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The MGS curriculum provides students with:

• A thorough background in theory, policy, and research in social gerontology
• Hands-on experience through an individualized and supervised field practicum (domestic or abroad)
• Opportunities to interact with professionals in the field of aging through research experiences and informal mentoring

Our program:

• Provides assistantships to full-time students (tuition waivers with stipends) based on academic qualifications and availability of funds
• Offers students administrative, policy, and research experiences that impact the lives of aging adults
• Helps students establish networks for professional development and career planning
• Is offered by the Department of Sociology & Gerontology
• Is supported and enhanced by the Scripps Gerontology Center, an Ohio Center of Excellence that involves students in a wide range of externally-funded research projects

A recent Master of Gerontology Studies graduates, within 6 months of graduation: 

• 42% entered an advanced degree program. 
• 33% held positions in aging services and administration. 
• 10% were employed in aging-related research positions. 
• 6% held marketing/corporate gerontology positions. 
• 6% were employed in other positions

Program Requirements

The Master of Gerontological Studies requires 37 credit hours including coursework, a graduate practicum, and a critical inquiry.

Application Requirements

The application deadline for full- and part-time students is January 15 of the same calendar year in which fall enrollment is sought.

Application requirements include:

• Undergraduate and, where appropriate, graduate grade point averages
• A written professional statement
• Your resume
• Three letters of recommendation
• Transcripts

Submission of General Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores are optional for applicants to the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University gerontology graduate programs. We recommend that you begin the application process early to be certain all your materials reach us by January 15.

1. Explain how “aging” is defined within social and cultural contexts;
2. Articulate the intersection between individual agency and social contexts in shaping the life course of individuals and cohorts;
3. Explain why chronological age is a problematic concept;
4. Explain, compare, and contrast major theoretical perspectives in social gerontology;
5. Integrate gerontological information from multiple sources into coherent arguments;
6. Give one example of the ways in which thinking in the field of gerontology has changed, and use this example to illustrate how dominant paradigms help to limit “acceptable” research and knowledge;
7. Demonstrate capacity for a rigorous process of independent and original inquiry. Depending on the primary audience and major purpose of the endeavor, the project might articulate and address a significant gap in the research literature, solve an agency-based problem, or meet practice needs of the field;
8. Apply the principles of research design in a grant proposal for an agency-based program evaluation that is rigorous, feasible, and responsive to the role of stakeholders in applied research;
9. Explain the major policy issues that affect the design and implementation of programs developed to meet the needs of an aging society;
10. Describe and critique the major income maintenance, health, and social programs serving older people in the U.S.;
11. Articulate the relationship between course content and the work of an organization in the field of aging;
12. Establish an ongoing plan for professional development