Graduate Programs

Master of Arts in Gerontology

The Master of Arts in Gerontology is a degree program designed to help meet the educational needs of working professionals and those interested in research.
**Two Degree Options**
Both options are offered online or on campus.

**Thesis option:** designed for those who wish to gain additional knowledge and insight from the research in the field of gerontology, to interpret the research critically, and who may wish to be prepared to conduct research on their own.

**Non-thesis option:** designed for practitioners currently working with older adults or aspire to work with elders in some capacity. The non-thesis track provides students with the necessary educational support to understand normal and abnormal age-related changes. The training will also allow students to design, implement, and evaluate programming for elders and their families.

Ph.D. in Gerontology

The Gerontology Ph.D. program provides interdisciplinary training, preparing students to be leaders in the field of gerontology. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the field, our students have much flexibility as we create individualized programs tailored to each student’s research and substantive interests to ensure that their training has enough breadth and depth.

**Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for the Doctoral Degree**

**SLO 1:** Mastery of content – students will be able to integrate interdisciplinary evidence-based gerontological knowledge and theories into a product that is new to him/her.
**SLO 2:** Mastery of research skills - students will demonstrate competence in conducting interdisciplinary gerontological research through hypothesis generation, study design, and analysis and interpretation of data.
**SLO 3:** Students will demonstrate effective oral communication skills needed to disseminate research in the field of gerontology.
**SLO 4:** Students will demonstrate effective written communication skills in regards to critically thinking about concepts, knowledge, and theories in the field of gerontology.

Graduate Certificate in Gerontology

The Certificate in Gerontology is a valuable companion to other degrees or may be completed alone without a full degree. Both undergraduate and graduate certificate programs may be completed online or on-campus.

Students pursuing the graduate certificate in gerontology are seeking a formalized understanding of the aging process that serves to complement an existing graduate degree such as counseling, business, public administration or social work. Students also pursue the graduate certificate in gerontology to expand their knowledge beyond the undergraduate level.

Graduate Minor in Gerontology

Students pursuing other graduate degrees at the University of Nebraska can also complete a graduate minor in Gerontology. The graduate minor consists of 9 credit hours in gerontology courses and can be completed 100 percent online.
**Suggested Courses**
Below are some suggested courses a student can take to receive the gerontology graduate minor:

GERO 8356 Advanced Principles in the Biology of Aging

GERO 8676 Programs & Services for Older Adults

GERO 8730 Dying, Death, and Grieving

GERO 9110 Theories of Aging

GERO 9460 Seminar in Aging & Human Behavior

Dual Degree Programs

Public Administration, MPA and Gerontology, MA

The dual degree offers interdisciplinary preparation in the fields of public administration and gerontology, leading to both the Master of Public Administration and Master of Arts in Gerontology degrees with fewer required hours than it would take to obtain these degrees independently.

student looking over a folder with an instructor

Gerontology and Law

A UNO and UNL partnership combining expertise in aging and law to meet the needs of older adults and their families.

Degree Options

Master of Arts in Gerontology (UNO) & Juris Doctor (UNL)
Master of Arts in Gerontology (UNO) & Master of Legal Studies (UNL)
Graduate Certificate in Gerontology (UNO) & Juris Doctor (UNL)

Explore This Dual Degree

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Dual Degree Programs

Public Administration, MPA and Gerontology, MA

Gerontology and Law

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