Advanced Certificate in Geriatric and Gerontological Social Work
Description of Advanced Certificate Program
Overview
The Master of Social Work (MSW) program at Binghamton University focuses on
preparing professionals for positions in governmental and non-profit community
agencies. Currently, there are drastic shortages of human service and health care
professionals trained to work with burgeoning geriatric populations, both nationally and
internationally. The Geriatric and Gerontological Social Work advanced certificate
program will help to prepare MSW graduates to provide leadership in the field of aging.
Objectives
In completing the advanced certificate, students will:
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Expand and deepen their knowledge and skills in working with older adults with
complex needs.
Be prepared to occupy leadership positions in the field of geriatrics and
gerontology – locally, nationally, and internationally.
Contribute to the mission of the College of Community and Public Affairs by
developing and evaluating community-based research with local community
agencies.
Identify and help to meet capacity needs of local organizations and agencies.
Develop academic and research skills that help prepare them for doctoral
research and education.
Curriculum
To earn the advanced certificate, students must:
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Take the courses listed below;
Complete the final project or paper requirements of each of those courses with a
focus on mastering “gero-competencies” as described below; and
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Complete the non-credit participation activities as described below.
The current requirements for the advanced certificate program are as follows:
1. Complete the following concentration-year elective course:
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SW 580: Gerontological Social Work (offered in the fall semester)
2. Develop an aging-related final project or paper within each of the following
concentration-year courses, which are required for all students in the MSW
curriculum:
 SW 521: Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals
 SW 522: Advanced Social Work Practice with Organizations
 SW 523: Advanced Social Work Practice with Groups
 SW 524: Advanced Social Work Practice with Families
 SW 525: Advanced Social Work Practice with Communities
 SW 520: Evaluation of Social Work Practice
Each final project or paper for each of these courses must demonstrate gerocompetencies from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Geriatric
Social Work Competency Scale II with Life-Long Leadership Skills: Social Work
Practice Behaviors in the Field of Aging (GSWCS II), as evaluated by the course
instructor and/or the advanced certificate program faculty mentor/consultant.
These gero-competencies are described on the CSWE website.
3. Complete a final project or paper in geriatric or gerontological social work in the
final semester of the MSW curriculum. As part of the final project or paper,
advanced certificate students are required to meet regularly with their advanced
certificate program faculty mentors/consultants, in order to help the students to
focus and develop a final project or paper that a) meets specific objectives
derived from the GSWCS II and b) builds upon and integrates gerocompetencies obtained across the concentration-year curriculum. This final
project or paper and these meetings are not connected to a course and are noncredit. See the Guidelines for Final Project or Paper document for more
information the final project or paper.
4. Attend the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE)
colloquium series during the fall and spring semesters of the concentration year.
This colloquium series features scholars and practitioners in the field of aging
who will present the latest policy, administrative, research, and practice issues in
work with older adults. This colloquium series is not connected to a course and is
non-credit.
Admission
This advanced certificate program is open to currently enrolled full-time and part-time
Binghamton University MSW students who have not yet started concentration-year
courses.
Students apply for admission to the advanced certificate program by submitting the
Advanced Certificate in Geriatric and Gerontological Social Work Application Form
before the posted deadline.
The Advanced Certificate in Geriatric and Gerontological Social Work Program
Committee – which consists of the program director, the program co-director, and
faculty members with expertise in geriatric and gerontological social work – will review
applications and admit qualified students to the advanced certificate program.
The Department of Social Work will not apply transfer credits to this advanced
certificate.
Enrollment
Students who are admitted to the advanced certificate program must then submit the
Add-On Certificate Application to the Graduate School in order to officially add the
advanced certificate program to their student records. Visit the Graduate School website
(http://binghamton.edu/grad-school/admissions/apply/apply-certificate.html) for
instructions for submitting this form.
Advising
Students who are admitted to the advanced certificate program will be matched with a
faculty member from the advanced certificate program committee. This faculty member
will serve as a mentor and consultant to the student.
Conferral
Students in the advanced certificate program must fulfill the requirements and meet the
standards of the advanced certificate program, the MSW program, and the Graduate
School in order to earn the advanced certificate.
The student must take all courses with the normal (letter) grading option whenever
available. The student must also maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.
The program director will submit written verification to the Graduate School stating that
the student has fulfilled these requirements and met these standards once the student
has successfully completed the curriculum.
The student must pay a $100 processing fee to the Graduate School before the
advanced certificate will be conferred. Visit the Graduate School website
(http://binghamton.edu/grad-school/resources/graduation/index.html) for instructions for
submitting the $100 processing fee.
Current Advanced Certificate Program Committee
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Dr. Josephine A. V. Allen:
o Professor
o For more information about Dr. Allen’s work, visit her faculty webpage.
Dr. Cassandra Bransford, Advanced Certificate Program Director:
o Associate Professor
o Director of Applied Clinical Research at the Southern Tier Center on Aging
o For more information about Dr. Bransford’s work, visit her faculty webpage.
Dr. Victoria M. Rizzo, Advanced Certificate Program Co-Director
o Department Chair
o Associate Professor
o John A. Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar
o For more information about Dr. Rizzo’s work, visit her faculty webpage.
Dr. Suk-Young Kang:
o Associate Professor
o John A. Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar
o For more information on Dr. Kang’s work, visit his faculty webpage.