Coordinator

Merril Silverstein, Minor Coordinator
Marjorie Cantor Professor of Aging Studies
Human Development and Family Science
314 Lyman Hall 
315-443-3969
Merrils@syr.edu

The interdisciplinary minor in gerontology provides an opportunity for students to focus their academic work on issues related to the older population. The minor is designed to expose students to social, behavioral, health, and policy issues of relevance to aging and older adults. Students will find the minor useful if they are seeking a career working with older adults and/or their families, developing programs and policies of relevance to the older population, or considering a graduate program in a related area.

The minor requires completion of 18 credits, 12 of them at the 300 level or above. To be admitted to the program, students must submit a Declaration of Minor form to their faculty advisor, their home college dean’s office, and the Human Development and Family Science minor coordinator.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Articulate and integrate multi-disciplinary models and theories commonly applied in the field of gerontology.
2. Critically evaluate major societal challenges and opportunities resulting from population aging.
3. Demonstrate how the field of gerontology studies old age as a life-stage and aging as a life-long process.
4. Describe bio-psycho-social changes that occur with aging as well as their plasticity and remediation.

Program Requirements 

Note

Students may petition to have other aging-related courses count toward the Gerontology Minor focus. In some circumstances, gerontology courses taken at another university can be substituted to meet course requirements. A petition to approve these courses should be submitted in advance of taking them. However, the petition for inclusion must be approved by the minor coordinator and the chair of Human Development and Family Science. Students may count between 3-6 credits of independent study (done in SWK/SOC/HFS) towards the minor. Such credits will be considered upon submission of a petition.  These Independent Study forms should demonstrate a relationship between student work in the areas of Aging-related issues and/or Aging and Health. No more than 12 credits from a single department can count towards the minor.