Dual Major in Social Work and Applied Gerontology

The population of Texas, the United States, and the world is rapidly growing older. As the generation of baby boomers ages into "senior boomers," our nation will soon have the largest, healthiest, and best-educated elderly population in its history. Responding to the needs and desires of these older Americans will require comprehensive human services and well-trained professionals to deliver them.

Licensed social workers with training in gerontology will be particularly well suited to meet this challenge. As a result, there is a growing demand for social workers who understand the special needs of older people and the many services and programs available to them. The opportunities to work directly with the aged or to organize services for them are growing in many settings, including

Adult day care centers
Senior centers
Community living centers
Mental health/mental retardation centers
Government agencies
Non-profit organizations

Home health care agencies
Private human services programs
Hospices
Long-term care and retirement facilities
Hospitals
Veterans Administration facilities

If you are interested in helping others, seek a professional career, and enjoy working with older people, you may want to consider UNT's innovative dual major in social work and applied gerontology. Students in social work who wish to work primarily with older clients can find the academic preparation they need at the University of North Texas. The Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work, and Addictions and the Department of Applied Gerontology offer a joint program leading to the B.S.W. degree with a dual major in social work and studies in aging.

The B.S.W. degree program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and social work majors are eligible to take the examination for licensure as a social worker by the state of Texas.

Degree Requirements

Students pursuing this degree take 42 semester hours in social work and related required courses, and 24 semester hours in studies in aging. The balance of the student's course work is drawn from UNT's Core Curriculum to meet university-wide requirements.

Social Work - 42 hours including:

RHAB 3200	Physical and Psychosocial Aspects of Disability I (3 hrs)
SOWK 3800	Social Work Practice I (3 hrs)
SOWK 3879	Social Work Research and Practice (3 hrs)
SOWK4340	Human Behavior and the Social Environment (3 hrs)
SOWK 4430	Applied Social Welfare Policy (3 hrs)
SOWK 4540	Race and Ethnic Minorities (3 hrs)
SOWK4810	Social Work Practice II (3 hrs)
SOWK4820	Social Work Practicum I (6 hrs)
SOWK4820	Social Work Practicum II (6 hrs)

Applied Gerontology - 24 hours including:

AGER 3480	Psychology of Adult Development and Aging (3 hrs)
AGER4550	Sociology of Aging (3 hrs)
AGER4780	Aging Programs and Services (3 hrs)
AGER4560	Minority Aging (3 hrs)
AGER4500	Long-term Care Case Management with Older Adults (3 hrs)
AGER 4450	The Family in Later Life (3 hrs)

Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work, and Addictions

University of North Texas
P.O. Box 13438
Denton, TX 76203-6438
817/565-2488
FAX 817/565-3960

Department of Applied Gerontology

University of North Texas
P.O. Box 13438
Denton, TX 76203-6438
817/565-2765 or 817/565-3449
FAX 817/565-4370
E-mail: phyllis@scs.cmm.unt.edu