School of Arts & Sciences

Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences Gerontology Program

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Social & Behavioral Sciences Gerontology Program

Prospective Students Current Students
Fall 2024 Spring / Summer 2025 Fall 2025

Welcome to The World of Gerontology!

As the Gerontology Program Undergraduate Coordinator, I’m here to assist you with your undergraduate gerontology minor questions and needs. Whether you are already a Gerontology Major at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, or are interested in becoming one, we have information available on our website to help you. Here you will find a general description of the requirement as well as course listings for each semester.

Additional information covers our experiential internship and senior field placement. You may want to add Gerontology as a minor or an emphasis with another program. Contact me and I can help you select the correct courses to complement your degree. If you are interested in talking more about majoring in Gerontology, please contact me.

LaKisha M. Johnson, MA
Instructor of Gerontology
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
870-575-8176

  • Gerontology

    Gerontology is a multi-disciplinary program designed to provide students with a background in the liberal arts and a core of general and specialized courses in gerontology. Candidates for the degree receive fundamental knowledge of aging processes, specialized training in a job-related area of gerontological geriatric service and experiential learning. Disciplines participating in the program include sociology, human sciences, social work, physical education and recreation and nursing. The gerontology block is designed to provide the students with three training components.

    1. A general core of gerontology courses that incorporates strong rural and minority elements in all course work (15 semester hours).
    2. Electives including geriatric casework and counseling; community health services; program administration and management requires eighteen (27) semester hours.
    3. Student in-service training at an agency, for which students receive six (6) hours credit.
  • Objectives
    1. To provide a broad-based, multi-disciplinary academic program for students interested in careers in the field of aging.
    2. To prepare students for the realities of the job market by providing experiential learning through practicum and the creation of the creation of job forums and career placement counseling.
    3. To train persons employed in service-oriented programs for the elderly.
    4. To recruit and train students for careers in gerontology, with an emphasis on minority students and those interested in working with the elderly in rural areas.
    5. To maintain a link between training and research that focuses on assisting rural and minority elderly.
  • Requirements

    The Bachelor of Arts degree in gerontology requires a minimum of 120 semester hours, including the general education and institutional requirements, gerontology required courses and gerontology electives. The major in gerontology requires 15 hours of core course work. In addition, gerontology majors must complete 27 hours of elective courses and six hours of field internship.

Features

Meet Our Coordinator

LaKisha M. Johnson

Mrs. Johnson has been with UAPB’s Social and Behavioral Sciences Department since 2008. She received her BA and MA from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is in doctoral candidacy status at the University of North Texas, in Denton.

Her areas of research include the effects of faith on health care compliance, racial attitudes in school systems, and various topics related to gerontology and social policy.

student

OUR IMPACT

In-service Training

We offer training with partner agencies that offer six (6) credit hours.

Practicums

We prepare students for the job market through practicums and job forums and career placement counseling.

Filling Critical Job Pipelines

Our graduates are filling professional positions that are expanding due to the increased longevity among U.S. populations.

Degree Options

  • Gerontology Option (Non-Teaching), B.A.

    The Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences offers a Bachelor of Arts Gerontology.

    Gerontology is a program designed to provide students with a background in the liberal arts and a core of general and specialized courses in gerontology. Candidates for the degree receive fundamental knowledge of aging processes, specialized training in a job-related area of gerontological services and experiential learning. The gerontology program is designed to provide students with two training components:

    1. A general core of gerontology courses that incorporates strong rural and minority elements in all course work (36 semester hours); and
    2. Specialized training in one of two tracks: Practice or Administrative. This component requires six (6) semester hours concentrated in the junior and senior years.

    View course requirements.

  • Gerontology Minor

    For students who desire to have a minor in gerontology, at least eighteen (18) hours are required.

    View course requirements.

University of Arkansas Pine Bluff