• Description of Program
• Admission
• Certificate Requirements
• Special Opportunities
• Careers

Description of Program

The reality of our aging society has resulted in increased demand for professionals with knowledge and expertise in the field of aging. There are expanding career opportunities ranging from working with active adults in the community to assisting frail elders in residential settings. Graduates of this program have careers in settings such as health care, wellness, finance, housing, education, recreation, law, and counseling. As new technologies change the way people age, many people are starting their own businesses to help people to age well and maintain their independence.  The online Graduate Certificate in Gerontology and Health provides graduate students, individual practitioners, and professionals working with older adults with skills and knowledge to advance careers in the aging services field. The curriculum includes 9 credits of course work and a 3-credit career-building practicum.

Admission

The Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington exclusively accepts applications for admission to this certificate program through the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) at sophas.org. Graduate certificate program admission is through a streamlined version of the SOPHAS application, called SOPHAS Express. The application for fall 2022 admission will be available through SOPHAS Express on August 15, 2021.  Be sure to thoroughly read all directions in the SOPHAS Express application. Please contact SOPHAS at sophasinfo@liaisoncas.com, if you have questions regarding their online application.

In addition to completion and submission of the SOPHAS application, all applicants must also complete and submit the Indiana University Bloomington Online Graduate and Professional Admissions Application at . https://graduate.indiana.edu/admissions/apply.shtml

This supplemental application is brief and will not cost applicants any additional fees, but does require duplication of application information.  The Indiana University Bloomington Online Graduate and Professional Admissions Application requires completion of an "Application Information" section. In the drop-down box for "Academic Program," select Public Health-Bloomington Nondegree for certificate program admission. In the drop-down box for academic plan, select Online Graduate Certificate in Gerontology and Health.

For answers to questions about our degree and certificate programs, our Indiana University Bloomington Online Graduate and Professional Admissions Application, or your complete SOPHAS Express application, please contact our Director of Graduate Admissions, Nelda Montemayor, at nmontema@indiana.edu.  You will be notified of a decision by the School of Public Health Office of Graduate Admissions.  For more information about this certificate program, please visit https://gero.indiana.edu/about/index.html  Students are encouraged to contact the program advisor before applying for admission to this program.

• Dr. Lesa Huber
  Department of Applied Health Science
  Indiana University
  1025 East 7th Street, SPH 116
  Bloomington, IN 47405
  
  Phone: (812) 855-1733
  E-mail: lehuber [at] indiana [dot] edu
  

Certificate Requirements (12 cr.)

Students in the Certificate program must be admitted to or currently enrolled at Indiana University. The certificate requires 12 credit hours of graduate course work with a minimum cumulative GPA in certificate courses of 3.0.

Complete the following two courses (6 cr.)

• SPH-H 524 -- or -- EDUC P513 Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Gerontology (3 cr.)
• SPH-B 675 Practicum in Public Health

Complete two of the following courses (6 cr.):

• EDUC-D 505 Adult Learning through the Lifespan (3cr.)
• EDUC-D 506 Adult Education Planning and Development (3cr.)
• EDUC-P 517 Adult Development and Aging (3 cr.)
• SPH-B 535 Contemporary Issues in Aging and Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-B 615 Health, Longevity, and Integrative Therapies for the Later Years (3 cr.)

Special Opportunities

The certificate consists of 9 credit hours and a 3-credit practicum. All coursework and the practicum can be completed online. The courses address the social, cultural, biological, and psychological aspects of aging. Students explore current issues in diverse aging populations, ageism, social isolation, and age-friendly communities are featured. The interactive, multimedia courses include community-based, career building learning opportunities.  Students work closely with faculty to design and conduct a practicum that meets academic and professional goals. Examples of recent practicum projects include designing interventions to address social isolation among aging adults, publishing a paper on theories of adoption and use of technologies to support aging well, and preparing a presentation on supporting sexual health for the residents of retirement communities.

Careers

The reality of our aging society is resulting in a demand for professionals with knowledge and expertise in the field of aging. The Department of Labor predicts that careers in aging will be a high growth area for the next 10 years. Graduate students find careers in gerontology, social work, health and wellness, and other aging-related fields. Recent graduates work in academia, private industry, research institutes, government agencies, community-based organizations, health care, and professional organizations.