Healthy Aging Certificate
Shape your career with an interdisciplinary Undergraduate Certificate in Healthy Aging. Establish yourself as someone who understands the aging issues and challenges facing older adults.
Open to all undergraduate students as well as non-degree seeking students with a bachelor’s degree.
Program Type
Undergraduate Certificate
Program Format
On Campus
The Undergraduate Certificate in Healthy Aging is an interdisciplinary program housed in the Helen Bader Office of Applied Gerontology.
Who is this program for?
- All undergraduate students in any major.
- Undergraduate students receive:
- A certificate completion posted on a student’s official transcript.
- Undergraduate students receive:
- Non-degree seeking students with a bachelor’s degree.
- Non-degree seeking students receive:
- Knowledge that enhances their job performance or increases their marketability in the field of aging.
- Non-degree seeking students receive:
Why a Certificate in Healthy Aging?
- The certificate is designed for students to acquire an understanding of:
- The processes of aging
- The issues regarding aging
- The challenges of older adulthood
- The interdisciplinary nature of gerontology
- What it’s like to have practical experiences with older adults
Healthy Aging Certificate Curriculum
The Healthy Aging Certificate curriculum requires 12 credits. At least 6 credits at the 300 level or above must be completed in residence. Students shape their certificate from a variety of interdisciplinary courses.
Required Introductory Course
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOC WRK 300 | Aged to Perfection: Introduction to the Study of Aging | 3 |
| Total: 3 |
Core Aging Curriculum
Select 6 credits from approved biological, psychological, or social aging from the core aging curriculum. Options include:
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMMUN 285 | Communicating with Older Adults | 3 |
| CRM JST 592 | Critical Issues in Criminal Justice: Aging, Abuse, and Elder Justice | 3 |
| KIN 360 | Motor Development Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| NURS 203 | Human Growth and Development Across the Lifespan (Prerequisite: PSYCH 101) | 4 |
| NURS 765 | Processes of Aging (need permission from instructor) | 3 |
| PSYCH 680 | Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| SOC WRK 564 | Concepts, Controversies, and Critical Policies for Older Adults | 3 |
| SOC WRK 685 | Social Gerontology | 3 |
| Total: 6 |
Aging Elective
Choose one elective from the approved interdisciplinary aging-related course list. This could include an internship in a setting interacting with older adults and/or policies affecting older adults. Options include, but are not limited to:
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 381 | Chemistry of Aging (Honors College Prerequisite) | 3 |
| CRM JST 592 | Critical Issues in Criminal Justice: Ageism, Abuse, and Elder Justice | 3 |
| HCA (HS) 102 | Healthcare Delivery in the United States | 3 |
| HCA 361 | Post-Acute Care and Management | 3 |
| HCA 333/HCA 333G | Health Organizations Professional Practice Standards | 3 |
| KIN 561 | Investigating Motor Behavior in Health, Aging and Disease | 3 |
| NURS 670 | Nursing Care of Older Adults I (need permission from instructor) | 3 |
| NURS 671 | Nursing Care of Older Adults II (need permission from instructor) | 3 |
| OCC THPY 625 | Design and Disability | 3 |
| PSYCH 682 | The Aging Brain (Prerequisite: Psych 254) | 3 |
| SOC WRK 250 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment | 3 |
| SOC WRK 591 | Special Topics-Suicide Prevention: A Life Course Perspective | 3 |
| SOC WRK 680 | Death and Dying | 3 |
| THERREC 309 | Therapeutic Recreation in Pediatrics and Gerontology | 3 |
| Total: 3 |
Total: 12 credits
- Clinical Associate Professor, Social Work
- Field Liaison, Social Work Field Program
- Coordinator of Education & Programming, Applied Gerontology
- kahnpet2@uwm.edu
- 414-229-6888
- Enderis Hall 1067