A Smart Career Move

What's the big deal? Think about this: people are living longer, and the number of older people is increasing dramatically. In 1900 about 1 in 25 Americans were over 65. Today about 1 in 8 Americans are over 65. And by 2050 about 1 in 5 Americans will be over 65.

With a degree in Aging Studies you'll be especially prepared for the jobs created to serve this population—jobs providing housing, transportation, health care, recreation, and more. Or you might become an educator or researcher studying sociology or psychology relating to older adults. You might consult with businesses to design products or develop services that benefit older adults. And the relative newness of the field means that starting your own business or coming up with an innovative idea are distinct possibilities.

"Especially with the baby boomers (our parents) there's going to be a large need for people with knowledge about the aging process. Our whole country is going to change. There's going to be a lot of career opportunities."
—Joanna

"I decided Therapy Recreation is definitely what I want to do. The aging population is growing so rapidly that by the time I graduate there is going to need to be more recreation opportunities for older adults. So a gerontology minor makes sense. TR and gerontology mesh really well together."
—Jennie

"Gerontology is a growing field and definitely where a lot of jobs are going to be in the future. As America ages it's important to understand the psychological, sociological, and biological issues of aging."
—Dan

"[Older adults are] going to be  a large segment of our population. Every aspect of our culture is going to have to somehow figure out how to serve this segment. In marketing terms how do we target these people? How do we serve them? How do we meet their needs? I love that."
—Emily

"[My interest in gerontology] started out with working with people and it turned into 'this is going to be something that is going to impact everyone.'"
—Emily