Bachelor of Science in Gerontology

at Shorelight Group - Towson University USA

• Students will demonstrate development of communication skills using American Sign Language.
• Students will demonstrate cultural sensitivity.
• Students will demonstrate appropriate interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.
• Students will demonstrate competency in essential skills required of a college graduate by using software as appropriate for writing, spreadsheets, statistical analyses, for calculations or for presentations. (ILTC)

Towson University offers an undergraduate degree program leading either to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in Gerontology. The course work is multidisciplinary and provides students with an understanding of the scope of gerontology, the issues that are central to the study of aging, and a perspective from which students may understand the phenomenon of human aging and its implications for families and society. The program is designed to prepare students for entry-level professional positions in the field of aging, social services, and aging policy, as well as provide the knowledge and skills necessary for graduate and professional schools.

Foreign Languages majors in the Spanish Education Concentration are eligible to apply for certification to teach Spanish in Maryland upon graduation. In addition to the Core Curriculum requirements and the requirements specified by the Department of Secondary and Middle School Education, students must complete 30 units. Students must contact the Department of Secondary and Middle School Education about admission to the Teacher Education Program. Students are also required to complete the Oral Proficiency Interview and the Writing Proficiency Test. They are required to achieve a level of “Advanced Low" in the Oral Proficiency Interview. 

Students who decide not to complete all education requirements must select and complete a different concentration/track in the major in order to graduate.

The Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts Infusion (MAIAI) is a one of a kind, graduate program designed for classroom teachers, arts specialists, teaching artists, administrators and arts entrepreneurs. The program deepens and extends the skills and techniques of the arts disciplines through a unique blend of professional development course work and advanced, trans-disciplinary arts practice. 

MAIAI builds upon the successful work of our Arts Integration Institute and the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate that Towson has been offering since 1999. MAIAI reflects an interdisciplinary approach to arts education integrating a variety of art forms (theatre, dance, music, visual arts) into PreK-12 classrooms and beyond. This program is consistent with Towson University’s mission to provide programs that enhance teaching skills and professional development for educators. Graduates will be collaborators equipped to lead a transformation in teaching, learning and school reform through arts integration.

The Psychology major requires 3-4 units in prerequisite coursework and 44 units in psychology (47-48 units total) with a grade equivalent of 2.00 in all courses. No “Pass” grades are accepted for the 44 units in psychology. All students must satisfy the relevant prerequisites for individual psychology courses taken.

The Master of Science in Health Science is designed to meet needs within the state of Maryland for graduate-trained professionals to work in health care, community, worksite, and nonprofit settings. The program is intended both for people with academic or work experience in the health sciences or related fields as well as those seeking to expand their expertise to include the field of health science. It is particularly well suited to people who have been in the work force and now wish to receive additional education to enhance their performance as well as their competitiveness on the job.

Students may select a concentration in Community Health or Health Administration. Students may also elect to take a dual concentration.

A graduate of the Community Health concentration might pursue a career as a health education specialist in a variety of public or private sector organizations. Students holding current credentials in pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, dietetics and other professions may wish to combine their skills from prior training and redirect their careers toward community health. A graduate of the Health Administration concentration, on the other hand, is prepared for positions in a variety of settings that require a sound background in the business and organizational aspects of health care.

Students may elect to become certified in both Early Childhood and Special Education by selecting this integrated major. This program, specially designed to integrate both early childhood and special education, prepares students as early childhood classroom teachers, as well as infant/primary special education teachers.

The Early Childhood – Special Education program is provided at Towson University and Towson University in Northeastern Maryland (TUNE). 

The interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary graduate program in Women’s and Gender Studies provides students with a solid academic foundation to pursue their unique goals. As the only applied master’s program in Women’s and Gender Studies in Maryland and the only Women’s and Gender Studies master’s program in Baltimore, the program emphasizes applied research methods and skills, preparing students for careers in a variety of public and private organizations both national and international, for-profit and nonprofit. It also prepares students to enter doctoral programs in a variety of fields.

While significant progress has been made in recent decades in women’s equality worldwide, international efforts for women’s rights are generating increasing attention. Depending on who they are and where they live, women experience globalization, militarization, nationalism, social movements, development, colonialism, revolutions and transitions to democracy differently. In this concentration, explore those differences and the social, political, economic and cultural processes that create them.

The study of animal behavior has received an increasing amount of attention from the public because of the emphasis placed by zoological parks on behavioral biology and the large number of presentations in the media regarding animal behavior and sociobiology.

The Animal Behavior Concentration is designed to offer a solid foundation in the diverse approaches used to study behavioral biology. The program uses a carefully selected combination of courses in biology and psychology to achieve this goal. In addition, students are required to complete either an independent research project or an internship in order to apply their knowledge in an intensive research experience.

Students who complete the program may be qualified for positions at zoological parks, aquariums and nature centers. In addition, they will have the necessary technical knowledge to pursue a career in freelance writing about animal behavior. However, students who are considering attending graduate school will need to complete additional courses in either biology or psychology. Most of the students currently enrolled in the program are also majoring in either Biology or Psychology.

Students who are considering the Animal Behavior Concentration must meet with one of the program coordinators before declaring Interdisciplinary Studies as a major. Students who are also majoring or minoring in Psychology or Biology should contact the respective co-coordinator: Mark Bulmer (Biological Sciences), Paul Pistell (Psychology).

The undergraduate Accounting major is a 120-unit program. The program provides transition to our specialized M.S. in Accounting and Business ­Advisory Services, which is designed to complete the 150 units required for Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensing in Maryland and many other states.