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Chair: Miko Nakashima, PhD
Social workers specializing in aging are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of the elderly. They search for alternatives to isolation, abuse, abandonment, and needless institutionalization. A growing elderly population, increasing life expectancy, and diminishing health care have created a need for professionals skilled in helping older people. The University of Maryland is the only public university in the region that offers a specialization in working with the aging and their families. The School of Social Work has a long history in the field of aging and has trained faculty at local colleges in gerontology. Many opportunities exist for professionals skilled in working with older persons. Clinicians, community organizers, and social administrators specializing in aging have an edge in the job market: in agencies, housing programs, senior centers, family agencies, hospitals, and nursing homes, as well as in the public sector as administrators, policy advisors, or clinicians. Coursework
During the Advanced Practice year, all students specializing in aging take Aging and Social Policy (SOWK 726). Other required specialization courses are, for clinicians, Clinical Social Work With the Aging and Their Families (SWCL 724), and for those in the MACO concentration, a choice of six methods courses. At the same time, students spend three days per week working in settings such as senior centers, nursing homes, housing programs, hospital outpatient or inpatient departments, and in state, county, or city offices of aging. Placement in state planning offices or at one of the national aging and governmental organizations located in the area is also possible. Secondary Concentration Option in Aging
A clinical concentrator who wants to have MACO as a secondary concentration will fulfill the clinical concentration requirements, except for the methods course, and take SWOA 703 or SWOA 704, and another SWOA option course. A MACO concentrator who wants to have clinical as a secondary concentration would take the MACO concentration requirements and substitute SWCL 700 or SWCL 744 for an SWOA option course, and take SWCL 724. top |
