PhD in Gerontology - Program Overview
The PhD in Gerontology at UMass Boston qualifies a select group of skilled researchers and policy analysts to extend the frontiers of this growing field through research, teaching, or policy development; and to prepare themselves for leadership roles in our aging society. Advanced work in gerontology is interdisciplinary, bridging theories, concepts, and research methods drawn from several social sciences.
PhD in Gerontology Faculty
The core faculty of the Gerontology Graduate Programs is located in the Department of Gerontology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The faculty is focused solely on providing instruction and research within this department. The PhD Program in Gerontology at UMass Boston is the only one in the nation for which the faculty is dedicated solely to these purposes.
PhD in Gerontology Curriculum
The curriculum of UMass Boston's PhD Program in Gerontology is designed to give graduates command of a broad body of specialized knowledge in aging and social policy, as well as the capacity to develop methodologically sound procedures to expand that base of knowledge and understanding. The program can be completed in four years: five semesters of full-time course work, one semester of combined course and dissertation work, and two semesters of full-time dissertation work.
PhD in Gerontology Curriculum.
The Gerontology Institute
The program's location on campus adjoins UMass Boston's Gerontology Institute. The Gerontology Institute, established by the Massachusetts Legislature, constitutes a major resource for the doctoral program. The Institute's mission is to focus attention on the economic, social, and political issues that confront the aging population. Institute activities include policy research and analysis as well as publication of the Journal of Aging & Social Policy. The institute emphasizes income security, health care, long-term care, and productive economic and social roles for the elderly. Older people themselves are often involved in the design and execution of Institute activities. Students in the program gain experience by participating in the Institute's research and policy projects.
Advantages of the UMass Boston Location
UMass Boston's Harbor Campus offers excellent facilities for learning, in a setting that combines the special quality of its location on Boston Harbor with proximity to the rich resources of the city.
The University's urban setting allows it to offer a broad array of resources educational, professional, and cultural. Located three miles south of downtown Boston, the UMass Boston campus shares a peninsula overlooking Boston Harbor with the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, the Massachusetts Archives, and the Commonwealth Museum. UMass Boston is accessible to both private and public transportation.
PhD in Gerontology Research Facilities
The University's Joseph P. Healey Library houses over 550,000 carefully selected volumes and currently receives more than 3,000 domestic and international journals and newspapers. It also maintains a government documents collection, microform publications, electronic periodical indexes, and over 500 full text electronic journals. The library maintains a comprehensive collection of journals on aging, and students also have access to more than twenty other academic and research libraries in the Greater Boston area through the University's memberships in the Boston Library Consortium and the Fenway Library Consortium.
More About the PhD in Gerontology
Additional information on the PhD in Gerontology at UMass Boston is available on this web site:
- PhD Admissions
- Tuition and Fees
- PhD in Gerontology Degree Requirements
- Internship in Gerontology
- PhD Dissertations
- Full-Time PhD Program Sample
- Gerontology Student Awards
Contact Us About the PhD in Gerontology
For further information about the PhD in Gerontology at UMass Boston, please feel free to contact us by e-mail at gerontology@umb.edu or by telphone at 617.287.7302.