Gerontology Degrees in Kentucky - KY

A gerontology degree in Kentucky is usually administered at the graduate level, and can be customized to meet your unique professional needs. Since gerontology is such a broad field, you may want to define your career goals and interests before you decide what programs and schools will be right for you.

Gerontology is a field that blankets the mental, physical, and nutritional health sectors. Most of the professionals who specialize in gerontology hold Bachelor's degrees in Nursing, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Sociology, or another allied health profession, and attend gerontology schools to strengthen their knowledge of their field as it pertains to gerontology.

Since gerontology is an interdisciplinary profession, your foundational graduate courses will comprise of classes in communication, psychology, the biology of aging, and anatomy and physiology. Once you have completed those courses, you can finish your degree with courses that pertain to your field of interest. For instance, if you plan on becoming a geriatric psychiatrist, you would take classes that concentrate on age-related mental disorders, aging, biology of the brain, social constructs, and pharmacology.

Each field within gerontology also has its own certification and education requirements. Geriatric/adult psychiatrists, for instance, are required to have a doctorate and at least two years of supervised experience before they can practice on their own. Nurses in Kentucky, on the other hand, are allowed to practice with as little as a graduate certificate.

Through campus based and online programs, aspiring gerontologists in Louisville, Lexington and Owensboro, Kentucky may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including Norton Hospital, Saint Elizabeth Medical Center, and Owensboro Medical Health.