Related Links: Obtaining the MSW with a Geriatric Concentration
As America's aging population continues its unprecedented expansion, there is an increasing demand for trained gerontological social workers to respond to the needs of older adults and their families. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Labor named Geriatric Social Work as one of the country's five most rapidly growing occupations.
Gerontology Specialization
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. Students major in either direct practice (including direct interventions with older adults and their families) or in indirect practice (including program development, policy analysis and management of aging programs).
Specialized Courses
Specialized gerontology courses provide students with state-of-the-art knowledge in the aging process, health and mental health issues, the aging service delivery network, and social policies that affect the elderly and their families. Students also develop advanced skills through field work training in aging social service agencies. The School of Social Welfare is affiliated with over 40 such agencies in the greater Bay Area which offer a wide array of direct and indirect gerontology internship opportunities. In addition, students in the Gerontology specialization have access to numerous elective courses offered in other departments on campus.
Scholarships
Student Scholarships are awarded each year to social work students at UC Berkeley who demonstrate the potential for making a significant contribution to the field of aging, show the greatest academic and professional promise, and have the greatest financial need.
Research Fellowships are awarded each year to doctoral students who are working, under faculty supervision, on research efforts that promise to address important issues in the area of aging services.
Career Opportunities
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 and adult protective service workers.
The School of Social Welfare
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 society. The school also offers a Ph.D. in Social Welfare in which students are able to concentrate their research in aging.
Application Process
For more information about the M.S.W. program, click here.
Applications for admission to the M.S.W. program are available from the School of Social Welfare commencing in September. Completed application forms, including official transcripts, Graduate Record Examination test scores, letters of recommendation, and a statement of professional goals, must be postmarked no later than February 10 for admission to the next fall semester.
For more information about the application process or to request an application, click here.
You may also contact:
University of California at Berkeley
School of Social Welfare
120 Haviland Hall #7400
Berkeley CA 94720-7400
(510) 642-4341 (main number)
(510) 643-6126 (fax machine)
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