Division of Interdisciplinary and International Studies

Aging Studies

John A. Krout, Professor and Director
Pamela S. Mayberry, Associate Director and Academic Program Coordinator

Major in Aging Studies

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.

Aging Studies, B.A.
Aging Studies, B.S.
Aging Studies Minor

Advising

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 before online registration.

Requirements for the Major in Aging Studies -- B.A.

Group 1: Required Courses

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 or

3

SOCI 22000

Sociology of Aging or

3

GERO 22000

Sociology of Aging

3

Total, required courses

30

Group 2: Aging Studies Restricted Electives

Select 12 credits from the following:

GERO 21000 Health and Aging 3
GERO 23000 Memory Loss and Aging 3

GERO 32500

The Long-Term Care System

3
GERO 38900-38909 Selected Topics in Applied Gerontology 1-3

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 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 39902 Nutrition through the Life Cycle 3

Total, restricted electives

12

Group 3: General Education Distribution Requirements

3.1 Self and Society

Select 6 credits from the following:

PSYC 10400

Introduction to Developmental Psychology

3

Any course with a Self and Society (1) designation 3
3.2 Global Issues

Select 3 credits from the following:

Select any course with a Global Perspective designation (G) (3 credits).

3.3 Diversity

Select 6 credits from the following:

CNPH 30300

Images of Men and Women in Mass Media

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 11600 Introduction to Multicultural Studies 3

SOCI 20700

Race and Ethnicity

3

SOCI 30300

Global Race and Ethnic Relations

3

SOCI 34300

Sociology of Gender

3

RLST 10500

Introduction to World Religions: Primal and Eastern

3

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

3

3.4 Ethics and Values

Select 3 credits from the following:

PHIL 10100

Introduction to Philosophy

3

PHIL 21200

Introduction to Ethics

3

PHIL 22000

Political Philosophy

3

PHIL 23000

Bioethics

3

3.5 Speech Communication

Select 6 credits form the following:

SPCM 11000

Public Communication or

3

SPCM 11500

Business and Professional Communication

3

SPCM 14000

Small Group Communication or

3

SPCM 14900

Fundamentals of Interpersonal Communication or

3

SPCM/HLTH 22500 Health Communication 3
3.6 Statistics

Select at least 3 credits from the following:

MATH 14400 Statistics for Business, Economics and Management 4
MATH 14500 Statistics for the Health, Life, and Social Sciences 4
MATH 15500 Basic Statistical Reasoning 3

PSYC 20700

Statistics for Psychology

4

3.7 Economics and Policy

Select 6 credits from the following:

ECON 11500

Current Economic Issues

3

ECON 12100

Principles of Macroeconomics

3

ECON 12200

Principles of Microeconomics

3

POLT 10100

U.S. Politics

3
POLT 12200 Politics and Society 3

SOCI 30700

Social Policy

3

HPS 21500

Introduction to Health Policy and Policy Making

3

3.8 Writing

Select 6 credits from the following:

WRTG 10600

Academic Writing I or

3

WRTG 11100

Academic Writing II

3

WRTG xxxxx

Three additional credits in writing at level 2 or above

3

3.9 Visual and Performing Arts

Select 3 credits from the following:

THPA 13100

Acting I

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 20200 Body Language 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 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

Total, general education distribution requirements

42-43

Required Concentration

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.

Counseling Concentration
Required courses

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

Electives

Select 6 credits from the following:

PSYC 24100

Family Dynamics and 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

Total, counseling concentration

21

Health Promotion Concentration
Required courses

HLTH 20200

Human Nutrition*

3

HLTH 24000

Health Promotion and the Older Adult

3
HLTH 30100 Life Cycle Nutrition 3
HLTH 21300 Wellness: Multicultural Perspectives on Health and Healing 3

*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.

Electives

Select 9 credits from the following:

HLTH 11300

Personal Health

3

HLTH 22500

Alcohol and Alcoholism

3

HLTH 22700

Stress: Its Nature and Management

3
HLTH 22800 Human Sexuality 3
HLTH 22900 Disease and Lifestyle 3

HLTH 35000

Psychoactive Drugs

3

HLTH 44200 Critical Assessment of Nutrition Programs 3
SOCI 31600 Women and Health 3

Total, health promotion concentration

21

Free electives

14-15

Summary

Aging studies required credits

30

Aging studies restricted elective credits

12

Aging studies general education requirements

42-43

Concentration

21

Free electives

14-15

Total, B.A. in aging studies

120

Requirements for the Major in Aging Studies -- B.S.

Group 1: Required Courses

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 or

3

SOCI 22000

Sociology of Aging or

3

GERO 22000

Sociology of Aging

3

Total, required courses

30

Group 2: Aging Studies Restricted Electives

Select 12 credits from the following:

GERO 21000 Health and Aging 3
GERO 23000 Memory Loss and Aging 3

GERO 32500

The Long-Term Care System

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

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 30100 Life Cycle Nutrition 3

Total, restricted electives

12

Group 3: General Education Distribution Requirements

See listing of general education distribution requirements for the B.A., above.

                      Total, general education distribution requirements

             42-43

Required Concentration

Students enrolled in the B.S. in aging studies are required to select 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.

Management and Administration Concentration
Required courses

15 credits

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 34000

Human Resource Management or

3

MGMT 31000

Leadership in Organizations or

3

MGMT 32100

Power and Conflict in Organizations

3

Electives

Select 6 credits from the following:

STCM 10100

How Organizations Communicate

3
STCM 11100 Presentation Media and Visual Design 3

GERO 32500

The Long-Term Care System

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

Total, management and administration concentration

21

Recreation and Leisure Concentration
Required courses

15 credits

RLS 10100

Leisure and Society or

3

RLS 10300

History and Philosophy of Leisure

3

RLS 10500

Leadership

3

RLS 23200

Program Planning

3

RLS 24800

Service Learning I: Programming

3

RLS 23800

Leisure and Aging

3

Electives

Select 6 credits from the following:

RLS 10400

Cooperative Games Facilitation

3

RLS 12500

Understanding Disability: Characteristics, Causes, Services

3

RLS 13700

Leisure Travel

3
RLS 15100 Foundations of Outdoor Adventure Pursuits 3

RLS 21600

Outdoor Adventure Skills

3

RLS 23300

Introduction to Therapeutic Recreation

3

RLS 33000

Administration of Recreation

3
RLS 33100 Supervision of Recreation Personnel 3

RLS 33400

Leisure Education

3

RLS 33600

Commercial Recreation

3

RLS 34000

Inclusive Community Leisure Services

3

RLS 36600

Social and Cultural Aspects of Play

3

RLS 39900-39999

Selected Topics in Recreation

1-3

Total, recreation and leisure concentration

21

                     Free electives

                                   14-15

Summary

Aging studies required credits

30

Aging studies restricted elective credits

12

Aging studies general education requirements

42-43

Concentration

21

Free electives

14-15

Total, B.S. in aging studies

120

Aging Studies Minor

The interdisciplinary minor in aging studies involves coursework from Gerontology and several other departments 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.

Requirements for the Minor in Aging Studies

Common Core

GERO 10100

Introduction to Aging Studies

3

GERO 29010

Fieldwork in Gerontology

3

Total, core credits

6

Disciplinary Foundation

PSYC 36600

Psychology of Aging

3

Select one of the following:

BIOL 20500

Biology of Aging

3

HLTH 24000

Health Promotion and the Older Adult

3
GERO 21000 Health and Aging 3
Minors may choose to apply an additional 3 credits from the list above as a gerontology elective.

Select one of the following:

ANTH 34000

Aging and Culture

3
GERO 22000/SOCI 22000 Sociology of Aging (these courses are cross-listed; students may not receive credit for both) 3
Minors may choose to apply an additional 3 credits from the list above as a gerontology elective.

Total, disciplinary foundation

9

Aging Studies Electives

Select 6 credits from the following:

SOCI 37000

Counseling the Older Adult

3
HLTH 30100 Life Cycle Nutrition 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
GERO 23000 Memory Loss and Aging: Myths and Realities 3

GERO 31900

Aging and Social Policy

3

GERO 32500

The Long-Term Care System

3

GERO 38900-38909

Selected Topics in Applied Gerontology

3

GERO 39900-39909

Selected Topics in Social Gerontology

3

Total, electives

6

Total, aging studies minor

21