Graduate Study in Adult Development and Aging

The Department of Human Development & Family Studies (HDFS) offers specialized training in Adult Development and Aging. Graduate students interested in the study of gerontology may earn a Masters or Ph.D. with a concentration in adult development and aging. Specialized study in aging is offered in the context of life span individual and family development.

The graduate program in Family Studies examines theory, research, and intervention/practice models for individuals of all ages and their families. A major emphasis of the program focuses on an appreciation for and exploration of diversity in the ways persons develop within the social and familial contexts.

Graduate aging courses offered through HDFS include:

  • Social Gerontology
  • Public Policy and Programs for the Elderly
  • Adaptation and Development in Adulthood
  • Aging: Personality and Social Interaction
  • Aging in the Family
  • Housing for the Elderly
  • Supervised Field Work in Gerontology
  • Special Topics in Aging

In addition, graduate students may elect a number of aging-related seminars from departments/schools including Allied Health, Social Work, Nursing, Sociology, and Psychology.

The Doctor of Philosophy Program in Family Studies
Adult Development and Aging Concentration
The Ph.D. program with a specialization in Aging requires doctoral level students to develop competency and advanced knowledge in four general areas:

  • Adult development and aging
  • Human development and adaptation
  • Family systems and development
  • Research methods and statistics

Program of Study:
The program of study involves graduate seminars in adult development and gerontology offered through the School of Family Studies, a set of core courses for all Ph.D. Students, additional course work, independent study and research focusing on each student's interests and professional goals.

Core Courses:

  • Proseminar
  • Prevention, Intervention, and Policy Approaches in Family Studies
  • Patterns and Dynamics of Family Interaction
  • Theories of Family Development
  • Lifespan Human Developmental Models and Concepts
  • One course in child or adolescent development
  • Research Methods in Human Development and Family Studies I
  • Research Methods in Human Development and Family Studies II
  • Quantitative Methods in Research I
  • Quantitative methods in Research II

The goal of course work is to provide preparation for the comprehensive general examinations and the dissertation and to have sufficient depth and breadth to prepare the student for an active, rewarding professional career that reflects well on his or her training at the University of Connecticut School of Family Studies.

Master of Arts Program
Adult Development and Aging Concentration
The Masters program offers students the opportunity to earn an M.A. in Family Studies with a concentration in Adult Development and Aging. Students are expected to develop a specialty area that becomes the focus of their thesis research. Suggested areas may include (but are not restricted to) the following:

  • Adult Personality and Social Development
  • Environment; Housing: Migration: Relocation
  • Health; Beliefs; Promotion
  • Public Policy and Programs
  • Social Support and Family Caregiving

Core courses:

  • Proseminar
  • Prevention, Intervention, and Policy Approaches in Family Studies
  • Patterns and Dynamics of Family Interaction
  • Theories of Family Development
  • Lifespan Human Developmental Models and Concepts
  • One course in Child or Adolescent Development
  • Research Methods in Human Development and Family Studies I

In conjunction with his/her Advisory Committee, a student may select from the following aging courses:

  • Social Gerontology
  • Public Policy and Programs for the Elderly
  • Adaptation and Development in Adulthood
  • Physiological, Cognitive, and Perceptual changes in Aging
  • Aging: Personality and Social Interaction
  • Aging in the Family
  • Housing for the Elderly
  • Supervised Field Work in Gerontology
  • Special Topics in Aging

Students are also expected to select from other courses to supplement their plan of study. Students should see their major advisor early in their program to discuss these as well as to discuss their area of specialization. Possible course selections include:

  • Legal Aspects of Family Life
  • Public Policy and the Family
  • Qualitative Research Methods in HDFS
  • Human Sexuality
  • Theories of Human Development
  • Patterns and Dynamics of Family Interaction
  • Close Relationships
  • Theories of Family Development

Graduate Certificate In Gerontology
 
Graduate students focusing on Adult Development and Aging can earn a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology while completing the requirement for their M.A. or Ph.D. The Certificate is awarded to students who have successfully completed a minimum of four graduate gerontology courses. Students from Family Studies and from a wide range of disciplines throughout the University may integrate the Certificate in their plan of study. The Certificate program has a separate application process; for information contact the Center on Aging and Human Development, 348 Mansfield Road, Unit 2058, Storrs, CT 06269-2058, or call (860) 486-4285.

Requirements of the Certificate program:
Two core gerontology courses:

  • Aging: Personality and Social Interaction
  • Social Gerontology

Two additional graduate aging courses approved by the Certificate Advisory Committee

The Certificate Advisory Committee may also require supervised field placements in a setting working with older adults or with aging issues based on the student's prior experience and subject to determination.

Graduate Application
Application forms are available upon request from the Graduate Admissions Office, The University of Connecticut, Unit 1006A, Room 108, 438 Whitney Road Extension, Storrs, CT 06269-1006. The application deadline for fall admission is January 15. Visit the Graduate School's website for more information by clicking http://www.grad.uconn.edu.

A completed application consists of the following:

  • The University Graduate Application
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work
  • A GRE General Test Score Report (Ph.D. applicants also need to submit a Millers Analogies Test Score).
  • Personal letter of interest
  • Writing Sample (Ph.D. application)

All applicants are evaluated on an individual basis with consideration given to such factors as academic background, work experience, and research and scholarly potential. In general, applicants are expected to have an undergraduate cumulative average of at least 3.0, a cumulative average in their undergraduate major of at least 3.25, a minimum 3.5 average in any prior graduate work, and GRE General Test Score in the 1000 range or above (Verbal and Quantitative Sections Combined).

For additional information contact Dr. Thomas O. Blank, Director of the Center on Aging & Human Development via email at Thomas.Blank@uconn.edu , or call (860) 486-3819

 
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