General Program Information
Deborah L. Slawson, Ph.D., R.D., L.D.N., Assistant Professor, Interim Chair
College of Public Health
318 Lamb Hall
Box 70624
(423) 439-4332
e-mail: slawson@etsu.edu
The Gerontology Graduate Certificate Program is an interdisciplinary 16-credit-hour program of study designed to provide the learner with specific leadership and management tools for the health care environment. The focus of the program is to educate students who will be leaders in improving the quality of life for older individuals and their families in Tennessee, the nation, and the world.
Admission to the Program
The criteria for admission to the Gerontology Graduate Certificate Program include:
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Application materials which must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies include:
- an application;
- a résumé demonstrating interest and/or experience in gerontology;
- three (3) letters of recommendation; and
- official transcripts from all colleges attended.
All applications will be evaluated by an admission committee composed of representatives from the Gerontology Steering Committee.
Course Requirements
The Gerontology Graduate Certificate will only be awarded to students who have been officially admitted to the program and successfully completed the sixteen (16) credit-hours of approved coursework. A student may transfer up to nine (9) credit-hours of approved coursework into the program. In the final semester, a student must complete a culminating experience as part of the Advanced Interdisciplinary Seminar in Gerontology. The time limit for use of credit toward the certificate is six (6) years from the date of enrollment in the earliest course applied toward the certificate, including transferred courses. In order to receive the certificate, a student must earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above on coursework.
A student may simultaneously pursue both the certificate and a graduate degree program if duly admitted to both programs. However, being admitted to a degree program and successfully completing coursework typically required for the graduate certificate does not automatically qualify a student for the certificate.
For more information and application materials, write or call:
East Tennessee State University
College of Public Health
Gerontology Graduate Certificate Program
P.O. Box 70624
Johnson City, TN 37614
Phone: (423) 439-4332or
East Tennessee State University
School of Graduate Studies
P.O. Box 70720
Johnson City, TN 37614
Phone: (423) 439-4221
East Tennessee State University
Program of Study
Each student, with the assistance of an assigned advisor, will design a program of study to include ten (10) hours of core requirements and a minimum of six (6) hours of guided electives to be selected from listed courses.
Note: Some clinical/discipline specific courses will have prerequisites that must be met.
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