What Is Gerontology?

Gerontology is the study of social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of aging and the effects of an aging population on society.

The United States census predicts by 2050 one in five Americans will be over the age of 65. A report by the Institute of Medicine suggests “the education and training of the entire health care workforce with respect to the range of needs of older adults remains woefully inadequate.” Gerontology education contributes to solving the looming public health crisis of caring for the aging population.

This field offers a wide range of career options including:

            - Nurses 
            - Physicians 
            - Advanced Practice Providers 
            - Pharmacists 
            - Home Health Care & Hospice 
            - Assisted Living Nursing Home Administration 
            - Social Workers and Sociologists 
            - Psychologists, Counselors, and Psychiatrists 
            - Researchers

Why UAB?

The University of Alabama Birmingham is home to world-renowned healthcare professionals and educators who are equipped to prepare students with the skills and tools necessary to achieve successful in their careers. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report ranked the UAB Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care specialty among the best in the nation.

UAB’s Integrative Center for Aging Research supports interdisciplinary courses in gerontology, leading to an undergraduate minor. The study of gerontology at this level provides students educated in various disciplines with the background needed to work in programs related to aging and serving aging individuals. The program’s main goals are to provide students with a thorough background in existing theory and research in gerontology while supplementing their existing backgrounds and professional disciplines.

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