Gerontology in Social Work
University Of California At Berkeley
School Of Social Welfare
As America's aging poulation continues its unprecedented expansion, there is increasing demand for trained gerontological social workers to respond to the needs of older adults and their families. A study by the U.S. Department of Labor named Geriatric Social Work as one of the country's five most rapidly growing occupations.
The specialization in Gerontology offered by Berkeley's School of Social Welfare, one of the oldest gerontology programs in the country, prepares social workers to assume leadership roles in the delivery of services to older adults and their families, in program planning and evaluation, and in policy formulation and analysis. The Gerontology specialization includes both academic courses and varied internship opportunities leading to a Master's degree in Social Welfare.
CASAS represents a major new initiative by the School of Social Welfare at the University of California at Berkeley to improve services for America's elderly citizens, now and into the twenty-first century. MSW students have the opportunity to participate in some of CASAS’ training programs and research initiatives. Visit their home page at: http://cssr.berkeley.edu/aging
Specialized gerontology courses provide students with state-of-the-art knowledge in the aging process, health and mental health issues, the aging services delivery network, and social policies that affect the elderly and their families. Students also develop advanced skills through field work training in social service agencies serving diverse populations of older adults. The School of Social Welfare is affiliated with over 40 such agencies in the greater Bay Area which offer a wide array of gerontology internship opportunities. In addition, students in the Gerontology specialization have access to numerous elective courses offered in other departments on campus.
Challenging positions are available to graduates in a wide range of settings serving older persons who are frail as well as those who are in good health. Recent graduates of Berkeley's Gerontology specialization currently work in positions such as geriatric case managers, psychiatric sodial workers, long term care planning specialists, adult day health care program directors and adult protective service workers.
The School of Social Welfare is located on the beautiful Berkeley campus of The University of California, a colorful community in the San Francisco Bay Area. The school offers a two-year program of study leading to the Master of Social Welfare (M.S.W.) degree, preparing students for work with disadvantaged clients. Through its intensive training, students acquire the advanced knowledge and skills to provide state-of-the-art social services and intellectual leadership to meet the emerging needs of our aging society. The school also offers a Ph.D. in Social Welfare in which students are able to develop advanced skills for research and scholarship on aging-related issues.
Applications for admission to the M.S.W. program are available from the School of Social Welfare commencing in September. Please check with the School’s Admissions Office for information regarding the date by which completed application forms, including official transcripts, Graduate Record Examination test scores, letters of recommendation, and a statement of professional goals, must be submitted.
For Further Information regarding Berkeley’s MSW program in gerontology contact:
| Andrew Scharlach School of Social Welfare University of California at Berkeley 120 Haviland Hall Berkeley, CA 94720-7400 scharlach@uclink4.berkeley.edu. |
| Barrie Robinson School of Social Welfare University of California at Berkeley 120 Haviland Hall Berkeley, CA 94720-7400 bkr@uclink4.berkeley.edu. |