Gerontological/Aging Studies: An increasingly important focus in social work

“I did my initial field placement in gerontology and it was right after my dad died. He was an older gentleman and I really saw the need. Social workers are always talking about those personal experiences and I had that experience and decided that was the way I wanted to go,” Victoria (Vicky) Thomas reflected when seated at her desk at Elder Day Stay, a facility run by Elder Care Services, Inc. in Tallahassee, Florida.

As the Assistant Director of Elder Day Stay, she oversees a lot of the day to day operations, including activities and entertainment for the senior citizens that spend their day time hours at the facility. The need for these kinds of facilities and their services continues to expand each year, as does the need for qualified, compassionate individuals with the skills to address the needs of an aging population.

While completing her MSW at the FSU College of Social Work, Vicky took the opportunity to complete the Gerontology/Aging Studies Certificate, a certificate program consisting of four courses that allow students to focus on the needs and challenges unique to aging adults.

“Coming from my BSW, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” Vicky said about her experiences exploring the certificate opportunities at the College. “I knew having a specialization would be more important than just getting an MSW. This certificate was a way for me to focus.”

The certificate’s courses are designed to help students gain a greater understanding of the prospective of aging adults, along with the challenges and experiences they face.  Included in this coursework is one class that is taken outside of the College of Social Work, ensuring a broader understanding of gerontology and aging. Taking a sociology course on aging as her outside course gave Vicky this broader understanding as well, interacting with students from a variety of majors with different experiences and perspectives.

“I felt that the outside class made a difference because it made me take a step back from social work and helped me notice that social workers aren’t the only ones that care. There are other professions out there who also deal with it and we are going to have to work with those professions a lot of the time,and they do a lot of our research, sociology and psychology especially. They deal with older adults all the time. It’s very important,” Vicky emphasized.

Completion of the Gerontology/Aging Studies Certificate includes a final paper tying together students’ knowledge and expertise gained from their coursework that is shared with and approved by the certificate’s director Dr. Jean Munn. Vicky concluded that, “It was good to kind of take everything and put it all in one place.”

The Gerontology/Aging Studies Certificate is available for degree and non-degree seeking students. To learn more or to apply, contact Dr. Jean Munn (jmunn@fsu.edu) or visit our informational page.