current majors include the Nellie Dickey Award, the Marjorie Gibson Leighty Scholarship, the Martha Shedd Scholarship and Letitia Walsh Scholarship. An award in honor of Dr. Elisabeth Sutherland Howes, department head from 1940 to 1960, is presented to an outstanding graduating senior.

 

More information on department scholarships can found at Financial Aid.

 

Back to top