Admission
To be considered for admission to the accelerated program in aging studies, a prospective student must submit a graduate school application and fee, and satisfy the following requirements:
- An overall undergraduate GPA of 2.750;
- Completion of at least 60 credit hours of undergraduate study;
- A letter of recommendation from one faculty member; and
- A personal goals essay of 500 words or less which clearly articulates the applicant's reason for seeking admission to the accelerated program.
Prospective students apply for admission to the program during the semester prior to the first semester in which they intend to enroll in a course for graduate credit.
A student in the accelerated program will be admitted to the MA in aging studies upon being awarded the bachelor’s degree if all admission requirements for the master’s program are satisfied at that time and the student has made continued satisfactory progress.
Program Requirements
The department of public health sciences’ online accelerated bachelor's to master's in aging studies program enables academically qualified WSU undergraduate students a direct path to simultaneously earn both undergraduate and graduate (dual) credits in aging studies. The accelerated program is ideal for any academically qualified undergraduate junior/senior student seeking to complement their area of study with graduate aging coursework. For students admitted to the accelerated program, up to 9 credit hours of graduate level aging studies coursework (500+) can count for dual credit towards the Master of Arts in aging studies program while completing their undergraduate degree.
Students should consult with their undergraduate advisor and the aging studies graduate advisor to select the 9 credit hours to align with both their undergraduate curriculum and MA in aging studies.
Suggested Accelerated Aging Studies Pathways
Senior Living
Students interested in upper-level management positions within senior living should complete the following courses for dual credit: PHS 518, PHS 562 and PHS 626. All courses are part of the senior living concentration in aging studies and prepare students for the Administrator-in-Training (AIT) practicum upon completion of their bachelor's degree.
Aging Services
Students interested in supporting administrative functions and contributing to team leadership of aging service organizations should complete the following courses for dual credit: PHS 512, PHS 560 and PHS 617. All courses are part of the community-based aging services concentration in aging studies.
Health Professions and Behavioral Sciences
Students interested in advanced knowledge of gerontology and the aging process who will be engaging with aging healthcare consumers, patients or clients in their profession should complete the following for dual credit: PHS 512, PHS 623 and PHS 710. All courses are part of the MA in aging studies core curriculum.
Program Guidelines
- For each of the dual credit courses, the student must meet the learning outcomes specific to graduate students to apply the course to graduate credit, earning no less than a 3.000 in each course.
- Each course taken for joint credit must be so identified at the time of enrollment in that course and a dual enrollment form must be completed which indicates the courses taken for graduate credit.
- Continuation in the accelerated program also requires a continuing WSU undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 2.750.
- A student who has previously been admitted to a graduate degree program at Wichita State may not be admitted to the accelerated program.
- For the purpose of requesting exceptions to the program and university regulations, students in an accelerated degree program are considered undergraduates and thus proceed through the undergraduate process until the bachelor’s degree is awarded.