Breadcrumb
Careers & Experience
Work that is needed everywhere
Aging touches every family and every field. As communities grow older, employers across health care, social services, housing, and local government need people who understand older adults and the systems that serve them. In rural areas, that need is especially strong, and one well-prepared person can make a real difference in how a community cares for its elders.
Many people already doing this work have years of experience but no formal credential in aging. This program is designed to recognize what you bring and help you take the next step, whether that is a new role, more responsibility, or a path toward leadership.
Career fields
- Area Agencies on Aging and county aging and adult services
- Senior centers, adult day programs, and nutrition programs
- Home and community-based care, including In-Home Supportive Services
- Health care, including rural health clinics, hospice, and palliative care
- Assisted living, housing, and long-term care
- Tribal elder services
- Caregiver support and family services
- Advocacy, policy, and nonprofit leadership
Where each certificate can lead
Certificate in Gerontology
The certificate adds specialized knowledge to the experience and credentials you already have. Depending on your background, it can support work in roles such as:
- Care coordinator or case aide
- Resource and benefits navigator
- Senior center or adult day program staff
- Activities or life enrichment coordinator
- Caregiver support specialist
- Outreach worker for older adults
- Long-term care ombudsman representative or volunteer
Advanced Certificate in Gerontology Leadership
The Advanced Certificate prepares you for coordinator, supervisory, and program management roles in aging services, such as:
- Program coordinator in an aging services organization
- Supervisor in home care, adult day, or senior services
- Program manager for caregiver support, nutrition, or community services
- Community education and outreach lead
Bachelor of Professional Studies in Gerontology (planned)
A bachelor's degree opens the door to occupations such as social and community service manager, health education specialist, and, with experience, health services management. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics connects much of the projected growth in social and community service management to the growing older adult population and its need for services.
Some positions require additional degrees, licenses, or training. An advisor can help you think through the path that fits your goals.
Skills you will build
- Understanding the physical, psychological, and social dimensions of aging
- Navigating Medicare, Medi-Cal, In-Home Supportive Services, and Older Americans Act programs
- Recognizing elder mistreatment and understanding reporting responsibilities
- Supporting end-of-life planning and understanding advance directives and POLST
- Assessing community needs and identifying service gaps
- Interviewing, listening, and communicating with older adults and families
- Professional writing and advocacy
- Program planning, evaluation, and organizational leadership
- Working across agencies and jurisdictions in rural settings
Hands-on experience
You will not wait until the end of the program to learn from real people. Every course includes community engagement, so you will be building relationships and professional skills from your first week. Certificate of Study in Gerontology students complete 60 documented hours of community engagement.
Students in the Advanced Certificate of Study in Gerontology Leadership complete GERO 455S, a 135-hour supervised service learning practicum with an aging services organization or community program, with mid-term and final evaluations from a site supervisor. Each placement is built as a partnership: your learning goals and a need the site has identified are both part of the agreement. By the end of the Advanced Certificate of Study, you will have documented 230 hours of community engagement and field experience.
Students with substantial professional experience in aging services may be able to apply for Credit for Prior Learning toward the practicum hours.
Community Partners
Coming soon: Community partners
Professional pathways
The Certificate of Study in Gerontology can be a destination or a beginning. Some graduates will use it to step directly into aging services work. Others will continue to the Advanced Certificate of Study in Gerontology Leadership to prepare for leadership roles, and then to the planned Bachelor of Professional Studies in Gerontology. The knowledge you gain may also strengthen applications to graduate programs in fields such as gerontology, social work, public health, and health administration.