Courses in the Gerontology Program draw upon disciplines such as the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities to examine multiple aspects of living in the later years, with a perspective that reflects the complexity of the environments within which individuals age.
The Gerontology Program is multidisciplinary and consists of 18-credit hours preparing students for entry into the workforce or for further study at the post-graduate level. Students can combine a minor in Gerontology with coursework in any department or program, such as social work, psychology, physical therapy, pre-med, communication sciences and disorders, nursing, or business.
A feature of the Gerontology Program is its many collaborations and exchanges with various senior living communities and aging-service providers. Students learn both with, and from, elders and professionals in the Rochester Community.
Graduates have many opportunities to work with culturally and ethnically diverse clients and co-workers in a variety of settings. They take on leadership roles as practitioners or managers of programs with a focus on older adults, or they apply their knowledge and expertise to concerns in their communities and personal lives. Nazareth’s Gerontology Program also enhances learning in other disciplines and provides a strong background for entry into graduate school.
Gerontology Club Students interested in working with, and for, older adults have countless opportunities to experience volunteer service and educational activities and programs. Opportunities include regular volunteering at local senior living communities, bringing local and regional experts on various topics addressing issues associated with aging to campus, and fundraising activities to benefit various aging-service providers.
Sigma Phi Omega Nazareth University’s Alpha Lambda Chapter of Sigma Phi Omega, the National Academic and Professional Honor Society in Gerontology, accepts new undergraduate members who have demonstrated commitment and excellence in their academic coursework and in their service to older adults.