Gerontology Major
Long Term Care and Social Sciences tracks
Student Learning Objectives
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Gerontology is designed to prepare graduates for professional positions
in agencies and businesses providing various levels of care, educational, prevention and early
intervention services for families and their aging members. The Gerontology major offers two tracks:
one in Long Term Care Administration which qualifies candidates to take the State of Iowa Licensing
Exam for Nursing Home Administrators; and the second track offers provides a broad Social Sciences
approach to the study of aging in our society and prepares students for a variety of professional positions
in community based agencies and businesses working with aging populations. Both tracks provide
students with a solid foundation in core knowledge and skills for those who choose to pursue advanced
graduate degrees in working with, and the study of aging. The philosophy of the program is grounded in
a strong liberal arts foundation along with content areas associated with understanding the nature and
needs of older individuals and their families in their diversity, development and context.
Student Learning Objectives:
Objective 1: Students will demonstrate knowledge about aging processes and the interpersonal and
family interactions and changes that occur as family members age.
Competencies:
1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the developmental changes (both typical and atypical) of
individuals as they age.
2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of aging individuals and families as they exist in various
contexts and their relationships to other institutions such as governmental, religious, and occupational
institutions in society.
3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of resources and challenges of aging individuals and their
families.
4. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the development, maintenance and importance of family
and interpersonal relationships and dynamics in later life.
5. Students will demonstrate an understanding of ethical questions and issues as they relate to
professional practice in care settings and community agency settings for older persons.
Objective 2: Students will be able to discover, evaluate, and integrate sources of
knowledge.
Competencies:
1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the core empirical method(s) utilized in gerontology.
2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the principles associated with evidence based and best
practices, as they relates to services and programming for older adults and their families.
Objective 3: Students will be able to assess the needs, strengths, and challenges of aging individuals
and their families using major theoretical frameworks.
Competencies:
1. Students will demonstrate an ability to integrate theoretical and empirical based knowledge into
strategies for discovery.
2. Students will demonstrate an ability to solicit and evaluate information from families and individuals to
assess their concerns and needs.
3. Students will demonstrate an ability to utilize assessment tools and protocols for prevention and early
intervention programming.
Objective 4: Students in the Long Term Care track will be able to articulate the variety of
responsibilities, legal requirements and challenges faced by a facility administrator and know
strategies, staffing needs, and effective programming options to address the needs of aging individuals
and their families.
Competencies:
1. Students will demonstrate professional oral and written communication skills needed as an
administrator in a care facility.
2. Students will be able to plan appropriate programs for persons in care facilities.
3. Students will demonstrate a proficiency in skills associated with program implementation.
4. Students will demonstrate to evaluate programming and services for individuals in care facilities and
their families.
5. Students will be able to demonstrate core knowledge in all nine critical areas identified by the licensing
laws for Nursing Home Administrators in Iowa.
Objective 5: Gerontology majors will be able to demonstrate an understanding of professional codes of
behavior and the ability to critically examine ethical questions and issues as they relate to professional
practice.
Competencies:
1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of professional standards of behavior with respect to
individuals, families, professional colleagues and the profession.
2. Students will demonstrate the ability to assess situations for potential ethical dilemmas.
3. Students will be able to articulate an ethical decision making process when confronted with an ethical
dilemma.