Social Gerontology, Ph.D.

Admission

To be eligible for admission to the Ph.D. program, applicants are normally required to have:

a. a completed Master’s degree with an average of at least B+ in a related aging and/or social sciences discipline.

b. demonstrated interest and experience in critical approaches to aging.

c. Admission to the Ph.D. program will normally be on a full-time basis only.

Applicants will be assessed on the basis of their qualifications and how well their interests align with the research interests and availability of faculty.

Requirements

Students will be required to complete five (5) half courses, which include:

i.  HLTH AGE 716 Quantitative Research Methods in Studies of Health and Aging  , and HLTH AGE 714 Qualitative and Historical Methods in Studies of Health and Aging  

ii. HLTH AGE 713 Critical Perspectives on Aging  

iii. Two elective courses offered by Health, Aging & Society (HLTH AGE 701  , 715  , or any other 700-level HLTH AGE course) OR by another department or academic unit (provided that permission has been obtained from those departments or academic units).

Additional Information

1. Students entering the PhD program who have already taken any of the following courses: HLTH AGE 714  , 713  , and 716  , or their graduate level equivalent from another program/university, can apply for exemption through the Department of Health, Aging & Society.

2. Students who have been granted exemption for ALL THREE required courses stated above (or their graduate level equivalent) must complete a minimum of 3 half courses to fulfill the course requirements of the program. One of the three courses must be a HLTH AGE course. The other two courses may be HLTH AGE courses or courses from a department or academic unit other than Health, Aging & Society (provided that permission has been obtained from those departments or academic units). Course selection should be discussed with the supervisor.

3. Students who have been granted exemption for LESS THAN 3 required HLTH AGE courses (or their graduate level equivalent) must complete a minimum of 5 half courses to fulfill the course requirements of the program. One of the exempted courses must be replaced with a HLTH AGE course. Additional exempted courses may be replaced with other HLTH AGE courses or courses from a department or academic unit other than Health, Aging & Society (provided that permission has been obtained from those departments or academic units). Course selection should be discussed with the supervisor.

4. All doctoral students will be required to participate in a non-credit research and professional development seminar over the course of two academic years. Participation in the seminar will normally take place in the first and second year of the program.

Comprehensive Examination

Students will take a comprehensive exam in their area of concentration in Social Gerontology. The purpose of the exam is to ensure that the student has sufficient knowledge of the relevant scholarly literature in her/his area of research interest and that she/he is able to synthesize and communicate this literature in a critically insightful way. The comprehensive exam will consist of a written examination, an oral examination, and a research proposal (which is also evaluated during the oral examination).

Thesis

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree will present a thesis which shows competence in original research and will be required to defend it during a final oral examination.