Curriculum

Required Courses (12 Credits)

GERO 1100 Introduction to Gerontology
  OR
GSS 1090 Aging and Society

GERO 2107 Aging and Health
  OR
GERO 2109 Biology of Aging

GERO 3900 Gerontology Internship (or approved substitute as noted above)

Elective Courses (8 Credits) — Students must select at least two of the following courses, tutorials or independent studies. Some of these courses are cross-listed with various majors and completion of the cross-listed section will also count toward the minor or certificate. Additional elective courses are occasionally offered, so students should check the online course schedule.

GERO 2160 Aging, Crime and Criminal Justice
GERO 2282 Economics for All Ages
GERO 2381 Adult Development and Aging
GERO 2620 Therapeutic Arts with Older Adults
GERO 3220 Aging and Spirituality
GERO 3616 Aging and Mental Health
GERO 3754 Research on Aging
GERO 3760 Funding in Aging
GSS 2185 Aging and Communication
GSS 2194 Death and Dying
GSS 2256 Exploring the Dying Process
GSS 2403 Aging and Diversity
GSS 2404 Aging and the Law
GSS 3645 Aging and Technology

Stockton does not currently offer an undergraduate major in Gerontology because faculty believe it is generally in the student’s best interest to combine the minor/certificate with credentials in a traditional discipline. It is, however, possible for matriculated students to design their own Liberal Studies curriculum with a gerontology focus. Students wishing to pursue this option should see the Liberal Studies program description under the William T. Daly School of General Studies and speak to the GERO Coordinator early in their college career.

Gerontology Minor Program Faculty

Ted Alter, Ph.D. (Yeshiva University) - Assistant Professor of Social Work:  Aging, dementia, life cycle, health care, end-of-life, ethics, chronic illness, and disability.

David C. Burdick, Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame), FGSA, FAGHE - Professor of Psychology and Director, Stockton Center on Successful Aging:  Adult development and aging, technology and aging, intergenerational relationships, applied gerontology, mental health and aging, environmental psychology.

Elizabeth G. Calamidas, Ph.D. (Temple University) - Associate Professor of Public Health:  Community and public health, health education, health behavior, human sexuality, women and health, aging and health.

Merydawilda Colón, Ph.D. (The City University of New York), L.S.W. - Executive Director of the Stockton Center for Community Engagement and Professor of Social Work:  Social work practice, hospice (grief, death, and dying), acculturation and attitudes of Latinos toward hospice, Latinos and community outreach, social work with oppressed groups.

Lisa E. Cox, Ph.D. (Virginia Commonwealth University), L.C.S.W. - Professor of Social Work:  Clinical social work practice, psychopathology and cultural neuroscience, health care, HIV/AIDS clinical trials research, gerontology, research methods, linkage between social support and medication adherence.

Jennifer S. Dunkle, MSW (Monmouth University) - Assistant Professor of Social Work:  Culturally competent aging services, environmental justice, qualitative research, and oral history.

Elizabeth A. Elmore, Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame) - Professor of Economics and Director, Stockton Center for Economics and Financial Literacy:  Labor economics, statistics, financial gerontology, political economy of gender, gender issues in gerontology and social security.

Christine V. Ferri, Ph.D. (Duke University) - Associate Professor of Psychology:  Geropsychology, abnormal psychology, psychotherapy, positive psychology, statistical methods.

Jessica Fleck, Ph.D. (Temple University) – Professor of Psychology:  Cognitive neuroscience, research in the behavioral and neural underpinnings of problem-solving and creativity, age-related cognitive decline, neural predictors of cognitive decline and dementia.

Megan Foti, DOT (Temple University) - Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy:  Support for caregivers, telehealth/emedicine, adult learning and development, older adulthood, evidence-based practice.

Christine A. Gayda-Chelder, Program Coordinator - Ph.D. (Drexel University) - Associate Professor of Psychology:  Health psychology, clinical neuropsychology, traumatic brain injury, early detection of dementia, caregiver burden.

Janice O. Joseph, Ph.D. (York University, Canada) - Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice:  Juvenile justice, criminology and deviance, minorities and crime, corrections.

Marcello Spinella, Ph.D. (City University of New York) - Professor of Psychology:  Physiological psychology, positive psychology, mindfulness, clinical neuropsychology, psychometrics, psychopharmacology, herbal medicines, executive functions, addiction.

Admission to the Minor

The program is open to all students as well as to non-matriculated students. Matriculated students should inform their preceptor and officially declare the Gerontology Minor on the Declaration of Major and Minor Form provided by the University’s Center for Academic Advising. Gerontology courses may fit into students’ overall graduation requirements in several ways, depending on the student’s major. For example, GERO is generally a cognate to SOCY/ANTH, SOWK, PSYC, POLS, CRIM, ECON and some programs in the School of Health Sciences and the School of Business. For majors in the Arts and Humanities or Natural Sciences, most GERO courses would be considered at-some-distance; students from these areas could use GERO as a “career cluster.” The GSS courses would be counted toward students’ General Studies requirements. GERO is also a suitable minor for majors in Health Sciences or Business; students should consult with their preceptor and the GERO Coordinator for additional guidance. The decision about where GERO courses fit into a student’s academic plan is usually made by the student’s preceptor in their major. Planning early, particularly in programs with highly structured requirements, can help students complete the minor without taking additional courses beyond the basic 128 credit hours needed for graduation.

Non-matriculated students wishing to enroll in the program must first contact the Division of Continuing Studies in the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies. This office and the Stockton Center on Successful Aging will assist in planning and enrollment; however, Non-matriculated students must be aware that Stockton’s policy gives matriculated students priority in registration, and openings in desired courses may not be available at the time of Non-matriculated student registration.

Career Opportunities

Gerontologists usually work in one of two general areas: direct services to older adults or administration of service, research and education. Undergraduate course work in Gerontology coupled with the appropriate major prepares students for various entry-level positions in these areas. U.S. Labor Department statistics consistently indicate that jobs in fields related to aging will be particularly abundant for the near future as 72 million baby boomers pass the age of 65 during the next three decades. This will be true especially in New Jersey because of the state’s older- than-average population and even more so in southern New Jersey because of its growing popularity as a retirement destination.

Thus, the study of gerontology can enhance one’s performance and marketability as a professional in many disciplines. For example, social workers, physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, nurses, financial managers and health care administrators all require knowledge of aging.