Gerontology Degrees in Kansas - KS

Gerontology degrees in Kansas are typically granted at the graduate level, which means that you have to have a Bachelor's degree before you can take this step. Currently, none of the schools in Kansas offer gerontology Bachelor's degree programs; however, online schools offer a convenient solution.

Since gerontology is such a broad field, most of Kansas' gerontology programs are build-to-suit programs, meaning that you can customize your degree to your professional goals or interests. You will be required to take a set of foundational courses as a part of your degree, but the remaining courses will be more focused toward enhancing your knowledge of athletic training, nutrition, psychology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and/or sociology as it pertains to the field of gerontology.

If you are interested in working with Dementia or Alzheimer's patients, you would want to pursue a full Doctoral degree and take courses that emphasize how aging affects memory patterns, behaviors, and social interaction. You would also want to gain two years of supervised experience in a nursing home, hospital, or clinical setting, and then take the state certification exam.

If you are interested in becoming an athletic trainer, yoga/t'ai chi/fitness instructor, occupational therapist, physical therapist or nutritionist who specializes in elderly fitness and/or nutrition, you will be required to fulfill a similar set of requirements. In addition to obtaining two years of experience in working with the elderly in your field, you will be required to obtain a Master's or Doctoral degree.

But if you are already working as an athletic trainer, psychologist, occupational therapist, or nutritionist in Kansas, you will only need a graduate certificate. Many of the gerontology schools in Kansas offer graduate certificate programs in addition to the full graduate programs, making it easy for anyone to prepare for a career in this rewarding field.

Through campus based and online programs, aspiring gerontologists in Wichita, Overland Park and Kansas City, Kansas may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including the Wesley Medical Center, Via Christi Regional Medical Center, and Saint Francis Health Center.