Support Canada’s older adults with an Aging and Gerontology certificate
Over the next decade, older adults will make up a quarter of Canada’s population, according to Statistics Canada. This means that there will be a growing number of opportunities for gerontology professionals trained in the unique needs of our aging community members. The Certificate in Aging and Gerontology from The Chang School will set you up for success in finding meaningful work ensuring our older adults have a great quality of life.
This gerontology certificate provides knowledge and skills to support all the diverse sectors that serve older adults, including health and social services, but also banking, financial planning, real estate, insurance, travel and tourism, hospitality, technology, entrepreneurship, architecture and urban planning, and home modification. (Looking to provide direct care for older adults? While this program doesn’t provide training in directly caring for older adults, it can be used to help you transition into a long-term care career when done in combination with other educational credentials.)
Our coursework is taught by professionals with extensive community experience in gerontology across a vast array of fields, including social work, health sciences, nursing, public health, policy, and more. They’ll help you expand your hands-on experience, and learn how to best respond to the needs and opportunities of an aging population and promote yourself as uniquely suited to working with older-adult clients. Collaborating with these instructors and your fellow learners will also help you start building your industry network early on, giving you an advantage in a hot job market.
Thinking of starting your own business working with older adults? This gerontology certificate program can also help you recognize and act on the new entrepreneurial opportunities that come from this new demographic shift. It’s also offered online and can be completed on your own schedule and timeline, alongside your other responsibilities.
Are you ready to make a difference in your community? Step up for our older adults and begin your gerontology training today.
Who should take this Aging and Gerontology certificate?
- You’re working as an educational or public administrator, retirement housing manager, recreational or health consultant, or human resource coordinator and need to build your skill set so you can design programs and develop policies for older adults
- You’re a professional working in areas that provide services and products to older adults, like banking, financial planning, real estate, insurance, travel and tourism, hospitality, technology, entrepreneurship, architecture and urban planning, or home modification
- You’re a recent graduate of health, social work, counseling, sociology, or psychology and are looking to start a career working with older adults
What will you learn while taking the Aging and Gerontology certificate?
You’ll learn how to:
- Examine the implications of aging and evaluate the services available for aging populations in Canada and globally from the following a variety of perspectives, including social, political, psychological, demographic, and more
- Influence practice and policy change in the field of aging
- Identify how technological innovation influences health and social engagement within aging populations
- Position yourself to best respond to the needs and opportunities of older adult clients
Career Options
This certificate can prepare you for jobs like:
- Family counsellor
- Legal advocate
- Occupational therapist
- Psychogeriatric case manager
- Recreation specialist
- Research and community engagement coordinator
- Resident support worker
- Wellness consultant
- Social worker
Certificate Requirements
- 4 required courses
- 2 electives
- Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 1.67+
Admission Criteria
Recommended:
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent
- With 6 Grade 12 U or M credits
OR
- Mature student status
Questions?
Contact Client Services ce@torontomu.ca
