Gerontology

All students interested in the Undergraduate Certificate in Aging Studies program should contact Catherine MacDonald at macdonaldcs@vcu.edu.

Current VCU student? Your undergraduate adviser can help walk you through the certificate planning process. Current VCU students can fill out this change of major form by selecting Secondary Major. 

Non-current student? To apply, select your desired semester: Certificate and fully online studies through VCU Admissions application form.

Non-current VCU student? To apply, visit this link, select your desired semester, click “Certificate” and “fully online studies” and complete the application.

Current VCU undergraduate student? The following provides guidance applying to the undergraduate certificate in aging studies program.

• Express Your Interest
  • Contact Catherine at macdonaldcs@vcu.edu to note your interest in the program and ask any questions you may have. Please note your intended graduation date, if you know, and which, if any, gerontology courses you have registered for and/or completed to date.

• Complete Major/Concentration Change Form
  • Fill out the form, select “secondary program," advance to page two and fill out the rest of the form.

• Submit Personal Statement
  • To finalize your application, we request that you share a brief personal statement. To write this statement, which should be about 250 words, we invite you to explain what drew your attention to the program. What experience do you have that is related to aging studies (personal/life experience is encouraged as well as professional)? How do you hope the program will positively impact your life? We would like to know what matters to you and to get to know you.

Requirements are the same for the Master’s Program and Graduate Certificates. For complete details, visit the VCU Graduate Bulletin.

• Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university or its equivalent
• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
• Relevant work experience may compensate for a lower GPA
• Three letters of recommendation
• Statement of intent
• Current resume
• Interview

If you are interested in pursuing a Ph.D., please visit the Ph.D. in Health Related Sciences website.

VCU Gerontology applicants interested in the M.S. in Gerontology or Graduate Certificate in Aging Studies can apply and submit supporting documentation electronically through VCU’s Graduate Admissions.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure the application is complete and on time. You will receive a confirmation immediately upon submission of your documentation.

Please allow 10 business days for processing before inquiring about your application. You will have the ability to track documentation, such as transcripts and letters of reference, using the online application account you will set up during the application process as described below.

• Complete the Graduate Application and pay the application fee.
  • All VCU Graduate School applications require an application fee, which is payable on-line to the Graduate School at the time the application is submitted. The amount of this fee is established yearly and will be communicated in all correspondence with prospective students. The current application fee is $75. This fee is non-refundable unless the program to which you are applying is canceled. 
    • Three personal references. Please select individuals who can comment on the quality of your academic or work experience. You will enter the name and contact information for your reference into the application system. Your references will receive an automated email with instructions on how to submit their reference. Paper references are not accepted.  You will be able to verify the submission of each reference in the application portal.
    • Current resume or curriculum vitae.
    • Transcripts. All courses taken, except at VCU, must be submitted on an official transcript from the institution where the courses were taken. This includes, but is not limited to, courses accepted for transfer credit at another institution, dual enrollment and study abroad. All institutions attended, including VCU (if applicable), must be listed on the application during the online process. Failure to comply with these instructions will result in the application being considered incomplete.
    • Statement of Intent. Applicants must state their reasons for pursuing graduate education in their planned course of study at VCU. 
• Interview. Once you have submitted your application, you will need to complete the interview. You will receive an email with a link to complete your interview using Kira Talent. You will be provided with five questions, and will submit a video recording of yourself answering these questions.