Online Master’s Degrees in Gerontology – Nursing Home Management
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In 2016, the number of seniors living in the United States reached 50,000,000, and the population of Baby Boomers turning 65 happens at an estimated 10,000 people per day. As of August 2023, more than 60,800,000 seniors are 65 or older. This influx of older adults in the US population will mean an increased demand for geriatric-specific healthcare services. Hospital-based care, long-term care facilities, in-home care, chronic condition management, and hospice will all require a more robust, qualified workforce ready to handle the unique needs of seniors.
While those just turning 65 may not need constant care and attention, a workforce that understands the healthcare needs of adults in their 70s, 80s, and 90s will be required. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of adults over 80—the average age of many nursing home residents—will increase by around 30 percent by the year 2030, from 2 to 2.9 percent of the total population.
The United States needs more healthcare professionals qualified to manage the systems and teams capable of responding to this demand. John Whitman, executive director of the TRECS Institute, indicated in a lecture that nursing facilities were experiencing increased difficulty filling key nursing home positions. Whitman stated that he is “concerned we don’t have enough people coming into these DON (director of nursing) and administrator positions.”
Professionals already in healthcare looking to advance into management or those with management backgrounds looking to transition into healthcare may consider pursuing a master’s degree in gerontology or nursing home management. Graduate-level education in nursing home management can put degree-holders in a strong position to find employment at one of the more than 15,000 nursing homes in the U.S.
| Featured Nursing Home & Aging Services Administration Programs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Maryville University | Online MHA - Senior Services | View Full Profile |
| Arizona State University | Aging (MS) | View Full Profile |
| Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | Master of Arts in Health & Human Services Administration (MN LNHA Prep) | View Full Profile |
In addition, the medical management field is both lucrative and predicted to be a high-growth occupation. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2022), growth for medical and health managers is predicted at 28 percent in the decade preceding 2031—much faster than the average job growth predicted for all occupations (5 percent). According to the BLS (May 2022), the annual mean salary for a medical or health manager is $127,980. Using data from well-recognized, reputable compensation consulting firms, Salary.com found that the median annual salary for nursing home administrators was $126,705 as of August 2023.
Experienced professionals interested in earning a master’s degree in gerontology and nursing home management can expand their skills through online programs. Designed with the busy schedules of working professionals in mind, online master’s programs provide the opportunity for advancement into managerial or leadership positions in the field, often without requiring a student to physically relocate or drastically change the established schedule by which they live their lives.
Keep reading for more information on distance-based programs and distinguished professors leading courses in online master’s programs in gerontology.
Featured Online Master’s Degrees in Gerontology
The USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology offers an online master of arts in gerontology (MAG), as well as a master’s in aging services management, a master of science in gerontology, a master of arts in long-term care administration, a master of arts in medical gerontology, a master of arts in senior living hospitality, and a graduate certificate in gerontology.
The MAG program is specifically designed for working professionals and the required 28 credits are available completely online. The MAG program is noted to be “ideal for individuals who already have obtained expertise in a field such as law, medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy or other health-related professions who find themselves working with an aging population and desire additional training in this area.” Graduates from the online MAG program have gone on to work for prestigious companies such as Merrill Lynch and nursing homes across the country.
Required courses for the MAG degree include the mind and body connection through the lifespan; social policy and aging; longevity & death among ancient & modern European populations; emotion-cognition interactions and aging; applied legal and regulatory issues in aging; current issues in aging services management; and the aging family.
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Full-time (12 to 18 months), part-time (18 to 36 months)
- Estimated Tuition: $2,137 per credit
At Concordia University Nebraska, students can earn a master of health administration with a concentration in gerontology. The program is completely online and does not require a GRE to apply. The MHA program requires 36 credits to complete, including core coursework such as health services organization; health information technology; health law and ethics; management of healthcare organizations; health outcomes & quality improvement; and strategic management in healthcare organizations.
To complete the concentration in gerontology, students must take specialized coursework including issues in gerontology and aging studies; social gerontology; and long-term care administration. Students must also complete a three-credit capstone practicum prior to graduation. MHA courses at Concordia are taught by healthcare leaders through a Christian ethics framework, with both industry professionals and aspiring professionals in mind.
- Location: Lincoln, NE
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
- Estimated Tuition: $500 per credit
The online master of science in nursing (MSN) – gerontological clinical nurse leader program offered by the University of Louisiana Monroe is designed to prepare students for career advancement working as nurse leaders in acute care or other clinical environments. This accelerated online program helps students in exploring several healthcare delivery models, regulatory influences, and managed care, as well as legal issues in pharmacology.
Made up of 38 credits, the program includes courses such as advanced nursing theory; health policy & global health; health care law and ethical decision-making; advanced pathophysiology; role development for the clinical nurse leader; quality improvement and patient safety; advanced pharmacology for the clinical nurse leader; and biology of aging.
Admission requirements to the program include a bachelor of science degree in nursing from a nationally accredited nursing school, an unencumbered registered nurse license, a GPA of 2.8, two years of clinical nursing experience, and official transcripts, among other requirements.
- Location: Monroe, LA
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Expected Time to Completion: 20 months
- Estimated Tuition: $375 per credit
McDaniel College offers a 100 percent online master of science degree in gerontology. Students can also earn the MS on campus or in a hybrid online/campus format. Applicants to the McDaniel program are not required to submit GRE scores. In addition to the MS degree, gerontology courses at McDaniel College are eligible for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for social workers, psychologists, and counselors. Some of the core courses in the MS curriculum include biology of aging; psychology of aging; interdisciplinary approaches to gerontology; introduction to research methodology; and aging in a diverse society.
The MS program at McDaniel College requires 30 to 36 credits. It allows students to “master an interdisciplinary approach to studying gerontology and improve their ability to work with a diverse population of older adults and their families.” Enrolled students must complete and present a thesis before being awarded their degree. Students at McDaniel have full access to the school’s Center for the Study of Aging, which offers lectures and events throughout the year. Graduates of the program are prepared to obtain managerial or administrative positions at healthcare facilities, long-term care facilities, government agencies, research institutions, or a wide array of private businesses.
- Location: Westminster, MD
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
- Estimated Tuition: $548 per credit
The University of Massachusetts, Boston (UMB) offers an online master of science degree in the management of aging services. The UMB program is specifically designed for students to find or grow in jobs in the aging field, including long-term care, assisted living, elder housing, senior centers, and adult day care.
The MS degree requires 30 credits to complete. UMB also offers a graduate certificate in gerontology that requires only 15 credits to complete. In addition to coursework that covers topics such as program development and management, advocacy, organizational finance, service delivery, resource management, marketing, and health, students in the MS program must complete a capstone project to graduate. Recent capstone projects of distinction have included topics such as bullying in senior housing, care for aging veterans, and hoarding among the elderly.
- Location: Boston, MA
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: Three semesters on a full-time basis, two years for a typical part-time student
- Estimated Tuition: $575 per credit
Seton Hall University offers an online master of science program in nursing, adult-gerontology nurse practitioner (MSN, AGNP) preparing graduates to practice as nurse practitioners serving adult to elderly populations in primary or acute care settings. Based on the student’s career aspirations, they can choose a track in either acute care or primary care. Notably, the program includes three immersion experiences held at Seton Hall’s Interprofessional Health Sciences Campus in Nutley, New Jersey.
This online program is for those who already have a BSN degree and are looking to advance their career in nursing. Graduates will be able to provide various healthcare services promoting wellness, preventing illness, and managing the illness and health needs of adults across their lifespan. Moreover, graduates will be prepared to take the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care or Primary Care certification exams through ANCC and AANPCB. Acute care track graduates may also take the certification exam through the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
Comprising 48 credits, the program includes courses such as forces in health care; theoretical basis of nursing; nursing research; health promotion; advanced clinical pathophysiology; clinical pharmacology; advanced health assessment and clinical decision making; health concepts of aging; advanced specialty theory; and acute care theory. Both tracks have four practicums and clinical hours for both these tracks are met through practicums.
- Location: South Orange, NJ
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: Three to four years
- Estimated Tuition: $1,383 per credit
The School of Health and Human Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro offers an online master of science program in gerontology providing an understanding to students about the aging process and related issues. Graduates of this program will be prepared to apply theory and research for addressing the needs of older adults and will be equipped to become leaders in aging services.
Accredited by the Accreditation for Gerontology Education Council, this fully online program does not require GRE scores for admission. Applicants to the program must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, a statement of purpose, official transcripts, and TOEFL or IELTS test scores for non-native English speakers.
This 30-credit program includes courses such as social services for the aging; research methods in gerontology; health and aging; diversity, inclusion, and aging; theoretical foundations of aging; seminar: critical issues of aging; and integrated capstone in gerontology.
- Location: Greensboro, NC
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- Expected Time to Completion: One year
- Estimated Tuition: In-state ($6,412 per semester); out-of-state ($20,542 per semester)
Texas Tech University offers an online, 36-credit master of science in human development and family studies, with an option to specialize in gerontology. The gerontology specialization requires students to complete 24 credits of core coursework and 12 credits of electives. The Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance makes the Texas Tech program possible. The university also offers a gerontology certificate that requires the completion of only 15 credits.
Some of the core courses that students at Texas Tech can expect to take include perspectives in gerontology; adult development and aging; physical health and nutrition in aging; policy and aging; environment and aging; aging in the family; program evaluation and research methods; and gerontechnology.
Texas Tech has membership with the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), which means that students from most U.S. states can legally complete an online course through Texas Tech.
- Location: Lubbock, TX
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
- Estimated Tuition: $580 per credit
Professors to Know in Online Master’s Programs in Gerontology
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Susan Enguídanos, PhD, MPH University of Southern California
Dr. Susan Enguídanos is an associate professor of gerontology at USC. Dr. Enguídanos has focused her academic research on critical gerontological topics like palliative care, continuity of care, end-of-life care, and physician-patient communications. Her research on end-of-life care received a national Kaiser Permanente Award for quality. At USC, Dr. Enguídanos has a joint appointment with the School of Social Work and teaches psychological and social aspects of death and dying, end-of-life care, and continuum of care: a systems perspective.
Her research has been published in prominent journals such as the Journal of American Geriatric Society, Journal of Pain & Symptom Management, and Journal of Palliative Medicine. Dr. Enguídanos completed her PhD in social work from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in public health from California State University, and a BA in psychology for the University of California, Los Angeles.
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Edward Alan Miller, PhD, MPA University of Massachusetts Boston
Dr. Edward Alan Miller is a professor chair in the Department of Gerontology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Dr. Miller holds a PhD in political science and health service organization & policy from the University of Michigan, utilizing the background to delve into research devoted to "understanding the determinants and effects of federal and state policies affecting vulnerable populations, including the frail and disabled elderly, mentally ill, and Veterans." At UMB, Dr. Miller teaches contemporary issues in health politics and policy and advanced policy analysis.
Dr. Miller’s areas of expertise include aging and long-term care, program implementation and evaluation, intergovernmental relations, telemedicine and e-health, and Medicaid. His research has appeared in well-respected journals such as Medical Care, Public Administration Review, Milbank Quarterly, The Gerontologist, Social Science & Medicine, Journal of Aging & Social Policy, and Journal of Health Politics, Policy, & Law.
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Elise Eifert, PhD University of North Carolina at Greensboro Elise Eifert is an assistant professor and graduate gerontology program coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is also a director of graduate studies at UNC Greensboro. She teaches or has taught courses such as theoretical foundations of aging; social
services for aging; and planning and evaluation for professionals in aging. Notably, at UNC she has developed several courses such as critical issues in aging, research methods in gerontology, health and aging, theoretical foundations of aging, and planning and evaluation for professionals in aging, among others.
Her research focuses on how people transition from their former role into the family caregiver role, and how this transition affects identity and the use of home and community-based services. Dr. Eifert completed her PhD in public health education and her graduate certificate in gerontology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Moreover, she completed her MS from Indiana University at Bloomington and her BS from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
