Broad Academic Options

Gerontology is the study of human aging from middle age to later life. The Gerontology Institute offers the major and minor in Aging Studies. Aging Studies students take a broad range of classes: often biology, sociology, and psychology, but also public policy, humanities, communications, and economics. And Aging Studies combines well with many other majors.

"Gerontology can take you a lot of places."
—Dan

Most people don't know what gerontology is. It's funny—when my first roommate here asked me "What's your major?" and I said "Gerontology" she was like "Oh so you study rocks?" and I was like "Um, no, that's geology." When you explain what gerontology is they say "Oh so you study old people?" and I'm like "Well it's not exactly that..." If you have a lot of interests you take a variety of courses with this major—you'll never get bored with this major.
—Joanna

"There's a lot of electives—I've taken communication courses, business courses, speech communication courses, politics, history, all over the map. Gerontology makes a great combination with any number of majors, like jobs in the media, business, outdoor leadership—any major can tie it in. You can go to graduate school in gerontology—ideally I'd like to go to grad school (for an MBA)."
—Emily

"Not a lot of eighteen-year-olds go to college thinking about gerontology. It's a cool major. I loved all my classes."
—Emily