Minor in Gerontology
The minor in Gerontology is designed to help undergraduate students cultivate an understanding of the many facets of the aging process, including the biological, psychological, and sociocultural aspects of adult development and aging.
As the global population of older adults increases, this minor program of study helps prepare students to work with both geriatric clients, family members, caregivers, and community stakeholders across multiple disciplines. Being cognizant that gerontology applies to a wide scope of disciplines, a broad selection of electives is offered from multiple programs.
Because concepts related to aging and the care of older adults applies to multiple major programs of study, this minor would be useful for a variety of majors at Ball State University.
This minor provides a strong grounding in both the theory and practice of serving the elderly. Among other outcomes, you will learn: (1) theories of aging, (2) multidimensional perspective on changes in well-being and health, (3) strategies for coping with change, and (4) how people age in communities.
The minor requires 15 hours of coursework: six (6) hours from core gerontology courses and nine (9) hours of electives in subjects related to gerontology.
15 credits
6 credits from core courses
9 credits of electives from approved courses
| ECYF 250 | Family Relations | 3 |
| GERO 440 | Women and Aging | 3 |
| HSC 371 | Death and Dying | 3 |
| PMGT 315 | Senior Housing: Design, Marketing, and Management | 3 |
| SOC 341 | Sociology of Health and Illness | 3 |
| SOC 431 | Aging and the Life Course | 3 |
| COH 100 | Introduction to Health Consumerism | 3 |
| ECYF 484 | Family Stressors and Crisis | 3 |
| EDPS 270 | Human Development Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| HSC 367 | Drug Dependency and Abuse | 3 |
| PSYS 363 | Cognitive Psychology | 3 |
| SOCW 250 | Human Behavior and the Social Environment 1 | 3 |
| SOCW 370 | Selected Aspects of Social Work Practice | 3-12 |
| WELN 325 | Community Collaboration and Service Learning in Wellness Management | 3 |
| NUTR 275 | Personal Nutrition | 3 |