Health and Human Services Professional Development

Start Planning for Grad School by   Jill Bowers   on   August 6, 2013   If you are a junior or senior, you have probably started thinking about whether or not you want to go to graduate school or what programs you may want to apply to. If you are just beginning your undergraduate studies, graduate school may not be on your mind at all yet being proactive NOW will ensure you have good options later…AND many of the things you can do now to start preparing for applying for graduate schools are similar to activities that will help you on the job market! Whether or not graduate school (for example, getting a Master’s Degree or PhD) is right for you depends on your career goals, your major, and many other factors. Many individuals want to pursue graduate school because it gives them greater earning power and more opportunities to advance their career, allows them to switch career paths, buys them time to think more about what they want to do after their academic...

WHAT IS GERONTOLOGY? Many Human Service Program Administration programs offer or are affiliated with gerontology undergraduate degrees or minors and or graduate degrees in gerontology. Gerontologists can be found across disciplines (e.g., social work, nursing, medicine, optometry). Students who are gerontology majors learn about physical, cognitive, and social changes in individuals as they age, as well as the influence of environment, culture, social policies, and public policies on aging. Issues that students in gerontology may study include, but are not limited to: Age-related illnesses Ageism Death and dying WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A GERONTOLOGY DEGREE? Jobs that one can get with a degree in gerontology (some may require Master’s Degrees in Gerontology or related field) include, but are not limited to:Gerontological or geriatric social worker Senior services assessment specialist Home health aide Nursing home administrator Manager of public/private residential community...