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Wichita State's Master of Arts (MA) in Aging Studies combines a quality WSU education, a completely online format and several concentration options to choose from: administration, public health and social sciences.

Students maximize career potential by complementing their existing experience and educational background. Skill sets are diversified by a curriculum applicable to a wide range of professional settings. Students may transition a career/area of interest to an aging service position within another industry (e.g. social work, senior living, senior services, nursing home administration, fitness, nutrition, business). The aging studies curriculum incorporates a variety of perspectives from the numerous disciplines concerned with the physical, mental and social aspects of life.

Curriculum

This master's program requires 30 credit hours of coursework, which can be completed in as few as three semesters with one summer course. Students choose from one of three study options: thesis, internship and coursework, to complete the program. The aging studies program provides quality distance education, enabling students to earn the MA from anywhere in the state or country. Select from three concentrations of study:

Administration: Prepares students to serve in administrative, managerial and director positions within senior living and long-term care communities. Students pursuing this concentration are also eligible to complete the Administrator-in-Training (AIT) program, providing practical experience required to become a licensed nursing home administrator.

Public Health: Prepares students to work in the Public Health sector, including local government agencies and community programming. Specific focus in public health and aging, epidemiology, environmental health, statistics and the social / behavioral aspects of public health. Students in this concentration also earn a graduate certificate in Public Health (GCPH), a nationally recognized certification, along with their master's degree.

Social Sciences: Prepares students to engage older adults in the community through senior centers, senior programming and / or social services. Ideal for current social service professionals looking to advance their careers and enhance their capacity to work with older adults.

You'll also choose from three ways to complete your degree: thesis, internship or coursework

Careers

With an increasingly large aging population comes the need for well-trained aging specialists in a wide variety of settings, including:

• Academia
• Health promotion and physical fitness
• Licensed nursing home administration
• Marketing in senior living and product sales
• Senior centers
• Senior living management
• Senior services and programming
• Volunteer coordination

Already a working professional?

A master's in aging studies can help transition your career so that you're better prepared to serve the aging population. This flexible online master's program is ideal for licensed social workers, nurses, dental hygienists and those in the field of communication sciences, exercise science, psychology, business and education.