Gerontology

Courses | Current Courses | Program Structure | Faculty

Gerontology at STU

Gerontology is the study of the process of aging, how society defines aging, and how individuals understand their own later years.

 

Gerontology at STU is one of two stand-alone programs in Atlantic Canada. As a multidisciplinary department—drawing on courses from Psychology, Sociology, and Women’s Studies and Gender Studies—students develop an understanding of what it means to age and the progression of human development and self-fulfilment from multiple perspectives. 

What sets STU’s Gerontology Program Apart? 

• Small, engaging classes that emphasize personal interaction, discussion, and debate. 
  

• Students can complete a Bachelor of Arts with a major or minor in Gerontology, a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Gerontology (in partnership with NBCC), or a Certificate in Gerontology. 
   
• Lectures and seminars are always taught by professors—not teaching assistants—which means students learn from experts in the field.  
   
• STU is home to the Third Age Centre—an autonomous, community-based non-profit organization that empowers older adults to maintain healthy, independent lifestyles—and Gerontology students are invited to participate in projects undertaken by the Centre. 
   
• The university’s Chair in Community Health and Aging, Dr. Albert Banerjee, teaches courses in the Gerontology department.  
   
• Students benefit from faculty expertise in mental health and aging, death and dying, critical approaches to nursing homes, understanding dementia, counselling older adults, and narrative gerontology. 

Where the Study of Gerontology can Take You

Students in Gerontology gain skills in critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and interpersonal relations, while developing the capacity to analyze situations from multiple perspectives, and challenge ageism in society. 
 
This prepares graduates for meaningful careers in fields like:

 

• Social Work
• Counselling
• Recreational or Occupational Therapy
• Long-term Care
• Community Agencies
• Entrepreneurship
• Public Policy