Opportunities for Health and Aging Graduate Study
UCLA School of Public Health

What graduate opportunities are available?

Through the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Public Health, students can pursue concentrations in aging for the following degrees:

M.P.H.
M.S.P.H.
Ph.D.
Dr.P.H.

Post-graduate opportunities are also available through the California Geriatric Education Center at UCLA.

Why a concentration in aging?

A public health approach to aging addresses some of the central challenges faced by today's elderly population, such as:

How do gender, race, class and culture affect aging and health in our society?
How will growing responsibilities for caregiving affect both the health care system and the lives of informal caregivers?
Will the health status of the aged change in response to the changes in personal health behaviors, medical technology and the environment?
What is adequate quality of care and how does it affect the quality of life?
How will we organize and pay for health and long-term care services for current and future generations of elderly?
What does the course work include?

Students can pursue a concentration in aging within three departments of the School of Public Health Community Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Health Services. In addition to the non-aging courses required by the School of Public Health and individual departments, students complete electives in health and aging. They work with faculty advisors to identify a multi-disciplinary course of study that meets their interests and fulfills the requirements for the concentration in aging.

Courses in health and aging are offered every quarter by one or more of the departments within Public Health. Students may take electives from courses offered by any of the departments, including the following:

Aging and health behavior
Aging and long-term care
Aging, health and society
Epidemiology of aging
Health policy and the elderly
Injuries in the elderly
Interdisciplinary practice in multicultural gerontology
Minority aging and health
Social epidemiology of chronic illness
Women, health and aging policy issues

Where are the typical field placements?

Several departments require a field practicum for master's degrees in Public Health. Placement sites involving the elderly include:

Asian-Pacific Health Care Venture Los Angeles metropolitan area. Serving Pilipino, Chinese, Japanese, Southeast Asian and Korean populations.
AltaMed Health Services, Senior Services East Los Angeles. Serving disabled older Latinos.
Tenderloin Senior Organizing Project San Francisco. Serving a low-income population.
Huntington Memorial Hospital, Senior Care Network Pasadena. Serving a multi-racial, multi-ethnic population.
Senior Health and Peer Counseling CenterSanta Monica.
Supplying health promotion and preventive services.
Project Safety Net Los Angeles. Supplying community-based screening and comprehensive geriatric assessment.

What are the requirements?

Students interested in pursuing graduate studies in Public Health with a concentration in aging must meet all admission requirements of both the UCLA Graduate Division and the School of Public Health. Also, they must apply to a department within the School of Public Health, as specified in the current School of Public Health Announcement.

Return Home