Dual Degree Programs

The School of Gerontology cooperates with four other professional schools of USC and Hebrew Union College in offering programs in which the student receives two master's degrees. These degrees provide the student with the knowledge and skills of gerontology as well as those of the other professional field. The dual degrees require more course work than the M.S. alone, but offer the graduate greater breadth of education and employment options.

Dual degrees currently available are the Master of Science in Gerontology and the Master of Business Administration (M.S./M.B.A.) with the Graduate School of Business Administration, the Master of Science in Gerontology and the Master of Public Administration (M.S./M.P.A.) and the Master of Science in Gerontology and the Master of Health Administration (M.S./M.H.A.) with the School of Public Administration, the Master of Science in Gerontology and the Master of Social Work (M.S./M.S.W.) with the School of Social Work, and the Master of Science in Gerontology and the Master of Planning (M.S./M.Pl.) with the School of Urban and Regional Planning. The School of Gerontology in cooperation with Hebrew Union College offers the Master of Science in Gerontology and the Master of Arts in Jewish Communal Services (M.S./M.A.). Students must apply to both schools simultaneously and, if accepted to both, participate in specially designed programs combining the courses of each school.

Admission to Dual Degree Programs

Applicants to any of the dual degree programs must submit two application forms to the Office of Admissions; one indicating gerontology as the major and one indicating the other degree as the major. Each of the schools must accept the student for admission. Acceptance into one school's degree program does not imply acceptance into the dual degree program.

Gerontology and Business Administration

The M.S./M.B.A. dual degree combines knowledge of the older population with the skills of business management. The program prepares graduates for a number of roles in both public and private sector organizations including the marketing of products or services to seniors, human resource development with older workers and retirement benefits.

The student spends the first year taking required M.B.A. courses in the Graduate School of Business Administration. Second year course work, beginning with the summer session, is taken in both the School of Gerontology and the Graduate School of Business Administration.

Gerontology Requirements

The Master of Science in Gerontology will require 30 units of course and field work which covers the core content of the M.S. program.

Required coursesUnits
GERO 510Physiology of Development and Aging4
GERO 520Life Span Developmental Psychology4
GERO 530Life Span Developmental Sociology4
GERO 540Social Policy and Aging4
GERO 570Corporate Policies and Aging4
GERO 591zField Practicum4
GERO 594abThesis4

Elective courses (choose one from the following)
GERO 444Pre-Retirement Planning2
GERO 513Stress, Health, and Aging2
GERO 545Prevention, Rehabilitation and Health Promotion2
GERO 592Multidisciplinary Research Seminar in Aging2
____
Total units30

To complete the gerontology portion of the dual degree program, the student may elect to do a thesis, GERO 594abz Master's Thesis -- four units, or take a comprehensive examination and four units of gerontology elective courses.

Business Administration Requirements

The Master of Business Administration will require 48 units of credit. Required courses include: all first year courses required in the full-time M.B.A. program (36 units); GSBA 585 Business Field Project (3 units); MOR 548 Human Resource Management (3 units); one marketing elective chosen from among MKT 512 Marketing and Consumer Research, MKT 525 Consumer Behavior, MKT 560 Marketing Strategy and Policy, and MKT 569 Contemporary Marketing Problems (3 units); and one additional GSBA elective (3 units).

Program Adaptation

The School of Gerontology will waive 14 units of electives, plus GERO 589 Professional Issues in Gerontology (4 units), and GERO 593ab Research Methods (4 units), which are required in the regular M.S. program. The School of Business Administration will waive 15 units of elective and elective track emphasis courses.

Gerontology and Public Administration

The M.S./M.P.A. dual degree offers the student interested in management of agencies and institutions the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the administrative and organizational processes and management skills necessary for the effective delivery of services to older persons.

In the M.S./M.P.A. dual degree, students spend their first year taking the required courses in the School of Gerontology. The research course and the thesis, as well as the field practicum, are taken in the School of Gerontology. The student begins courses in the School of Public Administration during the second semester of the first year.

Gerontology RequirementsUnits
GERO 510Physiology of Development and Aging4
GERO 520Life Span Developmental Psychology4
GERO 530Life Span Developmental Sociology4
GERO 540Social Policy and Aging4
GERO 550Administration and System Management in Programs
for Older Adults4
GERO 589Professional Issues in Gerontology4
GERO 591zField Practicum8
GERO 593abResearch Methods4
GERO 594abzMaster's Thesis, or
Comprehensive exam and elective4
____
40

Public Administration RequirementsUnits
PUAD 500Public Administration and Society4
PUAD 515Concepts and Practices of Public Budgeting4
PUAD 516Concepts and Practices in Public Personnel
Administration4
PUAD 526Public Policy Analysis4
PUAD 585Human Behavior in Public Organizations4
PUAD 597Public Organization and Management4
____
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Program Adaptation

For the M.S. in Gerontology, 12 units of electives are waived. For the Master of Public Administration, 12 units of gerontology courses are used as the substantive specialization.

Gerontology and Health Services Administration

The School of Gerontology provides the opportunity for students to specialize in health care administration (profit and non-profit) through the dual degree with the School of Public Administration's Health Services Administration Program. Students earn the M.S., M.H.A. and the certificate in Long Term Care Administration.

Gerontology RequirementsUnits
GERO 510Physiology of Development and Aging4
GERO 520Life Span Developmental Psychology4
GERO 530Life Span Developmental Sociology4
GERO 540Social Policy and Aging 4
GERO 550Administration and System Management in
Programs for Older Adults4
GERO 591zField Practicum8
GERO 593abResearch Methods 4
GERO 594abzMaster's Thesis, or
GERO 589Professional Issues in Gerontology4
Comprehensive exam
____
36

Public Administration RequirementsUnits
PUAD 509Management of Long-Term Care Organizations4
PUAD 530Problems and Issues in the Health Field4
PUAD 531aFinancial Management of Health Services4
PUAD 536Legal Issues in Health Care Delivery4
PUAD 537Economic Concepts Applied to Health4
PUAD 551*Financial Accounting in the Public and
Non-Profit Sectors4
PUAD 558Quantitative Analysis I4
PUAD 585Human Behavior in Public Organizations4
PUAD 593Advanced Seminar in Health Services Administration 4
____
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*Meets the accounting requirement for the M.H.A. portion of the M.H.A./M.S. dual degree program.

Any course substitutions are done by petition on an individual basis and should be part of a carefully developed course of study. The School of Public Administration should be consulted concerning this program of study.

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Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
Joye Day
day@mizar.usc.edu