John A. Krout, Professor and Director
Pamela S. Mayberry, Associate Director and Academic Program Coordinator
The Ithaca College aging studies major has been designated a Program of Merit by the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. The interdisciplinary major draws on Ithaca College's unique combination of liberal arts and professional programs to provide students with a liberal arts foundation, a broad-based understanding of individual and social aspects of aging, and professional skills relevant to their career goals. Students have the option of enrolling in either the B.A. or the B.S. program in aging studies, depending on their educational and career interests and choice of concentration. The majors prepare students for positions with an aging focus or for graduate education in gerontology or a related discipline.
Through a liberal arts foundation, interdisciplinary gerontology coursework, and experiential learning, the Ithaca College aging studies major prepares students to:
Aging Studies, B.A.
Aging Studies, B.S.
Aging Studies Minor
Facilitating student growth and learning is a priority for gerontology faculty and staff. All majors are assigned an adviser to assist with progress toward completing their major requirements and to serve as a resource for exploring interests and career goals. It is strongly recommended that aging studies majors meet with their adviser at least twice each semester, once at the beginning of the semester and again during the required advising period prior to online registration.
GERO 10100 |
Introduction to Aging Studies (3) |
|
BIOL 20500 |
Biology of Aging (3) |
|
GERO 29010 |
Fieldwork in Gerontology (3) |
|
GERO 31900 |
Aging and Social Policy (3) |
|
GERO 33000 |
Research Methods in Aging (3) |
|
GERO 40100 |
Gerontology Internship (3) |
|
GERO 48000 |
Gerontology Senior Seminar (3) |
|
HPS 20500 |
Critical Health Issues (3) |
|
PSYC 36600 |
Psychology of Aging (3) |
|
ANTH 34000 |
Aging and Culture (3) or |
|
SOCI 22000 |
Sociology of Aging (3) or |
|
GERO 22000 |
Sociology of Aging (3) |
|
Total |
30 |
Select 12 credits from the following:
GERO 32500 |
The Long-Term Care System (3) |
|
GERO 33500 |
Research Experience in Gerontology (3) |
|
GERO 39900-39909 |
Selected Topics in Social Gerontology (1-3) |
|
GERO 49900 |
Independent Study (1-4) |
|
SOCI 37000 |
Counseling the Older Adult (3) |
|
MUMC 41100 |
Creative Musical Experience with Older Adults (3) |
|
SLPA 35900 |
Communication Disorders in the Aging Population (3) |
|
RLS 23800 |
Leisure and Aging (3) |
|
HLTH 24000 |
Health Promotion and the Older Adult (3) |
|
HLTH 32200 |
Nutrition for the Older Adult (3) |
|
Total, restricted electives |
12 |
3.1 Self and Society (select 6 credits from this section)
PSYC 10400 |
Introduction to Developmental Psychology |
3 |
and one of the following:
PSYC 10300 |
General Psychology (3) |
|
PSYC 31600 |
Social Psychology (3) |
|
SOCI 10100 |
Introduction to Sociology (3) |
|
SOCI 21800 |
Individual and Society (3) |
|
SOCI 31400 |
Sociology of Health and Medicine (3) |
|
RLST 20700 |
Death and Immortality (3) |
|
HLTH 22900 |
Disease and Lifestyle (3) |
|
HLTH 31500 |
Family Health Problems (3) |
3 |
3.2 Global Issues (select 3 credits from this section)
TVR 22000 |
Global Flow of Information (3) |
|
POLT 12300 |
Political Justice (3) |
|
POLT 12800 |
Introduction to International Relations (3) |
|
POLT 12900 |
Introduction to Global Studies (politics) (3) or |
|
ANTH 12900 |
Introduction to Global Studies (anthropology) (3) or |
|
HPS 12900 |
Introduction to Global Studies (health policy studies) (3) |
|
HIST 27300 |
Twentieth-Century Global Revolutions (3) |
|
PHIL 34000 |
Global Ethics (3) |
|
SOCI 30300 |
Global Race and Ethnic Relations (3) |
|
ANTH 10400 |
Cultural Anthropology (3) |
|
MUNM 13000 |
Music in Society (3) |
3 |
3.3 Diversity (select 6 credits from this section)
CNPH 30300 |
Images of Men and Women in Mass Media (3) |
|
STCM 36000 |
Communication in Culturally Diverse Organizations (3) |
|
ENGL 21100 |
Jewish American Writers (3) |
|
ENGL 22000 |
Black Women Writers (3) |
|
POLT 14100 |
Power: Race, Sex, and Class (3) |
|
HIST 20900 |
Ethnic United States since the Civil War (3) |
|
PHIL 26000 |
Difference and Community (3) |
|
SOCI 20700 |
Race and Ethnicity (3) |
|
SOCI 30300 |
Global Race and Ethnic Relations (3) |
|
SOCI 11600 |
Introduction to Multicultural Studies (3) |
|
SOCI 34300 |
Sociology of Gender (3) |
|
RLST 10500 |
Introduction to World Religions: Primal and |
|
RLST 10600 |
Introduction to World Religions: Western and Modern (3) |
|
MUNM 25500 |
Women in Music (3) |
|
MUNM 25600 |
Women in Popular Music (3) |
|
Any 3-credit course with a prefix of CSCR, AASC, AAMS, or NAMS |
6 |
3.4 Ethics and Values (select 3 credits from this section)
PHIL 10100 |
Introduction to Philosophy (3) |
|
PHIL 21200 |
Introduction to Ethics (3) |
|
PHIL 22000 |
Political Philosophy (3) |
|
PHIL 23000 |
Medical Ethics (3) |
3 |
3.5 Speech Communication (select 6 credits from this section)
SPCM 11000 |
Public Communication (3) or |
|
SPCM 11500 |
Business and Professional Communication (3) |
|
SPCM 14000 |
Small Group Communication (3) or |
|
SPCM 14900 |
Fundamentals of Interpersonal Communication (3) |
6 |
3.6 Statistics (select 3 credits from this section)
MATH 15500 |
Basic Statistical Reasoning (3) |
|
MATH 24300 |
Statistics (3) |
|
MATH 24400 |
Statistics with Probability (4) |
|
PSYC 20700 |
Statistics for Psychology (4) |
3-4 |
3.7 Economics and Policy (select 6 credits from this section)
ECON 11500 |
Current Economic Issues (3) |
|
ECON 12100 |
Principles of Macroeconomics (3) |
|
ECON 12200 |
Principles of Microeconomics (3) |
|
POLT 10100 |
U.S. Politics (3) |
|
SOCI 30700 |
Social Policy (3) |
|
HPS 21500 |
Introduction to Health Policy and Policy Making (3) |
6 |
3.8 Writing (select 6 credits from this section)
WRTG 10600 |
Academic Writing I (3) or |
|
WRTG 11100 |
Academic Writing II (3) |
|
WRTG xxxxx |
Three additional credits in writing at level 2 or above |
6 |
3.9 Visual and Performing Arts (select 3 credits from this section)
THPA 13100 |
Introduction to Acting (3) |
|
THPA 15000 |
Introduction to Dance (3) |
|
THPA 16000 |
Introduction to Theater (3) |
|
ARTH 11100 |
Episodes in Western Art (3) |
|
ARTH 11400 |
Architecture across Cultures (3) |
|
ARTH 13500 |
Introduction to Visual Culture (3) |
|
ARTH 16000 |
Art across Cultures (3) |
|
ARTH 20800 |
Mythology and Art (3) |
|
JAZZ 16100 |
Survey of Jazz History (2) |
|
MUNM 10700-10800 |
Class Voice for the Non-Music Student (1) |
|
MUNM 12000 |
Language and Experience in Art and Music (3) |
|
MUNM 17300 |
Keyboard Musicianship I for the Non-Music Major (1) |
|
MUNM 25100 |
Music and the Media (3) |
|
MUNM 25300 |
Involvement with Music (3) |
|
MUNM 25700 |
History of American Popular Song (3) |
|
MUNM 35100 |
American Musical Theater (3) |
3 |
Total, general education distribution requirements |
42 |
Students enrolled in the B.A. in aging studies are required to enroll in one of two areas of concentration: counseling or health promotion. Students who have interests or career plans not addressed by an existing concentration may propose a planned interdisciplinary concentration (PIC). The PIC must be developed with an adviser and must include courses (21 credits) that relate to future career or educational goals. Students who choose to design a PIC must submit an application approved by their adviser and the aging studies academic program coordinator no later than the second semester of the junior year. The proposed concentration must include 21 unique credits; a course may not count toward both an aging studies requirement or elective and the concentration.
SOCI 30800 |
Counseling Theory and Dynamics (3) |
|
SOCI 34600 |
Methods of Social Work Practice (3) |
|
SOCI 34700 |
Supervised Fieldwork (3) |
|
SOCI 36100 |
Social Welfare and Social Work (3) |
|
SOCI 37000 |
Counseling the Older Adult (3) |
15 |
PSYC 24100 |
Psychological Aspects of the Family (3) |
|
PSYC 34100 |
Family Therapy (3) |
|
PSYC 32100 |
Abnormal Psychology (3) |
|
HLTH 22700 |
Stress: Its Nature and Management (3) |
|
HLTH 35000 |
Psychoactive Drugs (3) |
|
GERO 39903 |
Selected Topics in Social Gerontology: Families and Aging (3) |
6 |
Total, counseling concentration |
21 |
HLTH 20200 |
Human Nutrition* (3) |
|
HLTH 24000 |
Health Promotion and the Older Adult (3) |
|
HLTH 32200 |
Nutrition for the Older Adult (3) |
|
EXSS 16200 |
Introduction to Fitness and Exercise Science (2) |
|
PTBS 20200 |
Rehabilitation for Older Adults (1) |
12 |
*This course has a prerequisite of sophomore standing and one of the following: EXSS 12000, BIOL 11900, BIOL 12100, CHEM 11100, or CHEM 12100. Students in this concentration will take one of these courses in place of a free elective.
HLTH 11300 |
Personal Health (3) |
|
HLTH 21300 |
Wellness: Multicultural Perspectives (3) |
|
SOCI 31600 |
Women and Health (30 |
|
HPS 22500 |
Health Communication (3) |
|
HLTH 22800 |
Human Sexuality (3) |
|
HLTH 22900 |
Disease and Lifestyle (3) |
|
HLTH 44200 |
Critical Assessment of Nutrition Programs (3) |
|
HLTH 22500 |
Alcohol and Alcoholism (3) |
|
HLTH 22700 |
Stress: Its Nature and Management (3) |
|
HLTH 35000 |
Psychoactive Drugs (3) |
9 |
Total, health promotion concentration |
21 |
Free electives |
15 |
Aging studies required credits |
30 |
Aging studies restricted elective credits |
12 |
Aging studies general education requirements |
42 |
Concentration |
21 |
Free electives |
15 |
Total, B.A. in aging studies |
120 |
GERO 10100 |
Introduction to Aging Studies (3) |
|
BIOL 20500 |
Biology of Aging (3) |
|
GERO 29010 |
Fieldwork in Gerontology (3) |
|
GERO 31900 |
Aging and Social Policy (3) |
|
GERO 33000 |
Research Methods in Aging (3) |
|
GERO 40100 |
Gerontology Internship (3) |
|
GERO 48000 |
Gerontology Senior Seminar (3) |
|
HPS 20500 |
Critical Health Issues (3) |
|
PSYC 36600 |
Psychology of Aging (3) |
|
ANTH 34000 |
Aging and Culture (3) or |
|
SOCI 22000 |
Sociology of Aging (3) or |
|
GERO 22000 |
Sociology of Aging (3) |
|
Total |
30 |
Select 12 credits from the following:
GERO 32100 |
Interdisciplinary Initiatives in Rural Geriatrics (3) |
|
GERO 32500 |
The Long-Term Care System (3) |
|
GERO 33500 |
Research Experience in Gerontology (3) |
|
GERO 38900-39909 |
Selected Topics in Applied Gerontology (1-3) |
|
GERO 39900-39909 |
Selected Topics in Social Gerontology (1-3) |
|
GERO 49900 |
Independent Study (1-4) |
|
GERO 41400 |
Long-Term Care Services Administration (3) |
|
SOCI 37000 |
Counseling the Older Adult (3) |
|
MUMC 41100 |
Creative Music Experience with Older Adults (3) |
|
SLPA 24900 |
Hearing Loss in the Elderly (3) |
|
SLPA 35900 |
Communication Disorders in the Aging Population (3) |
|
RLS 23800 |
Leisure and Aging (3) |
|
HLTH 24000 |
Health Promotion and the Older Adult (3) |
|
HLTH 32200 |
Nutrition for the Older Adult (3) |
|
PTBS 20200 |
Rehabilitation for Older Adults (1) |
|
Total |
12 |
See listing of general education distribution requirements above.
Total required |
42 |
Students enrolled in the B.S. in aging studies are required to enroll in one of two areas of concentration: management and administration or recreation and leisure. Students who have interests or career plans not addressed by an existing concentration may propose a planned interdisciplinary concentration (PIC). The PIC must be developed with an adviser and must include courses (21 credits) that relate to future career or educational goals. Students who choose to design a PIC must submit an application approved by their adviser and the aging studies academic program coordinator no later than the second semester of the junior year. The proposed concentration must include 21 unique credits; a course may not count toward both an aging studies requirement or elective and the concentration.
ACCT 22500 |
Financial Accounting (3) |
|
GBUS 20300 |
Legal Environment of Business I (3) |
|
MGMT 20600 |
Organizational Behavior and Management (3) |
|
MKTG 31200 |
Principles of Marketing (3) |
|
HRM 3400 |
Human Resource Management (3) or |
|
MGMT 31000 |
Leadership in Organizations (3) or |
|
MGMT 32100 |
Power and Conflict in Organizations (3) |
15 |
STCM 22200 |
Presentation Media Design and Production (3) |
|
STCM 10100 |
How Organizations Communicate (3) |
|
STCM 20000 |
The Digital Workplace (3) |
|
GERO 32500 |
The Long-Term Care System (3) |
|
GERO 41400 |
Long-Term Care Services Administration (3) |
|
RLS 13700 |
Leisure Travel (3) |
|
RLS 23800 |
Leisure and Aging (3) |
|
WRTG 21100 |
Writing for the Workplace (3) |
|
WRTG 21300 |
Technical Writing (3) |
|
WRTG 31100 |
Writing for the Professions (3) |
|
WRTG 31700 |
Proposals, Grants, and Reports (3) |
|
COMP 10500 |
Introduction to Web Development (3) |
|
COMP 10600 |
Introduction to Multimedia Programming (4) |
|
COMP 11000 |
Computers and Information Technologies (3) |
|
COMP 20500 |
Advanced Web Programming (3) |
6 |
Total, management and administration concentration |
21 |
RLS 10100 |
Leisure and Society (3) or |
|
RLS 10300 |
History and Philosophy of Leisure (3) |
|
RLS 10500 |
Leadership (3) |
|
RLS 23200 |
Program Planning (3) |
|
RLS 24800 |
Fieldwork I (3) |
|
RLS 23800 |
Leisure and Aging (3) |
15 |
RLS 10400 |
Cooperative Games Facilitation (3) |
|
HLTH 12200 |
Emergency Health Care (1) |
|
RLS 12500 |
Understanding Disability: Characteristics, Causes, Services (3) |
|
RLS 13700 |
Leisure Travel (3) |
|
RLS 21600 |
Outdoor Adventure Skills (3) |
|
RLS 23300 |
Introduction to Therapeutic Recreation (3) |
|
RLS 15100 |
Foundations of Outdoor Adventure Pursuits (3) |
|
RLS 33000 |
Administration and Supervision (3) |
|
RLS 33400 |
Leisure Education (3) |
|
RLS 33600 |
Entrepreneurial Recreation (3) |
|
RLS 34000 |
Inclusive Community Leisure Services (3) |
|
RLS 35200 |
Outdoor Education (3) |
|
RLS 36600 |
Social and Cultural Aspects of Play (3) |
|
RLS 39900-39999 |
Selected Topics in Recreation (1-3) |
6 |
Total, recreation and leisure concentration |
21 |
Free electives |
15 |
Aging studies required credits |
30 |
Aging studies restricted elective credits |
12 |
Aging studies general education requirements |
42 |
Concentration |
21 |
Free electives |
15 |
Total, B.S. in aging studies |
120 |
The interdisciplinary minor in aging studies involves coursework from several schools of the College and is available to students in any major. The minor addresses biological and psychological aspects of individual aging, as well as the societal implications of the rapidly increasing older population. Fieldwork in an approved aging organization provides an important experiential learning opportunity for aging studies minors.
The requirements for the minor are designed to complement or supplement a student's major.
GERO 10100 |
Introduction to Aging Studies (3) |
|
GERO 29010 |
Fieldwork in Gerontology (3) |
|
Total, core credits |
6 |
PSYC 36600 |
Psychology of Aging (3) |
Select one of these:
BIOL 20500 |
Biology of Aging (3) |
|
HLTH 24000 |
Health Promotion and the Older Adult (3) |
Select one of these:
ANTH 34000 |
Aging and Culture (3) |
|
SOCI 22000 |
Sociology of Aging (3) or |
|
GERO 22000 |
Sociology of Aging (3) |
|
Total, disciplinary foundation |
9 |
Select 6 credits from the following:
SOCI 37000 |
Counseling the Older Adult (3) |
|
MUMC 41100 |
Creative Music Experience with Older Adults (3) |
|
SLPA 24900 |
Hearing Loss in the Elderly (3) |
|
SLPA 35900 |
Communication Disorders in the Aging Population (3) |
|
RLS 23800 |
Leisure and Aging (3) |
|
HLTH 32200 |
Nutrition for the Older Adult (3) |
|
PTBS 20200 |
Rehabilitation for Older Adults (1) |
|
OTBS 48000 |
Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics (2) |
|
OTBS 49000 |
Practicum in Geriatric Occupational Therapy (2) |
|
GERO 31900 |
Aging and Social Policy (3) |
|
GERO 32100 |
Interdisciplinary Initiatives in Rural Geriatrics (3) |
|
GERO 32500 |
The Long-Term Care System (3) |
|
GERO 38900 |
Selected Topics in Applied Gerontology (3) |
|
GERO 39900 |
Selected Topics in Social Gerontology (3) |
|
GERO 41400 |
Long-Term Care Services Administration (3) |
|
Total, electives |
6 |
|
Total, aging studies minor |
21 |