Public Affairs & Community Service Gerontology Minor & Gerontology Certificate
Description
Minor or Certificate in Gerontology
Undergraduates may earn a certificate or minor in gerontology. The certificate consists of 15 hours of specified coursework plus a one-semester practicum. This option is ideal for students wanting to pursue a career in healthcare or a related field. The minor is comprised of 18 hours of coursework. Although an undergraduate major in gerontology is not offered on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln campus, the certificate program may be used as a minor or concentration within several degree programs earned through other university departments. Students wanting to major in gerontology should contact the University of Nebraska Omaha campus at 402-554-2272.
Courses that meet the gerontology requirement are taught by gerontology department faculty as well as related faculty in other University of Nebraska–Lincoln and University of Nebraska Omaha departments. Students should consult the Department of Gerontology for the appropriate selection of courses.
Undergraduate students who complete the minor or certificate in gerontology may also have the opportunity to earn a bachelor of science in gerontology (BSGE) online through the University of Nebraska Omaha while pursuing their degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Admission
Application materials for admission to the Gerontology Certificate Program can be obtained from the Department office, 310 Nebraska Hall (402-472-0754); or at gerontology.unl.edu.
Administration of the Program
The University of Nebraska Omaha Department of Gerontology administers the certificate in gerontology program for all campuses of the University of Nebraska under an agreement approved by the Board of Regents in 1977. Students at UNL, UNO, UNK, and UNMC are thus able to earn the certificate as part of their academic work at the University of Nebraska.
Students who wish to earn the certificate must go through a formal admissions procedure; admissions materials are available at the offices named above.
Undergraduates who begin work toward the certificate late in their academic program may find it difficult to schedule the necessary coursework and practicum hours prior to graduation (this is especially true for BSN candidates in the College of Nursing). It is acceptable, and in many cases desirable, to complete the classroom portion of work toward the certificate while an undergraduate, receive the bachelors degree from one’s major department, and then complete work on the practicum during the semester after graduation as an unclassified postgraduate. Gerontology advisors maintain a degree of flexibility in order to work with students who have special needs.
College Requirements
College Admission
The entrance requirements for the College of Public Affairs and Community Service, including any of the majors or minors offered through the college, are the same as the University of Nebraska–Lincoln General Admission Requirements. Students who have been admitted to the University may apply for entrance to the College of Public Affairs and Community Service during initial registration by indicating their preference in the appropriate place on the University Application for Admission form.
Students who wish to readmit or transfer into the College from another institution or another program within the University should refer to the individual school/department requirements to declare their intended major.
Admission Deficiencies
Students with high school admission deficiencies that have been admitted to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln may enter the College of Public Affairs and Community Service. A college course may fulfill a high school deficiency and may also apply toward a degree in the College.
College Degree Requirements
Achievement-Centered Education (ACE)
All students completing their degree on the Lincoln campus must fulfill the Achievement-Centered Education (ACE) requirements. The 30-hour ACE requirement will include a minimum of 3 hours of approved coursework in each of the 10 designated Achievement-Centered Education (ACE) student learning outcome areas, which can be viewed at ace.unl.edu. Students will be provided a list of courses they can select from to meet each of the 10 ACE Student Learning Outcomes.
Experiential Learning Requirement
All undergraduates in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service must complete an Experiential Learning (EL) designated course. This may include 0-credit courses designed to document co-curricular activities recognized as Experiential Learning.
Foreign Languages/Language Requirement
Students in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service who have completed the University of Nebraska high school admission requirement of two years in the same language will not be required to complete additional language for their degree.
Minimum Hours Required for Graduation
Each candidate must present a total of at least 120 semester hours of college credit to meet graduation requirements.
Grade Rules
C- and D Grades
A minimum grade of at least C- must be earned in all required courses within the major, unless a higher grade is designated by the department/school. Completion of a course within the major with a grade below a C- will not be considered as having fulfilled prerequisite requirements for additional courses taken in the major field of study. A higher grade may be designated by the department/school.
Pass/No Pass Limits
See individual school/department limitations regarding Pass/No Pass.
GPA Requirements
Each candidate for the degree must attain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. A minimum grade of at least C- must be earned in all required courses within the major, unless a higher grade is designated by the department/school. All grades reported by the faculty to the registrar become a part of the student’s permanent record and are included in the computation of the grade point average, even though some of these grades may be for work done in excess of the 120 hours required for graduation.
Transfer Credit Rules
The transfer of D grades in non-major courses are accepted only from within the University of Nebraska system. Students from other institutions must present a grade of C- or above for all coursework.
Generally, hours earned at an accredited college are accepted by the University; however, the college will evaluate all hours submitted for transfer to determine applicability toward the degree. A maximum of 64 hours may be transferred from a two-year college and a maximum of 90 hours from a four-year institution.
Course Level Requirements (Hour Requirement 300+)
Individual departments/schools should be consulted for the minimum number of upper-division hours required.
Residency
At least 30 of the last 36 credit hours needed for a degree must be completed at UNO or UNL.
Independent Study and Internship Rules
Individual schools/departments should be consulted for rules regarding independent study and internship credit applicable to majors or minors.
Catalog to Use
Choice of Catalog Policy
A student registering in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service for the first time may, except for limitations described below, complete work for the degree according to one of these requirements:
- The catalog in effect the year the student enters CPACS.
- The catalog current at the time the student applies for the degree.
Students entering the College for the first time in the summer will be subject to the catalog for the academic year immediately following.
Students formerly in a CPACS program who dropped out of the College for one year complete requirements of the catalog current at the time of readmission.
Failure to complete the requirements for the degree within seven years after the date the student first enters the College will subject the student to graduation under the requirements of a later catalog to be approved by the Dean.
The College reserves the right to institute and make effective, after due notice and during the course of a student’s work toward a degree, any new ruling which may be necessary for the general good of the College and to substitute courses currently offered for those no longer offered.