Required Courses

The Graduate Certificate in Gerontology is an interdisciplinary program centered in the Institute on Aging (IOA), within the College of Urban and Public Affairs. Courses focused on aging are offered by many departments around campus (e.g., Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Urban Studies). 

To see which of these courses are currently offered, please visit IOA’s schedule of gerontology classes or search PSU’s official class schedule.

Our department has developed a Gerontology Student Guide with program requirements and resources for prospective and current students.

(1) Three required core courses (11 credits):

• PHE 556 Health Aspects of Aging (4 credits)
• PHE 558 Perspectives on Aging (3 credits)
• Choose one of the following:
  • SOC 569 Sociology of Aging (4 credits)
  • PSY 562 Psychology of Aging (4 credits)

(2) Two elective courses** (6-8 credits):

• PHE 510 Social Justice and Aging (4 credits)
• PHE 516 Families and Aging (4 credits)
• PHE 523 Business and Aging (4 credits)
• PHE 557 National Long Term Care Policy (4 credits)
• PHE 560 Mental Health and Aging (3 credits)
• PHE 561 Cultural Variations in Aging (3 credits)
• PHE 562 Global Aging (3 credits)
• SOC 566 Sociology of Dying and Death (4 credits)
• SW 544 Midlife and Beyond (3 credits)
• SW 569 Social Work in End of Life and Palliative Care (3 credits)
• SW 574 Social work with Older Adults (3 credits)
• USP 585 Housing Environments for Older Adults (3 credits)

**Including but not limited to these courses. Others that include aging and older adults may be permitted. Please confirm with your certificate advisor if the class is not listed for approval.**

(3) Internship or Independent Research Project

To complete the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, students are required to gain practical experience through an internship at an aging services organization or an independent project. This experiential learning requirement is considered a culminating experience and is expected to be the last requirement fulfilled. Students must complete an application form for the internship or project and submit it to the IOA during the term prior to when the internship is to be completed. All internships and research projects must be approved via application to Paula Carder at the Institute on Aging (carderp@pdx.edu). Further details and instructions can be found on our Internship information page.

• PHE 501 Independent Research Project (1-3 credits)
• PHE 504 Cooperative Education/Internship (1-3 credits)