BYU offers an undergraduate minor in Gerontology. Students are able to double count classes, internships, and research projects for their major and minor.
Step 1: Go to the College Advisement Center for your major to declare the Gerontology Minor.
Step 2: Seek course approval for an internship or research project by emailing us with the course number and project description.
Step 3: Complete 12 credit hours selected from core and elective courses, and complete a 3-credit internship or mentored research course that focuses on older adults.
Requirement 1: Internship or Mentored Research Course
This requirement requires three credits through an internship or research experience focused on older adults.
How to fulfill the requirement:
- Enroll in an internship or research course related to older adults within your major department.
- Email the Gerontology Program the course number and a brief description of your experience for approval.
- If approved, your course will count as GERO 399R (Internship) or GERO 403R (Research).
- If no course is offered in your department, you can enroll in GERO 399R.
Additional Eligible Courses:
- NURS 491: Nursing Capstone
- NURS 492: Clinical Practicum for Capstone Nursing
- EXSC 399R: Senior Games Internship
- STDEV 399R: Health Professions Internship
Important Notes:
- Research or internship experiences that are primarily age-related may count, even if not listed above. Email our office with the course number and description of the experience.
- For more information on how to apply for an internship, click here.
Requirement 2: Core Courses (Complete 6 credits)
Core courses can be substituted for elective credit
- CELL 305: Human Physiology (with lab)*
- OR CELL 362: Advanced Physiology (CELL Majors should take this course)*
- COMD 420: Neurofoundations of Language, Speech, and Hearing
- EXSC 387: Lifestyle and Chronic Disease Prevention
- EXSC 460: Orthopaedic Impairments and Therapeutic Exercise (Included to give additional options to students in EXSC) ( CELL 220 & EXSC 440 required prior to taking EXSC 460)
- HLTH 466: Health and the Aging Process
- NEURO 205: Neurobiology*
- NEURO 460: Behavioral Neuroscience
- NURS 291: Nursing Care of the Older Adult*
- And NURS 292: Clinical Practicum for Nursing Care of the Older Adult*
- And NURS 333: End-of-Life-Care
- SOC 333: End-of-Life Care
- PSYCH 220: Human Development: Life Span
- PSYCH 322: Developmental Psychology: Adulthood*
- PSYCH 381: Behavioral Neurobiology
- SFL 334: Adult Development and Aging in the Family*
- SOC 333: End-of-Life Care
- SOC 365: Sociology of Aging
Requirement 3: Elective Courses (Complete 6 credits)
Core courses can be substituted for elective credit
- CELL 205: Human Biology Independent Study
- CELL 220: Human Anatomy (with in-person lab)
- OR CELL 210: Human Anatomy (online with virtual lab)
- CELL 365: Pathophysiology
- CELL 550R: Biology of Aging (CELL 305 or CELL 362 required prior to taking CELL 550R)
- CELL 561: Physiology of Drug Mechanisms
- CELL 565: Endocrinology
- COMD 430: Medical Speech Pathology
- EXSC 221: Science of Wellness
- EXSC 470: Functional Neuroanatomy (Included to give additional options to students in EXSC) (CELL 220 or EXSC 440 required prior to taking EXSC 470)
- FIN 200: Personal Finance
- FIN 418: Financial Planning
- HLTH 314: Health, Disease and Their Determinants
- HLTH 320: Advanced First Aid and Safety
- HLTH 345: Principles of Epidemiology*
- HLTH 425: Working with Vulnerable & Diverse Populations (Health Science majors only)
- HLTH 450: Women's Health Issues
- MMBIO 261: Infection and Immunity
- NDFS 100: Essentials of Human Nutrition
- NDFS 424: Nutrition Through the Life Cycle
- PSYCH 342: Psychopathology
- PSYCH 375: Cognition
- SFL 210: Human Development
- SFL 260: Family Finance
- SFL 306: Death and Dying
Other electives may be approved by the committee. Email gerontology_info@byu.edu if you are taking an aging-related course that is not included here.
*Must take pre-requisites before registering for this particular course