Director: Sean Lauderdale
Office: 207A Whitesitt Hall
Telephone: 620-235-4526
email: slauderd@pittstate.edu
The Interdisciplinary Gerontology Minor will provide students an introduction to the range of experiences and the service needs of older adults. Specifically, students will learn how aging affects older adults’ family relations, role in society (as grandparents, parents, employees, and friends), emotional experiences, cognitive abilities, health functioning, and recreational activities. Additionally, through use of an interdisciplinary approach, students will develop an appreciation of the range of professionals whose activities influence and are influenced by older adults. The Interdisciplinary Gerontology Minor is particularly relevant to students across disciplines as it is expected that the population of people 65 years of age and older will continue to outstrip the number of professionals receiving training experiences preparing them for meeting the needs of older adults.
The Interdisciplinary Gerontology Minor requires 21 credit hours, which includes the three credit hour course GERO 155 Interdisciplinary Introduction to Gerontology, which will provide a survey of the aging process from an interdisciplinary perspective. The Interdisciplinary Gerontology Minor compliments a variety of majors at Pittsburg State University, including, but not limited to: Health, Human Performance, and Recreation; Family and Consumer Sciences; Sociology; Social Work; Psychology and Counseling; Political Science; Nursing; Biology (Pre-Dental and Pre-Medicine); Management and Marketing; and Technical Education. The overarching goal of this minor is to provide students from diverse academic backgrounds the knowledge, skills and experiences enabling them to provide services tailored to the unique needs of older adults.
To complete the Interdisciplinary Gerontology Minor, students must complete a total of 21 credit hours from the courses listed below. GERO 155 Interdisciplinary Introduction to Gerontology is a required course. The following courses are being recommended for the Interdisciplinary Gerontology Minor:
| |
Hours |
| GERO 155 Interdisciplinary Introduction to Gerontology** |
3 |
| Eighteen hours chosen from the following: |
18 |
PSYCH 263 Developmental Psychology (Prerequisite PSYCH 155 General Psychology or permission of instructor) or
FCS 285 life span Human Development
|
3 |
| SWK 341 Social Work and Aged |
3 |
| PSYCH 360 Psychology of Aging |
3 |
| PSYCH 362 Death and Dying |
3 |
| REC 441 Adult Health and Development |
3 |
NURS 405 Health Alterations in Older Adults (Prerequisite of successful completion of Level 1 nursing courses waived with permission of instructor) |
3 |
FCS 581 Aging and the Family (Prerequisite of FCS 480 Dynamics of Family Relationships waived with permission of instructor)
|
3 |
PSYCH 759 Advanced Developmental Psychology (Prerequisite nine hours of psychology or permission of instructor) |
3 |
| **Required course |
|
GERO 155. Interdisciplinary Introduction to Gerontology. 3 hours. Interdisciplinary framework and the study and practice of gerontology. Major issues in theory, research, and experience with older adults. Critical reading of Gerontological research from multiple disciplines and translating research into practical problem solving.
|
