Careers in Gerontology
A master's degree in gerontology can lead you down many different career paths. Here is a listing of the fields, and specific jobs within those fields, in which a graduate of our gerontology program could gain employment:
- Education
- College and University Education
- Employment
- Finance
- Housing
- Legal Aid/Protective Service
- Medical Service
- Mental Health
- Nutrition
- Product/Service Consumption
- Recreation/Social Activities
- Social Services
- Health and Physical Fitness
- Administrative (Directors, Assistant Directors and Supervisors)
- Miscellaneous
Education
- Instructor in senior center
- Instructor of gerontology or geriatric medicine
- Adult education
- Preretirement education
- Family life education
- General education
- Leisure time activities
- Occupational education
- Legislation and advocacy
College and University Education
- Vocational education
- Family life education
- Gerontology education
- Nutrition education
- Consumer education
- Health education
- Physical education
- Mental health and counseling education
- Psychology
- Guidance and counseling
- Recreation
- Social work
- Medical education
- Nursing
- Elderhostel coordinator
Employment
- Industrial gerontologist
- Specialist in preretirement planning
Finance
- Administrator/case worker/intake worker for Social Security, Medicare, etc.
Housing
- Architect
- Manager of public/private residential community
Legal Aid/Protective Service
- Benefits/rights specialist in public agencies
- Case manager/guardian
- Lawyer/paralegal in private or public legal services agency
Medical Service
- Home health aide
- Nursing home administrator
- Nursing home ombudsperson
- Physical therapist
- Social worker/counselor in nursing home
- Speech/hearing pathologists
Mental Health
- Coordinator/specialist for day care program
- Psychiatric social worker
- Psychiatrist
- Psychologist
Nutrition
- Dietitian
- Instructor of nutrition
- Nutritionist
- Nutrition educator
Product/Service Consumption
- Financial planning consultant
- Travel agent/tour guide
Recreation/Social Activities
- Activities specialist
- Senior center director
Social Services
- Family services worker
- Gerontological or geriatric social worker
- Case worker
- Case manager
- Senior services assessment specialist
- Activity director
- Outreach director
- Information and referral coordinator
- RSVP director or field worker
- Chore/housekeeping homemaker or home health coordinator
- Senior citizens advocate
- Area agency or aging field services worker
- State agency on aging employee
- CAP agency field services worker
- Federal agency on aging employee
- Specialist in transportation, legislation, housing, social services, employment
- Crisis intervention specialist
- Mental health counselor
- Readjustment counselor
- Pre- and postretirement
- Job re-entry
- Leisure services
- Family therapists
- Hospice counselor
- Respite care worker
- Mental health counselor
- Behavior modification specialist
Health and Physical Fitness
- Substance abuse counselor
- Exercise specialist
- Health educator
- Patient educator
- Recreation specialist
- Geriatric nurse
- Geriatric physician
- Adult fitness specialist
Administrative (Directors, Assistant Directors and Supervisors)
- Nursing home supervisor or administrator
- Director of long-term care facility
- Alternative care supervisor or director
- Retirement center director
- Senior nutrition program director
- Senior center director
- Area agency on aging director
- In-home care services director
- Respite care director
- Day care center director
- Hospice director
Miscellaneous
- Lawyer or paralegal specialist in aging
- Researcher
- Coordinator of social services for a travel agency
- Estate planner
- Legislative assistant or aide
- Clothing specialist
- Rehabilitation therapist
- Physical therapist
- Occupational therapist
- Speech therapist
- Aural rehabilitation
