Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog | 2017-2018 
    
Undergraduate Catalog | 2017-2018 Previous Edition

Gerontology, Minor


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The interdisciplinary program in Gerontology is designed to provide students with academic and field experiences in the area of aging. An understanding of the basic processes of aging and of its social consequences is valuable not only for students who wish to pursue careers directly related to gerontology but also for students interested in traditional careers in other areas and interested in their own aging. As the number of older persons in our society continues to increase, it will be important for people in every occupation and profession to have a basic understanding of the aging process. The goal of the program is to provide students with that basic understanding.

Gerontology is both an interdisciplinary and a multidisciplinary field. Invariably, the best research, training, and service programs in gerontology have developed when professionals from a variety of traditional academic disciplines have been afforded the opportunity to work together, each contributing a unique expertise while benefiting from the expertise of others. The Minor in Gerontology is built around a core sequence of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary courses that are taught from a variety of different academic disciplines. This approach is designed to bring together information from multidisciplinary sources, integrate theoretical and applied concepts in gerontology, and communicate to students the need for an integrated approach to meeting the needs of older persons.

A Minor in Gerontology can be useful in combination with a broad range of majors. With the aging population growing rapidly in the U.S. and globally, there are consequences that translate into diverse career options.  Projections indicate opportunities in city planning, administration, management, recreation, counseling, physical therapy, social work, program development, research, long-term care administration, and healthcare, for example.

Minor Requirements


The Minor in Gerontology is awarded only to students completing an undergraduate major at UNC Charlotte.  A total of 18 credit hours in gerontology courses is required. 

Foundation Course (3 credit hours)


Secondary Elective Courses (6 credit hours)


Secondary elective courses may be chosen from the following list of approved courses related to gerontology in consultation with the Gerontology Undergraduate Coordinator.  Additional primary elective courses may also count toward this requirement.  Other appropriate courses may be chosen as electives in consultation with the Gerontology Undergraduate Coordinator.

Senior Seminar (3 credit hours)


Participation in a preliminary orientation session a semester in advance is required to receive a permit for this course.  Students must be declared minors who have completed GRNT 2100 , two primary elective courses, and one secondary elective courses (at a minimum), and should take this course as close to graduation as possible.

Other Requirements


Because this is designed to be an interdisciplinary minor, no more than three courses in the student’s major may count toward the minor.  (LBST 1102 , sections 425 and 426, is taught through a social gerontology lens, so it is considered a sociology course for these purposes.)

Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree from UNC Charlotte may be readmitted to pursue a Minor in Gerontology, just as they may be readmitted to pursue a second major. (For further information on readmission, see the Admission to the University  section of this Catalog.)

Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree from an institution other than UNC Charlotte may not receive a Minor in Gerontology from UNC Charlotte (unless they earn a second baccalaureate degree from UNC Charlotte). Such students may request a letter from the program and/or a transcript notation that acknowledges completion of courses specified for the minor but indicates that the minor can only be awarded upon completion of a degree.

The Gerontology Program offers both a Master’s degree and a graduate certificate program in Gerontology. See the UNC Charlotte Graduate Catalog for more details.

Grade Requirements


An overall GPA of 2.5 in GRNT courses is required.  Students must earn a C or above in courses that are counted toward the minor.

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