Gerontology

Choose the Path That Is Right for You

TRACK I: Choose this track if you have a master's degree from an accredited university in human services, counseling, social work, or psychology.

TRACK II: Choose this track if you hold a bachelor’s degree (in any field of study) from an accredited university or a master’s degree from an accredited university in a non-related field of study (any discipline other than human services, counseling, social work, or psychology). This track provides you with the option of earning your MS in Human Services as you progress toward your PhD.

Track I

Curriculum

Eligibility

This program of study is for students who hold a master’s degree in human services, counseling, social work, or psychology from an accredited university. To recognize your past academic progress, you may be eligible to apply previously earned credits toward your doctoral program, significantly reducing your time to completion and total cost.² Contact an Enrollment Specialist for details.

Minimum Degree Requirements

• Doctoral Writing Assessment
• Foundation course (3 cr.)
• Core courses (20 cr.)
• Specialization courses (15 cr.)
• Research courses (20 cr.)
• Completion of the Doctoral Dissertation
  • Dissertation support course (5 cr.)
  • Communities of Practice and Research (CPR) courses (5 cr.; continuously enrolled in 1 cr. per term for a minimum of 5 terms until CPR completion)
  • Dissertation writing courses (continuous enrollment in 5 cr. per term for a minimum of 3 terms until completion)
• Four PhD residencies (4 four-day sessions)

Walden students have up to 8 years to complete their doctoral program unless they petition for an extension.

In general, students are continuously registered in the dissertation/doctoral study course until they complete their capstone project and it is approved. This usually takes longer than the minimum required terms in the dissertation/doctoral study course shell.

Please refer to Walden’s catalog for more information about degree requirements.

This sequence represents the minimum time to completion. For a personalized estimate of the number of your transfer credits that Walden would accept, call an Enrollment Specialist at 855-646-5286.

Courses

Show Course Descriptions

Course Code	Title	Credits
	DOCTORAL WRITING ASSESSMENT
DRWA 8880G	Doctoral Writing Assessment Show This course is part of Walden's commitment to help prepare students to meet the university's expectations for writing in courses at the doctoral level. In this course, students write a short academic essay that will be scored by a team of writing assessors. Based on the essay score, students will complete or be exempted from additional required writing support needed to meet writing proficiency standards. This required assessment course is free. Students will be enrolled automatically in it at the beginning of their doctoral program.	(0 cr.)
	FOUNDATION COURSE
HUMN 8001	Keys to Doctoral Studies Success Show Research is possible with the right skills, attitude, and knowledge. How do you successfully complete an online research-intensive program? In this course, students are introduced to Walden University resources and they prepare to become independent learners in an online environment. Students can gain mastery of the online classroom and technological tools needed at Walden University, and they can learn skills for success in the human services program, including scholarly voice in discussions and writing, library search skills, and skills for reading and writing a literature review.	(3 cr.)
	CORE COURSES
HUMN 8785	Social Change in Action: Prevention, Consultation, and Advocacy Show In this course, students prepare for their roles as counselors in areas of prevention, intervention, and consultation with specific populations in different settings. Students assess these three areas of mental health counseling, including the relationships among them, methodological applications, and related ethical and legal considerations. They also discuss a variety of topics with their peers, such as applications for social change, needs of specific populations, iatrogenic harm, professional approaches and challenges, program evaluation, and future trends. Using an action-research model, students develop a blueprint for a project to address a contemporary mental health issue through the context of prevention, intervention, or consultation.	(5 cr.)
HUMN 8208	Teaching in Human Services Show Human services professional practitioners who hold a PhD often work in post-secondary education. Students in this course prepare to become competent teachers in human services education through the examination of various adult learning theories and methods for working effectively with different learning styles, cultural dynamics, and diversity. Human services educators-in-training will have the opportunity to learn how to help human services students acquire and apply knowledge and skills, and they will examine methods to evaluate learning outcomes. Students also have the opportunity to evaluate effectiveness within their personal teaching practice. Incorporating knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions learned throughout the course, students have opportunities to design curriculum, practice teaching in online situations, evaluate work, and receive feedback as human services educators-in-training.	(5 cr.)
HUMN 8207	Grant Writing Show Grant writing is a highly marketable skill that requires many nonprofit, educational, and community organizations to secure external funding to provide needed services to the community. In this course, students will explore the basic skills needed for non-research grant writing including identifying potential funding sources, creating objectives and a needs statement, preparing and justifying a budget, identifying appropriate assessment plans, and writing an executive summary. Course assignments will allow students to directly apply what they are reading and discussing by writing a full grant proposal based on an actual Request for Proposal (RFP).	(5 cr.)
HUMN 8209	Human Services Theory Show Seeing social issues from other viewpoints is the pinnacle of the human services practitioner profession, and it is critical in human services research. In this course, students examine the step-by-step skills of Kurt Lewin's force field analysis research to analyze the problems encountered by families, communities, and organizations. Force field analysis is a tool for understanding how human behavior (e.g., beliefs, attitudes, and cultural norms) influence actions and decisions. Course content outlines how to identify a problem, how to collect data and measure the driving forces and restraining forces that help and hinder the situation, and how to use the data strategically for informing decision makers on possible interventions and strategies toward solving the problem. Students can use their own experiences and areas of focus in this course as a basis for choosing a topic and developing a study plan that they will use in their capstone study.	(5 cr.)
	SPECIALIZATION COURSES
HUMN 8815	Introduction to Dimensions of Contemporary Aging Show Great improvements in medicine, public health, science, and technology enable today's older adults to live healthier, longer lives. In this course, students will explore theories and practices for providing services to older adults who remain independent and vibrant members of their families and communities. Students will delve into models of aging in place, including ways of assessing health and social and economic needs, as well as identifying and prioritizing options in physical, mental, emotional, and intellectual health promotion activities and programs.	(5 cr.)
HUMN 8242	Changing Health Behavior: Theory and Practice Show Students in this course will review past and current models of health behavior change, disease prevention, disease management, and relapse prevention. Coverage of health-related issues includes dietary needs, tobacco and drug use, safer sexual practices, and stress management. In addition, students will examine the analysis of behavior change within specific populations (young, elderly, cognitively impaired, etc.) and factors that predict or serve as obstacles to lifestyle change and adherence.	(5 cr.)
HUMN 8237	Advanced Program Evaluation Show Doctoral level practitioners are often called upon to conduct rigorous evaluations of programs, and the results of their evaluations often determine the fate of the programs they evaluate and the clients served by those programs. Therefore, it is important that students learn how to conduct both formative and summative evaluations and how to evaluate the fidelity of program implementation prior to evaluating program outcomes. In this way, program evaluation also tests the theory or logic model on which the program is based. Students will use hands-on activities to develop their ability to develop evaluation plans, provide constructive critical critiques of other students' projects, and accept constructive, critical feedback from others. They will also connect with other professionals engaged in evaluation research through various professional forums (e.g., listservs, blogs, and professional associations). In addition, they will explore how the process, pressures, and outcomes of evaluation research could differ in a different culture and across different professions.	(5 cr.)
	RESEARCH COURSES
RSCH 8110	Research Theory, Design, and Methods Show In this research course, students are provided with core knowledge and skills for understanding, analyzing, and designing research at the graduate level. Students explore the philosophy of science, the role of theory, and research processes. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research designs and data collection methods are introduced. The alignment of research components is emphasized. Students also explore ethical and social change implications of designing and conducting research. Students demonstrate their knowledge and skills by developing an annotated bibliography. (Prerequisite(s): RESI 8401.)	(5 cr.)
RSCH 8210	Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis Show In this research course, students are provided with the opportunity to develop core knowledge and skills for designing and carrying out quantitative research at the doctoral level, including the application of statistical concepts and techniques. Students explore classical common statistical tests, the importance of the logic of inference, and social change implications of conducting quantitative research and producing knowledge. Students approach statistics from a problem-solving perspective with emphasis on selecting appropriate statistical tests for a research design. Students use statistical software to derive statistics from quantitative data and interpret and present results. (Prerequisite(s): RSCH 8110 or RSCH 7110 or RSCH 6110, and RESI 8401.)	(5 cr.)
RSCH 8310	Qualitative Reasoning and Analysis Show Students in this research course are provided with the opportunity to develop basic knowledge and skills for conducting qualitative research at the doctoral level. Students explore the nature of qualitative inquiry, how theory and theoretical and conceptual frameworks uniquely apply to qualitative research, data collection procedures and analysis strategy, and how the role of the researcher is expressed in the ethical and rigorous conduct of qualitative research. Students practice collecting, organizing, analyzing, and presenting data, and they develop a detailed research topic for conducting a qualitative study. (Prerequisite(s): RSCH 8110 or RSCH 7110 or RSCH 6110, and RESI 8401.)	(5 cr.)
	Choose one course from the following courses:
RSCH 8260	Advanced Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis Show Students in this research course build upon knowledge and skills acquired in the prerequisite quantitative reasoning course and are presented with opportunities to apply them. They are provided with more specialized knowledge and skills for conducting quantitative research at the doctoral level, including understanding multivariate data analysis and applying more advanced statistical concepts, such as factorial ANOVA, mediation, moderation, logistic regression, ANCOVA, and MANOVA. Students explore existing datasets and apply suitable statistical tests to answer research questions with social change implications. In this course, they approach statistics from a problem-solving perspective with emphasis on selecting the appropriate statistical tests for more complex research questions and social problems. Students use statistical software to perform analyses and interpret and present results. They will apply and synthesize their knowledge and skills by carrying out a quantitative research project. (Prerequisite(s): RSCH 8110 and RESI 8402.)	(5 cr.)
RSCH 8360	Advanced Qualitative Reasoning and Analysis Show Students build upon the knowledge and skills acquired in RSCH 8310 - Qualitative Reasoning and Analysis. and have experience applying them. Students develop a more sophisticated understanding of the theoretical antecedents and practical applications of eight contemporary qualitative approaches. Students gain experience developing qualitative interview guides, collecting data, and managing the process from transcription through analysis. The unique challenges of confidentiality and ethical issues are explored as well as implications for social change. Students will apply and synthesize their knowledge and skills by developing a qualitative research plan using a topic relevant to their capstone. (Prerequisite(s): RESI 8402.)	(5 cr.)
RSCH 8460	Advanced Mixed-Methods Reasoning and Analysis Show Students build upon knowledge and skills acquired in RSCH 8210 - Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis and RSCH 8310 - Qualitative Reasoning and Analysis for more specialized knowledge and skills to design mixed-methods research at the doctoral level. Students are provided with more specialized knowledge and skills for designing mixed-methods research at the doctoral level. They gain an understanding of the types of mixed-methods designs and how to select the most appropriate approach for the research question(s). The emphases of this course are on integrating quantitative and qualitative elements into true mixed-methods studies, practice in data analysis, and integration of qualitative and quantitative data within a research write-up. Students will apply and synthesize their knowledge and skills by developing a mixed-methods research plan that incorporates qualitative and quantitative elements appropriately. (Prerequisite(s): RSCH 8110 or RSCH 7110 or RSCH 6110, and RSCH 8210 or RSCH 7210 or RSCH 6210, and RSCH 8310 or RSCH 7310 or RSCH 6310, and RESI 8402.)	(5 cr.)
	COMPLETION OF DOCTORAL CAPSTONE - DISSERTATION PREPARATION COURSES
HUMN 8550	Preparing for Dissertation Show Students in this course focus specifically on the process of writing the dissertation prospectus. Students use their preliminary research plan, developed previously, and develop a problem statement, to be used in the dissertation. They further refine the problem statement and carry out the planning and the library research that will bring them to the formulation of a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus is a brief paper, typically 15–20 pages in length, that lays out the background for the problem statement, the problem statement itself, a survey of the relevant literature, typically 25–75 references, and a research, implementation, and evaluation plan for the solution of the problem.	(5 cr.)
	DISSERTATION WRITING COURSES
HUMN 9001A	Communities of Practice and Research 1 Show This course is the first part of the capstone journey. The community created here becomes part of the student's program for five quarters, and the goal is to prepare for the dissertation study—the culminating work in the program. In this community classroom, students meet their doctoral mentor and other students. They discuss ideas related to applied research, writing, and project planning. As a human services professional practitioner at the doctoral level, students are preparing to be leaders in applying research to practice in the field. This community of practice and research can prepare students to develop an applied study in a human services area important to them. Students become familiar with Walden's resources that support human services field research development, strategies to organize research, research methods and resources, and finding a research question for their study. In the fifth quarter, students draft their prospectus in preparation to conduct their study.	(1 cr.)
HUMN 9002A	Communities of Practice and Research 2 Show This course is the next part of the capstone journey. The community created here becomes part of the student's program for five quarters, and the goal is to prepare for the dissertation study—the culminating work in the program. In this community classroom, students meet their doctoral mentor and other students. They discuss ideas related to applied research, writing, and project planning. As a human services professional practitioner at the doctoral level, students are preparing to be leaders in applying research to practice in the field. This community of practice and research can prepare students to develop an applied study in a human services area important to them. Students become familiar with Walden's resources that support human services field research development, strategies to organize research, research methods and resources, and finding a research question for their study. In the fifth quarter, students draft their prospectus in preparation to conduct their study.	(1 cr.)
HUMN 9003A	Communities of Practice and Research 3 Show This course is the next part of the capstone journey. The community created here becomes part of the student's program for five quarters, and the goal is to prepare for the dissertation study—the culminating work in the program. In this community classroom, students meet their doctoral mentor and other students. They discuss ideas related to applied research, writing, and project planning. As a human services professional practitioner at the doctoral level, students are preparing to be leaders in applying research to practice in the field. This community of practice and research can prepare students to develop an applied study in a human services area important to them. Students become familiar with Walden's resources that support human services field research development, strategies to organize research, research methods and resources, and finding a research question for their study. In the fifth quarter, students draft their prospectus in preparation to conduct their study.	(1 cr.)
HUMN 9004A	Communities of Practice and Research 4 Show This course is the next part of the capstone journey. The community created here becomes part of the student's program for five quarters, and the goal is to prepare for the dissertation study—the culminating work in the program. In this community classroom, students meet their doctoral mentor and other students. They discuss ideas related to applied research, writing, and project planning. As a human services professional practitioner at the doctoral level, students are preparing to be leaders in applying research to practice in the field. This community of practice and research can prepare students to develop an applied study in a human services area important to them. Students become familiar with Walden's resources that support human services field research development, strategies to organize research, research methods and resources, and finding a research question for their study. In the fifth quarter, students draft their prospectus in preparation to conduct their study.	(1 cr.)
HUMN 9005A	Communities of Practice and Research 5 Show This course is the next part of the capstone journey. The community created here becomes part of the student's program for five quarters, and the goal is to prepare for the dissertation study—the culminating work in the program. In this community classroom, students meet their doctoral mentor and other students. They discuss ideas related to applied research, writing, and project planning. As a human services professional practitioner at the doctoral level, students are preparing to be leaders in applying research to practice in the field. This community of practice and research can prepare students to develop an applied study in a human services area important to them. Students become familiar with Walden's resources that support human services field research development, strategies to organize research, research methods and resources, and finding a research question for their study. In the fifth quarter, students draft their prospectus in preparation to conduct their study.	(1 cr.)
HUMN 9001	Dissertation Show Through this course, doctoral students have the opportunity to integrate their Program of Study into an in-depth exploration of an interest area that includes the completion of a research study. Students complete the dissertation independently, with the guidance of a dissertation supervisory committee chair and committee members. Students complete a prospectus, proposal, Institutional Review Board application, and dissertation. Once students register for HUMN 9001, they are registered each term until successful completion of the dissertation.Students take this course for a minimum of three quarters and are continuously enrolled until completion of their dissertation with final chief academic officer (CAO) approval.To complete a dissertation, students must obtain the academic approval of several independent evaluators including their committee, the University Research Reviewer, and the Institutional Review Board; pass the Form and Style Review; gain approval at the oral defense stage; and gain final approval by the chief academic officer. Students must also publish their dissertation on ProQuest before their degree is conferred. Learn more about the dissertation process in the Dissertation Guidebook.  (Prerequisite(s): RSCH 8100U, RSCH 8200U, and RSCH 8300U.)	(5 cr. per term for a minimum of three terms until completion)
VIEW ALL COURSES Less Courses

Students are continuously enrolled in HUMN 9001 for a minimum of 4 quarters until completion of their dissertation with final Chief Academic Officer (CAO) approval.

To complete a doctoral dissertation, students must obtain the academic approval of several independent evaluators including their committee, the University Research Reviewer, and the Institutional Review Board; pass the Form and Style Review; gain approval at the oral defense stage; and gain final approval by the Chief Academic Officer. Students must also publish their dissertation on ProQuest before their degree is conferred. Learn more about the dissertation process in the Dissertation Guidebook.

8-Year Maximum Timeframe
Students have up to 8 years to complete their doctoral degree requirements. See the policy in the Walden University Student Handbook. Students may petition to extend the 8-year maximum timeframe, but an extension is not guaranteed.

Note on Licensure: The PhD in Human Services program, including its specializations, is not designed to lead to professional licensure, including licensure as a professional therapist, counselor, social worker, or psychologist.

Note: Time to completion and cost are not estimates of individual experience and will vary based on individual factors applicable to the student. Factors may be programmatic or academic, such as tuition and fee increases; transfer credits accepted by Walden; program or specialization changes; unsuccessful course completion; credit load per term; part-time vs. full-time enrollment; writing, research, and editing skills; use of external data for the doctoral study/dissertation; and individual progress in the program. Other factors may include personal issues such as the student’s employment obligations, caregiving responsibilities, or health issues; leaves of absence; or other personal circumstances.

Tuition and Fees

Curriculum	Requirements	Cost	Total *
Tuition-Coursework	63 quarter credits	$615 per quarter hour for coursework credits	$38,745^
Tuition-Dissertation	20–130† quarter credits	$615 per quarter hour for dissertation credits	$12,300–$79,950*
Technology Fee		$160 per quarter	$1,440–$5,120*
Residency Fee	Four Residencies	$1,375 (virtual) $1,475 (in-person: travel, lodging and other expenses are additional)	$5,500–$5,900
Estimated Range:			2.5-Year	8-Year
			$57,985*	$129,715*+
			(assuming completion in a 2.5-year timeframe)	(assuming completion in an 8-year timeframe)

These are ranges of what a student can expect in terms of time and tuition cost to complete a degree. It does not include other fees, nor is it adjusted for tuition increases over time. Walden faculty has concluded that generally students who do not complete their program in eight years are unlikely to complete and only allow students to exceed that time frame when a student petitions for an extension and provides good reason for the delay and assurances that obstacles to completion can be overcome. Time is calculated using the time allowed for each semester or unit that the student completes. Students are encouraged to work continuously during the program so as not to extend the time needed to complete the degree as work can become stale and students lose focus. Students who earn two grades of “Unsatisfactory,” who repeatedly drop a course before a semester or unit has been completed, or are unable to complete in the eight year time frame, should expect that they may be dismissed from the program. Walden believes that it is in the best interest of a student who is unable to complete the degree in the stated ranges to strongly consider withdrawal or obtaining a lesser degree.

Time to completion and cost are not estimates of individual experience and will vary based on individual factors applicable to the student. Factors may be programmatic or academic such as tuition and fee increases and/or the student’s transfer credits accepted by Walden; program or specialization changes; unsuccessful course completion; credit load per term; writing, research and editing skills; use of external data for their doctoral study/dissertation; and/or individual progress in the program. Other factors may include personal issues such as the student’s employment obligations; care giving responsibilities or health issues; part-time vs. full-time enrollment; leaves of absence; and/or other personal circumstances.

Tuition and fees are subject to change. Books and materials are not included. Students may incur additional costs for remedial writing assistance, if necessary.

^{^}This assumes students successfully complete their coursework on the first attempt.

† Based on a 2.5-year minimum completion requirement and an 8-year maximum timeframe as outlined in Walden academic policy.

*Tuition and fees will be higher if students petition to extend the 8-year maximum timeframe or choose to take more expensive elective courses.

⁺Tuition and time to complete may be reduced if transfer credits are accepted, or if you receive grants, scholarships or other tuition discounts. For a personalized estimate of the number of your transfer credits that Walden would accept, call an Enrollment Specialist at 844-642-0198.

Track II

Admission Requirements

General Admission Requirements: Completed online application and transcripts. Please note that the materials you are required to submit may vary depending on the academic program to which you apply. More information for international applicants.