Survey of Master’s Gerontology Students Spanning Over 40 Years

Abstract

The University of South Florida's master's degree in gerontology is a long-established program that focuses on a multidisciplinary approach to population aging. This study identifies graduate students' needs in preparation for a professional career in gerontology. An online survey was distributed to graduates and those currently enrolled (N = 56) in order to better understand expectations for the program, identify outcomes of graduation, and obtain program recommendations for future students. The program's 40 year history was well represented with participants ranging from the first graduating class to current students. Results indicated high satisfaction in students' expectations of the program, educational experience, and assessment of faculty. Further, 68% of graduates reported success in gaining age-related employment shortly after graduation. However, students echoed well-known barriers in gerontology, reporting tough competition for jobs versus those with licensure, and challenges in promoting their nonclinical gerontology degree to employers. Respondents recommended more applied coursework and assistance with career planning to enhance employment opportunities upon graduation. Implications of these findings are discussed in further detail.

La formación gerontológica de posgrado en España: número, características y contenidos impartidos en programas de máster

“…2016;xxx(xx):xxx-xxx nivel de materias optativas, y con la presencia de algunos créditos (un tercio de los totales, como media) correspondientes a prácticas externas y a un trabajo final, con un peso similar de ambos. Tanto la presencia de un trabajo final como, especialmente, de prácticas externas, han sido se ñalados como elementos clave para valorar la calidad de un programa de posgrado profesionalizador 23,24 , y se encuentran dentro de los criterios contemplados para acreditar un máster oficial 19 . En este sentido, los másteres a distancia o semipresencial, entre los que la presencia de prácticas externas no es tan habitual, estarían en desventaja respecto a los presenciales.…”

Gerontological training programs offered by Latin American universities: Number, characteristics, and disciplinary contents

“…Internships are common on undergraduate programs, but just a minority of postgraduate programs include these periods. In other regions of the world, such as Europe, the offering of diverse, relevant internships under expert supervision has been identified as a key element to assess the quality of a training program, particularly if it is designed to train professionals (Molinari & Ellis, 2013;Villar, Giuliani, & Serrat, 2016;Von Dras & Miller, 2002).…”