Gerontology Degree Online

Gerontology Degree Online Program Outline

AIU's online Gerontology program is a targeted degree program designed to help students develop a comprehensive core of knowledge about the U.S. healthcare system, including its structure, operations, regulations and management, with a focus on services for the aging population.

The online Gerontology program is designed to provide students with an opportunity to study healthcare directly across many disciplines, in order to help students prepare to pursue opportunities in healthcare management. Added focus is placed on the management of teams that interact with patients who have special medical, social and financial conditions associated with advanced aging.

Our online Gerontology program can help you learn you how to:

Demonstrate an ability to interpret and explain concepts effectively in various healthcare organizations and situations
Implement strategies of the aging services industry including nursing care, home healthcare services, retirement communities, delivered services, rehabilitation and therapy facilities, memory care services and assisted living
Apply principles of economics and finance to make effective decisions in various healthcare settings for various contemporary healthcare practices and functions
Analyze the relationships between costs, quality, and access to healthcare in the U.S.
Formulate current operation’s management practices and principles used in the current healthcare environment
Evaluate the types of information and information systems capabilities/technology needed by healthcare organizations
Evaluate potential ethical and legal conflicts in healthcare related to legislative and regulatory issues affecting healthcare
This business program is programmatically accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

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Total tuition for this degree program may vary depending on your educational needs, existing experience, and other factors.

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Gerontology Degree Courses

Degree Requirements

Courses

General Education

Credits

ECON220 This course focuses on economic theory of the firm, resource allocation and price determination, the free market supply and demand mechanism, and the analysis of pure and imperfect competition models.	Microeconomics	4.5
ECON224 Presents basic economic concepts emphasizing the part the United States plays in a global economy. Foundations of economic theory are presented, using topics from television news and mass media. Topics introduced are GDP, National Income Accounting, United States fiscal policy and economic growth.	Macroeconomics	4.5
ENGL106 In this course, students focus on developing writing skills through practice and revision of a variety of different types of essays. Students are also given instruction in library and online research and methods of documentation.	English Composition I	4.5
ENGL107 In this course, students focus on research and developing writing skills through writing the ''argument'' essay. Students are also given instruction in library and online research and methods of documentation.	English Composition II	4.5
MATH125 An introductory course designed to develop critical thinking, problem solving, and quantitative reasoning skills through the use of standard mathematical operations and techniques as well as analysis of visual data. Students will be expected to identify, analyze, and solve problems in a variety of applied contexts for transfer toward academic, personal, and professional success.	General College Mathematics	4.5
UNIV103 This is a course for students who are new to university-level learning. Topics will include the theory and application of setting goals, managing time and money, developing self-awareness, and adhering to the rigorous standards of academic and professional writing. Additionally, students will be prepared to work autonomously and collaboratively in academic and professional settings.	Academic and Professional Success	4.5
UNIV106 This course exposes students to foundational components of computer technology and information literacy. Students will learn how to recognize the difference between good and bad information as well as be able to locate, evaluate, and effectively use information. Utilizing computer systems and applications, students will learn how to manage data using a variety of computer applications used in the modern workplace to investigate, design, construct, and communicate responsibly. This course helps students improve technology and information literacy skills essential for success in the 21st century and increases the awareness of their impact on society.	Technology and Information Literacy	4.5
UNIV109 This course will introduce students to the basic principles of communication theory and effective interpersonal communication. It will assist students in the identification of how communication impacts an individual, and will help them develop techniques and competencies in diverse social and professional communication situations.	Interpersonal Communication	4.5
	Humanities (2 Courses)	9
	Natural Sciences (2 Courses)	9
	General Education Elective (1 Course)	4.5
	Total Credit Hours:	58.5

General Electives

Credits

A combination of any 8 undergraduate courses


	Total Credit Hours:	36

Prerequisites must be met for selected electives.

Core

Credits

ACCT205 This introductory course provides students with a general overview of financial accounting and how it relates to business. The course introduces students to the accounting equation and the components of assets, liabilities, and owner's equity. Students will be introduced to corporate financial statements and analyze the impact of business transactions on financial reporting.	Principles of Accounting I	4.5
BUSN150 This course provides undergraduate students with a comprehensive introduction to the business sector's relationship to the principal forces operating in the ethical and legal environments. Particular attention is given to the constraints and opportunities presented by the regulatory environments in North America and the European Union. The course also provides an in-depth, comparative framework for understanding the ethical and intercultural challenges facing contemporary multinational and international organizations. With respect to the legal framework within which most business organizations operate, course topics include corporate problems of raising and maintaining capital by shares; relationships of directors to shareholders; respective rights and obligations; relationships of companies to third parties; control and the principle of majority rule.	Legal and Ethical Environment of Business	4.5
FINA310 This course examines the key components of financial decision making: valuation and risk management. Students will examine the implications of forecasting, capital budgeting, working capital management, and project risk management. This course will also explore the time value of money and its implications to savings and borrowing. Students will examine the evaluation of financial statements using key financial ratios and analyze important financial markets.	Financial Management	4.5
HLTH215 This course introduces the nature and scope of various healthcare organizations and administration. The course considers the effect of economic and political forces over time on the delivery of healthcare services.	Introduction to Healthcare	4.5
HLTH225 This course explores the prevention implementation techniques, treatments and promotion of wellness across the varied populations of a community. The course examines critical health needs such as epidemiology and the impact on health behavior. Discussions will include policies and the potential to change policies to enable greater public safety in health and healthcare.	Health/Public Policy	4.5
HLTH310 This course explores management issues in healthcare, such as the environment of care, performance improvement, risk assessment, and managing diverse workforces in healthcare. More specifically, students will analyze the types of information and information system capabilities health care organizations need. Students will identify likely factors to consider when maintaining safe workplace conditions. The course will describe the impact of technology on healthcare organizations and present potential ethical and legal issues and possible solutions for those issues.	Survey of Healthcare Management	4.5
HLTH315 Healthcare managers facilitate the delivery of quality services in complex environment, laden with potential risks. This course focuses on the rudiments of risk management in healthcare, and examines risks in service delivery at clinical, operational, and organizational levels. Students are exposed to the risk management process, approaches to monitoring and identifying risks, and strategies to sustain quality in healthcare organizations.	Risk Management in Healthcare	4.5
HLTH320 This course provides a working knowledge of law and ethics in a wide variety of healthcare topics, enabling students to deal with common legal and practical problems facing patients, their families, practitioners, caregivers, and society within the healthcare industry. Students must possess a basic knowledge of ethics and the law as it applies to their areas of responsibility.	Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare	4.5
HLTH325 This course considers relationships in healthcare management, organizational structure, and quality performance. Regulatory, safety and other influences will be discussed along with the role to ensure compliance with standards from regulatory and accreditation organizations. Strategies and methods of complying with and ensuring quality are covered.	Quality in Healthcare	4.5
HLTH330 This course introduces various aspects of Human Resources as they relate to the healthcare industry and organizations. As industry changes evolve so must human resource management. The student will investigate the strategic role human resource management has played and will play in the healthcare industry and various organizations. Issues related to federal, state regulatory requirements along with professional expectations from governing bodies will be addressed. Human resource management's role in employee recruitment, training and evaluation as well as organizational design are investigated.	Healthcare and Human Resources	4.5
HLTH333 This course provides a foundation to the management theories and practices related to the administration of various facilities for the aging population. Administration issues cover facilities for seniors with minimal needs to those requiring extensive care.	Administration Long Term Care I	4.5
HLTH335 This course explores research methods related to the healthcare industry. Students will be introduced to primary and secondary data sources and collection methods. The course also addresses the analysis of relevant statistics and data to inform decisions in the healthcare industry.	Research Methods for Healthcare	4.5
HLTH430 This course is designed to assist healthcare students in understanding principles of analysis, design, evaluation, selection, acquisition, and utilization of information systems in the healthcare organization. Sufficient technical detail on computer hardware, software, networks, and data management is included to enable the student to become conversant with modern information technology and its use in healthcare organizations.	Healthcare Information Systems	4.5
HLTH499 The emphasis in this course is on applying and synthesizing concepts and techniques from all previous health specialization courses. This course provides an opportunity for the student to use the assimilated materials in a cohesive approach through challenges that reflect situations they may address in actual practice.	Program Capstone	4.5
	Total Credit Hours:	63

Gerontology Management Specialization

Credits

HLTH318 This course focuses on the social aspects of aging including financial planning, housing, legal concerns, health issues, and family/spousal relationships. Life altering conditions which shift life styles, independence and dependence are also discussed along with separation of life long partners and the social and physiological implications. Emotional distance created by physical and mental disabilities in patients and partners covered.	Case Management for Gerontology	4.5
HLTH322 This course provides an introduction to the psychological aging process. Discussion cover current information and issues related to the aging process. Both theoretical and empirical information are investigated relative to the senior sector of the population. Stages of aging, disorders in the aging process along with perceptual, cognitive personality and interpersonal social human traits are considered. Death, dying and the psychological patterns in patients and loved ones are addressed. Throughout the course the role of the healthcare organization plays in dealing with various stages is addressed.	Sociology and Aging	4.5
HLTH340 This course applies market segmentation strategies to the aging population and investigates related decision makers with insight on how marketing can influence decisions. Marketing strategies are discussed including those through a variety of public media options as well as internal to the serving organization. Ethics are a component of this course	Marketing to an Aging Population	4.5
HLTH450 This course discusses the various medical, mental and physical issues related to aging along with social and financial issues that may evolve with an aging population. Counseling theories and methods are discussed along with a discussion of various counseling services offered. An overview of changes in the aging human body is discussed including cardiovascular and central nervous systems and their impact on mental abilities and behavior patterns.	Counseling for Gerontology	4.5
HLTH455 This course investigates contemporary healthcare management issues involved in death and dying, building upon prior coursework examining ethical and legal issues in healthcare and sociology and aging. Topics include rates and causes of death in the US, terminal illness, assisted suicide, euthanasia, and end-of-life decision-making. Ethical and legal considerations in the provision of care by healthcare organizations including hospice, skilled nursing facilities, and hospitals will also be examined.	Death and Dying	4.5
	Total Credit Hours:	22.5

Total Credit Hours : 180

Gerontology Degree Classes Overview

The AIU Bachelor of Healthcare Management degree program combines the required general-education courses designed to provide a liberal-arts foundation with core concepts in healthcare management, as well as specialized courses designed to help provide students with the knowledge, skills, and ability to pursue opportunities in health-services management for aging populations.

For a Gerontology Degree Online, your classes may include:

Death and Dying

This course investigates contemporary healthcare management issues involved in death and dying, building upon prior coursework examining ethical and legal issues in healthcare and sociology and aging. Topics include rates and causes of death in the US, terminal illness, assisted suicide, euthanasia, and end-of-life decision-making. Ethical and legal considerations in the provision of care by healthcare organizations including hospice, skilled nursing facilities, and hospitals will also be examined.

Sociology and Aging

This course is designed to provide an introduction to the psychological aging process. Discussion covers current information and issues related to the aging process. Both theoretical and empirical information are investigated relative to the senior sector of the population. Stages of aging, disorders in the aging process along with perceptual, cognitive personality and interpersonal social human traits are considered. Death, dying and the psychological patterns in patients and loved ones are addressed. Throughout the course the role of the healthcare organization plays in dealing with various stages is addressed.

Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare

This course provides a working knowledge of law and ethics in a wide variety of healthcare topics, enabling students to deal with common legal and practical problems facing patients, their families, practitioners, caregivers, and society within the healthcare industry. Students must possess a basic knowledge of ethics and the law as it applies to their areas of responsibility.

Marketing to an Aging Population

This course applies market segmentation strategies to the aging population and investigates related decision makers with insight on how marketing can influence decisions. Marketing strategies are discussed including those through a variety of public media options as well as internal to the serving organization. Ethics are a component of this course.

Research Methods for Healthcare

This course explores research methods used to determine current performance and forecast demand and probability as it relates to the healthcare industry. Special attention is given to methods of data gathering, sources, and restrictions on the use of data as well as patient rights.

Case Management for Gerontology

This course focuses on the social aspects of aging including financial planning, housing, legal concerns, health issues, and family/spousal relationships. Life altering conditions which shift life styles, independence and dependence are also discussed along with separation of life long partners and the social and physiological implications. Emotional distance created by physical and mental disabilities in patients and partners covered.

Administration Long Term Care I

This course has an emphasis on the trends and developments that are transforming long-term care. It explores the options available in care settings, programs, and services. In addition, it examines aspects of management including leadership, human resources, marketing, regulatory and legal issues, and financing to long-term care. Case studies, exercises, and self-assessment will help students internalize and apply the concepts.

Healthcare Information Systems

This course is designed to assist healthcare students in understanding principles of analysis, design, evaluation, selection, acquisition, and utilization of information systems in the healthcare organization. Sufficient technical detail on computer hardware, software, networks, and data management is included to enable the student to become conversant with modern information technology and its use in healthcare organizations.

Counseling for Gerontology

This course discusses the various medical, mental and physical issues related to aging along with social and financial issues that may evolve with an aging population. Counseling theories and methods are discussed along with a discussion of various counseling services offered. An overview of changes in the aging human body is discussed including cardiovascular and central nervous systems and their impact on mental abilities and behavior patterns.

Program Capstone

The emphasis in this course is on applying and synthesizing concepts and techniques from all previous health specialization courses. This course provides an opportunity for the student to use the assimilated materials in a cohesive approach through challenges that reflect situations they may address in actual practice.

University Catalog

Course content subject to change.

Ways to Save on Your Gerontology Degree Online

Accreditation

AIU's Bachelor of Healthcare Management (BHCM), with all its specializations, is programmatically accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

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FAQ

What is a Bachelor of Healthcare Management with a Specialization in Gerontology degree?

AIU’s bachelor’s degree in healthcare management is designed to provide knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant for pursuing potential career paths within the healthcare field. The specialization in gerontology emphasizes students’ development of a comprehensive core of knowledge about the U.S. healthcare system, including its structure, operations, regulations, and management, with a focus on services for the aging population.

How long does it take to earn the online gerontology specialization in healthcare management degree?

Our bachelor’s degree programs are designed as 48-month programs. However, many factors can impact your time to completion. The time it may take you to earn your bachelor’s of healthcare management degree can be influenced by course loads proficiency and/or transfer credits, and breaks.

What kind of courses will I take to earn a specialization in gerontology?

As you work to complete your specialization in gerontology, you will be immersed in courses such as: Sociology and Aging; Marketing to an Aging Population; Counseling for Gerontology; and Case Management for Gerontology.

When can I begin my gerontology specialization classes?

Courses for the Bachelor of Healthcare Management with a Specialization in Gerontology degree start approximately every five weeks. Your actual start date is based on several factors, including receiving academic and financial documentation.

How many credits are required to graduate from the gerontology specialization degree program?

The gerontology specialization degree program consists of 180 credits. You may be eligible for transfer credit, which is evaluated on an individual basis. Not all credits are eligible to transfer. Please see the University Catalog for transfer credit policies.

Why should I pursue a gerontology specialization degree?

Upon earning your healthcare management degree with a gerontology specialization, you should have a deep understanding of management in healthcare with an emphasis on senior services such as long- and short-term care, home care, rehabilitation, nursing care, community-based services, and chronic care. By studying key topics in gerontology, you can: be able to collaborate in healthcare teams utilizing effective management techniques and leadership strategies to solve healthcare problems; have the know-how to support the implementation of technology applications within a health care organization; and be able to implement strategies of the aging services industry including nursing care, home healthcare services, retirement communities, delivered services, rehabilitation and therapy facilities, memory care services, and assisted living.

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