Gerontology

The rapid growth of an older population in the United States is creating an increasing demand for personnel who possess specialized training in gerontology in a variety of occupations and professions.

The secondary major in gerontology is a 24-hour program of study. It includes two required courses, Introduction to Gerontology and Seminar in Gerontology, and 18 semester hours from the approved list of gerontology electives offered in participating departments. Elective courses must be taken in a minimum of three separate departments.

Along with the secondary major, students can take an emphasis in long-term care administration. This emphasis requires completing the secondary major in gerontology, ACCTG 231 Accounting for Business Operations¹, MANGT 420 Management Concepts, an approved 480 clock-hour internship (6 credit hours, GERON or DHE 615), GERON 610 Seminar in Long-Term Care Administration, and courses that cover each of 10 training code areas as defined by the Kansas Board of Adult Care Administration. The adult care codes are listed in the advising guide available at the Center on Aging. With planning, the emphasis can be completed within 24 credit hours and a 6-credit-hour internship. Courses listed below will carry credit in the gerontology studies program and new courses will be added to the program as the curriculum is updated.

Interdisciplinary courses
GERON 315. Introduction to Gerontology. (3) I. Multidisciplinary introduction to the field of aging. Examines social, psychological, developmental, organizational, and economic aspects of aging. Theoretical, methodological, and applied issues of aging related to contemporary American society. Pr.: None.

GERON 600. Seminar in Gerontology. (3) II. An interdisciplinary course organized topically, with students presenting papers on aging-related issues that draw upon the students' previous and concurrent academic experience. Provides supervised independent study and subsequent discussion, allowing students to integrate and order their perceptions about gerontological issues. Pr.: Completion of 15 hours of course work in gerontology.

GERON 605. Practicum in Gerontology. (3) I, II, S. Supervised field experience in an aging-related setting as a practical application of gerontological knowledge and skills. Pr.: Consent of instructor.

GERON 610. Seminar in Long-Term Care Administration. (3) (Offered January intersession only) Administration principles involved in the planning, organizing, and directing of long-term care agencies. Includes an in-depth exposure to federal and state standards and regulations governing long-term care.

GERON 615/DHE 615. Long-Term Care Administration Internship. (6) Includes: (a) field experience in the general administration of long-term care programs and/or facilities: planning, budgeting, program management, and service delivery; (b) exposure to federal and state standards and regulations governing long-term care; and (c) professional leadership development. Pr.: Junior standing, 15 hours of gerontology, MANGT 420, ACCTG 231, GERON 610, and GPA of 2.5 or above (3.0 or above in long-term course administration coursework).

GERON 620. Problems in Gerontology. (1-3) Independent study of selected problems. Pr.: Background of courses required for problem undertaken and consent of instructor.

Departmental course electives
See the appropriate college sections of this catalog for further description.

College of Agriculture
Horticulture
HORT 525 Horticulture for Special Populations  3

College of Architecture, Planning, and Design
Architecture
ARCH 730 Environment and Aging  3
ARCH 740 Building Related Health and Safety⁴  3

Interior architecture
IAR 730 Facility Management  3⁴

Landscape architecture/regional and community planning
PLAN 315 Introduction to Planning  3⁴
PLAN 715 Planning Principles  3⁴
PLAN 761 Community Development Workshop  3⁴

College of Arts and Sciences
Biology
BIOL 310 Bioethics  3
BIOL 404 The Biology of Aging  3

History
HIST 520 Death and Dying in History  3
HIST 534 Social History of American Medicine  3

Kinesiology
KIN 335 Physiology of Exercise  4
KIN 520 Practicium in Exercise Science  3⁴
KIN 796 Topics in Physical Education  3³

Philosophy
PHILO 100 Introduction to Philosophical Problems³  3
PHILO 365 Medical Ethics  3

Psychology
PSYCH 518 Introduction to Health Psychology  3
PSYCH 520 Life-Span Personality Development  3

Social work
SOCWK 564 Social Work Professional Seminar  3⁴

Sociology
SOCIO 535 Population Dynamics  3

Speech
THTRE 253 Multicultural Storytelling⁴  3⁴
THTRE 563 Storytelling⁴  3⁴
THTRE 665 Drama Therapy for Special Populations  3⁴
THTRE 760 Principles of Drama Therapy  4

College of Business Administration
Accounting
ACCTG 231 Accounting for Business Operations  3¹

Finance
FINAN 450 Essentials of Finance  3⁵

Management
MANGT 420 Management Concepts  3¹
MANGT 520 Organizational Behavior  3⁵
MANGT 530 Industrial and Labor Relations 3⁵
MANGT 531 Personnel and Human Resources
Management 3⁵

Marketing
MKTG 400 Marketing  3⁵

College of Human Ecology
Apparel, textiles, and interior design
IDH 651 Designing Supportive Environments  3
IDH 710 Housing/Facility Management  3
IDH 725 Community Housing Needs  3⁴

Family studies and human services
FSHS 300 Problems in FSHS  3³
FSHS 510 Human Development and Aging  3
FSHS 525 Estate Planning for Families  3
FSHS 654 Death and the Family  2-3
FSHS 704 Seminar in Family Studies and Human
Services  3³
FSHS 708 Topics in Family Studies and Human Services  2-3³
FSHS 770 Economics of Aging  3
FSHS 845 Adult Development and Aging  3

Gerontology
GERON 315 Introduction to Gerontology  3
GERON 600 Seminar in Gerontology  3²
GERON 605 Practicum in Gerontology  3
GERON 610 Seminar in Long-Term Care
Administration  3²
GERON 615 Long-Term Care Administration
Internship  3²
GERON 620 Problems in Gerontology  3

Hotel, restaurant, institution, management and dietetics
HRIMD 475 Field Experience in Hospitality Management  4³

Human nutrition
FN 132 Basic Nutrition  3
FN 352 Personal Health  3
FN 400 Human Nutrition  3
FN 520 Women's Health and Aging  3
FN 610 Life Span Nutrition  3
FN 650 Practicum in Nutrition  3³
FN 718 Physical Health and Aging  3

¹Required for long-term care administration emphasis, but no credit as gerontology elective in secondary major.
²Required for long-term care administration emphasis.
³Center on Aging approval required for gerontology credit.
⁴Project approval from Center on Aging required.
⁵Credit as long-term care administration elective only.
University general education credit.

Topics within Secondary Majors:
	American Ethnic Studies		International Studies		Women's Studies
	Gerontology		Latin American Studies
	Industrial and Labor Relations		Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences