Medical Gerontology (MA)

The Master of Arts in Medical Gerontology prepares graduates to become leaders in providing care to older persons throughout the world. It may be completed in class or online. The goal of this program is to provide medical doctors and other health care professionals with gerontological training and expertise absent from their primary training. After completing this program health care professionals will have a greater understanding of older persons and will have the tools to take a whole person approach to aging and caring for older people. The program requires 33 units of course work. This includes 25 units of required courses and 8 units of electives. This is a residential program designed to be completed in 12 to 18 months.

Continuous registration in the program is required. There is a five year completion time limit for the degree. Leaves of absence are available for limited times and are excluded from the total time limit. A maximum of two absences (one year each) is allowed.

Prerequisites for Admission

Students applying for admission to the Master of Arts in Medical Gerontology program must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and it is preferable to have a primary professional degree in one of the health fields (e.g., occupational therapy, physical therapy, medicine, nursing, dentistry). In selecting applicants for admission, the School of Gerontology considers both academic potential, including an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, and advanced professional training and experience, as well as references and future goals. The school requests information from applicants to supplement that supplied by the USC Application for Graduate Admission. Such supplemental information usually includes a resume, statement of interest in gerontology and letters of reference. Interviews may be required. For more information on the application and admission please contact the USC Leonard Davis School Admissions Office at (213) 740-5156.

Probation and Disqualification

Probation and Warning: Any graduate student whose cumulative or semester grade point average in the university falls below B (3.0) will be placed on academic probation. A graduate student whose semester average falls below B (3.0) but whose cumulative grade point average in the university is 3.0 (A = 4.0) or higher will be placed on academic warning.

Disqualification: A graduate student on academic probation will be disqualified if his or her cumulative record accumulates more than 12 units of C work. A graduate student, whether on probation or not, will be subject to disqualification if the Student Affairs Committee of the USC Leonard Davis School at any time determines deficiency in academic achievement.