11 Best MSW Programs for Gerontology Social Work in 2025

The number of elderly Americans has grown 34 percent since 2012. This transformation has created an immediate need for qualified gerontology social work professionals nationwide.

Social work professionals can choose from approximately 60 campus-based and 11 online MSW programs that offer specialized training in geriatric social work. These programs help you work with elderly clients’ unique mental health, medical, financial, and cultural challenges. Social workers in this field earn an average salary of $76,000, and job opportunities will grow 17% by 2030. Now is the perfect time to start this meaningful career.

You might want to think over specializing in working with older adults. We have researched and gathered detailed information about the 11 best MSW programs for geriatric social work. This research will help you make the right choice about your educational trip ahead.

Aurora University MSW with Gerontology Specialization

Aurora University’s MSW program features a Gerontology track within its Health Care concentration. Students who want to work in geriatric social work will find this program particularly valuable. The program shines through its integrated approach to aging studies and hands-on experience opportunities.

Program Overview and Curriculum

The Gerontology specialization gives you targeted skills to work effectively with older populations. Students in the Health Care Track need 9 credit hours of specialized coursework and must maintain a “B” or higher grade in all track courses. The program has three key courses:

• SWK-6010: Medical Social Work (3 credits)
• SWK-5100: Social Work Gerontology: Assessment and Intervention (3 credits)
• SWK-5110: Social Work Gerontology: Biology and Health of Aging (3 credits)

Students can complete both Gerontology and Health Care tracks at once by taking just one extra healthcare elective. The program offers flexible formats, including Chicagoland’s first CSWE-accredited online graduate program.

Admission Requirements

The MSW program uses rolling admissions, so you can apply anytime throughout the year. Early applications get priority consideration. Here are the simple requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited liberal arts institution
• Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (lower GPAs reviewed individually)
• Official transcripts from all previous undergraduate and graduate institutions
• Professional resume
• Two recommendation letters from academic or professional references
• Personal statement (maximum 1,500 words that shows graduate-level writing)

Students with GPAs below 3.0 should explain their circumstances, potential for success, and plans to ensure academic achievement.

Field Education Opportunities

Field instruction is a vital part of the program where students apply classroom knowledge in real-life settings. First-year students complete at least 15 hours weekly over two semesters, reaching 450 total hours. Second-year students spend 20 hours weekly, accumulating 600 hours for the year.

Gerontology track students complete their advanced field placement in approved social work gerontology agencies. These placements happen in settings like:

• Assisted living facilities
• Nursing homes
• Hospice care settings
• Hospitals
• Senior living communities

Career Outcomes for Graduates

Graduates can assess and treat older adults in service agencies of all sizes. The program’s alumni show strong success rates – 61% find employment and 21% continue their education. Full-time employed graduates earn an average salary of $52,251, and 91% work in Illinois.

This specialized training opens doors to careers such as:

• Clinical social worker in geriatric settings
• Social service administrator
• Healthcare social worker focusing on older adults
• Family therapist working with multigenerational families

The combination of hands-on experience and focused curriculum gives you expertise to make lasting impacts in gerontology social work.

Columbia University’s Online MSW in Aging

Columbia University ranks among the world’s leading institutions that offer specialized training in gerontology social work through its Online Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) program. The program builds on one of the oldest and most respected social work educational traditions globally. Students get a detailed education if they want to serve older populations.

Program Structure and Coursework

The Online MSSW with Aging specialization helps students provide and advocate for social services to older individuals and their families. The curriculum uses the PROP framework (Power, Race, Oppression, and Privilege) to help you become a mindful practitioner who can challenge the status quo.

Core content in the aging specialization covers:

• Population aging and longevity implications for policy development
• Understanding aging from individual, historical, and sociocultural contexts
• Public policies for older people: past, present, and future
• Health and long-term care reforms
• Psychological disorders among older persons

The coursework looks at aging through the lens of gender, class, race, ethnicity, and culture. This prepares students for jobs in hospitals, insurance companies, nursing homes, retirement communities, and senior centers.

Faculty Expertise in Geriatric Social Work

Columbia’s renowned faculty brings deep expertise in gerontology research and practice. Dr. Victoria Rizzo leads Columbia’s Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE) as co-director. Her research on professional social work services for the aged has earned substantial funding, including $75,000 from the Social Work Leadership Institute.

Dr. Denise Burnette combines ten years of hands-on experience with older adults and their families. Her research focuses on mental health services for older adults and grandparents as family caregivers. She has expanded her work internationally to study dementia-related stigma in India and depression scale assessment in Mongolia.

Professor Daniel Kaplan adds his expertise as a gerontological clinical social worker who specializes in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. He previously served as National Director of Social Services for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

Research Opportunities

Students can work together with leading thinkers at Columbia’s 16 research centers. The Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center trains aging researchers and policy makers while supporting student groups like “Perspectives on Aging”.

The Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program welcomes social workers among other professionals. This program gives you the tools to turn advanced science into sound healthcare policies for older Americans.

Alumni Success Stories

Columbia’s MSSW graduates have created a lasting impact in gerontology social work. One graduate published research in the International Journal of Aging and Society about “Seeing Healthcare through a Social Work Lens: Tackling Disparities and Inequalities for the Elder African American Male” and presented at international conferences.

Columbia’s career services help graduates find positions in organizations of all sizes that focus on older populations. Students benefit from one-on-one career coaching, networking events, exclusive job postings, and connections to 19,000 alumni.

The program’s all-encompassing approach to aging studies and Columbia’s prestigious reputation help graduates make important contributions to the expanding field of gerontology social work.

University of Southern California’s MSW with Gerontology Focus

USC offers a unique dual degree program that combines social work expertise with specialized gerontology knowledge. The MSW/MSG (Master of Social Work/Master of Science in Gerontology) program prepares leaders who serve older adults and their families.

Interdisciplinary Approach to Aging Studies

USC’s gerontology social work program stands out with its complete dual degree structure. Students need 73 total units—41 from the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and 32 from the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Students take courses in both schools at the same time and finish their coursework in four semesters (two years).

The curriculum looks at gerontology through multiple disciplines and blends research with concepts from different fields. Students choose between the Department of Social Change and Innovation or the Department of Adult Mental Health and Wellness. This setup gives students an all-encompassing approach to aging issues from both social work and gerontology’s view.

Clinical Training Components

Students put their theoretical knowledge into practice. Field placements, practicum experiences, and capstone projects help translate academic theories into real-world solutions. These hands-on experiences develop analytical and investigative skills that lead to doctoral-level research or immediate career opportunities.

Faculty members welcome students into their labs. Previous students have presented research across the United States and Europe before joining prominent institutions like the National Institutes of Health.

USC Gerontology Research Centers

USC houses several advanced research centers that study aging:

• The Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center studies memory problems and aging
• The USC Center for Elder Mistreatment brings together experts from medicine, gerontology, health services, and psychology
• The USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging tackles aging issues
• The Ney Center for Healthspan Science studies biological, demographic, and psychosocial aspects of aging

These centers receive about $20 million in yearly federal research funding. Students get unique opportunities to participate in advanced gerontology research.

Tuition and Financial Aid

USC charges $2,354 per unit plus fees for all students, whatever their location. The school helps offset costs by awarding over $500,000 in merit-based scholarships to students each year.

Students can get more financial help through federal and private student loans by submitting the FAFSA (USC’s school code: 001328). The program also accepts VA and GI Bill tuition assistance through USC’s Veterans Resource Center.

Many companies help pay tuition for employees who study job-related subjects. This benefit might cover some or all your educational expenses.

Boston University School of Social Work Gerontology Program

Boston University School of Social Work prepares students for gerontology social work through detailed field training and specialized courses. Students learn both in classrooms and through hands-on experience to help them work with older adults’ complex needs.

BU’s Geriatric Social Work Curriculum

BU takes a comprehensive view of geriatric social work education by weaving aging-focused coursework into the MSW program. Expert faculty members bring valuable experience to the program. Dr. Judith Gonyea, who won the Barbara J. Berkman Award for Outstanding Interdisciplinary Research in Aging and Health Care, leads research and practice initiatives. Students learn about current aging issues from Bronwyn Keefe, Research Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Workforce & Professional Development. The program builds on diversity, ethics, populations-at-risk, and social justice principles in foundation and advanced courses.

Field Placement Sites

• Hospitals and healthcare systems
• Senior centers and services
• Assisted living facilities
• Skilled nursing homes
• Adult day health programs

Students work at their internships two or three days each week. The field education team matches placements with student interests, career goals, and practical needs. Students receive support and supervision from experienced professionals from their first day.

Dual Degree Options

BU offers three dual degrees that boost gerontology social work studies:

1. MSW/MPH (Public Health): This program stands as the nation’s oldest and largest dual degree in public health and social work. It helps address health challenges of aging populations.
2. MSW/EdM (Education): Students can focus on Special Education or Educational Leadership. This degree helps professionals work with at-risk older adults in educational settings.
3. MSW/MTS or MSW/MDiv (Theology): This program adds faith perspectives to social work education. It suits those who work with aging populations in faith-based organizations.

Application Process

Most programs use rolling admissions. On-campus programs usually close applications in April, while online/off-campus options continue until June-July. You’ll need:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 (lower GPAs reviewed individually)
• Official transcripts
• Professional resume
• Recommendation letters
• Personal statement

AmeriCorps members, BU affiliates, veterans, and students with financial need can apply for application fee waivers.

University of Michigan’s Aging in Families and Society Pathway

The Aging in Families and Society Pathway at University of Michigan teaches you to work with older adults. You’ll develop specialized skills to help address factors that affect their health and well-being.

Program Highlights

Michigan’s generalist essential curriculum forms the foundation of the Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective pathway. Students need to complete twelve credit hours in this specialized pathway and can pick a second pathway using elective credits. Starting Fall 2024, online MSW students can choose between the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health pathway or the Welfare of Children & Families pathway.

Career titles relevant to this pathway include:

• Adult Protective Services Worker
• Case Manager
• Hospice Care Social Worker
• Palliative Care Social Worker
• Program Planner

Michigan’s Geriatric Social Work Approach

University of Michigan takes a detailed look at how aging affects people within their social contexts. The university’s approach centers on creating wellness, building aging-friendly communities, and helping older adults manage chronic conditions to ensure quality of life.

Michigan’s philosophy recognizes how discrimination and oppression affect older adults. It looks at how age intersects with various diversity characteristics throughout life. Students learn to analyze how policies and programs either help or hinder justice for elderly populations.

Research and Community Engagement

Raymond Yung leads the Institute of Gerontology, which serves as the research arm of the U-M Geriatrics Center. This institute stands as one of the oldest and most respected academic programs of its kind. The institute currently houses two National Institutes of Aging-funded center grants.

Faculty members study risk factors and outcomes of diseases that affect older adults. They use data from population-based studies like the Health and Retirement Study. The University of Michigan Memory and Aging Project (UM-MAP) also studies changes in memory and thinking over time.

Student Support Services

The Office of Student Services (OSS) helps with financial aid questions, enrollment status, and career advice. Michigan offers Geriatric Scholarships to outstanding applicants who join the MSW program. OSS also helps students who face non-academic problems by connecting them with university and community support services.

Students get field learning opportunities in hospitals, hospice centers, senior centers, skilled nursing facilities, and community-based support programs.

Washington University in St. Louis MSW-Gerontology Specialization

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis offers a specialized MSW track in Older Adults and Aging Societies. Students passionate about gerontology social work will find a complete training program here.

Program Features

The Older Adults and Aging Societies specialization needs 9 total credit units. The curriculum builds around core gerontology coursework and hands-on experience. Students must take “Contemporary Perspectives on Aging” (3 units) and “Social Policies, Services & Programs in Aging” (3 units), plus one more course from options like clinical interventions. The concentration practicum requires 120 hours of aging-related tasks to complete specialization requirements.

Students learn foundational skills in interpersonal and psychotherapeutic interventions with older adults at the micro-level. The program then broadens to advocacy and program development at mezzo and macro levels. The curriculum helps students get into human development theories through different frameworks. They learn how age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, gender, and other identities affect development.

WashU’s Geriatric Social Work Philosophy

The Brown School’s approach to gerontology social work rests on three main viewpoints. They acknowledge how diverse older populations are and challenge ageism and age-stereotyping. They focus on cumulative disadvantage and intersectionality to explain disparities. Their strength-based viewpoint highlights what older adults bring to society.

WashU’s philosophy puts equity at its heart. Their current strategic plan “Driving Equity 2030” advances social, economic, health, environmental, and racial justice. Students learn how political and social conditions shape social problems and welfare policies that affect older adults.

Interdisciplinary Training Opportunities

The Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at Washington University helps students access interdisciplinary education and research in aging. Students can take specialized courses that improve attitudes toward older adults and spark interest in aging-related careers.

Research projects let students tackle critical issues affecting older populations. A great example looks at how gerontological social work adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Career Development Resources

Graduates work in various roles like Director of Social Services, Community Development Coordinator, Clinical Case Manager, and positions in health or long-term care settings. The university supports careers through coaching, leadership development programs, and networking platforms. WashU CNX connects students with alumni experts.

Students gain practical experience at respected places including BJC Hospice, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Memory Care Home Solutions, National Council on Aging, and the St. Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

University of Washington’s Multigenerational Practice Specialized Competency

The University of Washington’s MSW program stands out with its unique specialized competency. Their approach examines aging through a multigenerational lens, making it a perfect fit for students pursuing gerontology social work.

Curriculum Design

Students learn both theory and practice through specialized aging-focused courses. “Social and Healthcare Policy in an Aging Society” teaches students to analyze service structures’ effects on families throughout their lives using multigenerational and social justice frameworks. Students also take “Social Work Practice in Long-Term Care Across the Lifespan.” This course builds skills needed in long-term care settings and lets students interact with people who need these services. Students can choose to focus on multigenerational practice with children, families and elders, or pursue integrative health-mental health advanced practice.

UW’s Approach to Geriatric Social Work

The Healthy Generations Hartford Center of Excellence in Geriatric Social Work is the life-blood of UW’s program. This center takes a multigenerational view to tackle health disparities and boost health equity among older adults, their families, and caregivers. Social work professor Karen Fredricksen-Goldsen has directed the center since its 2014 launch. The center remains one of only five such centers nationwide. This setup recognizes how aging issues connect, looking at both direct services and broader social factors that shape older adults’ wellbeing.

Field Education in Aging Settings

Post-Graduation Employment Rates

UW programs boast strong job placement numbers. While specific MSW gerontology placement data isn’t available, the university’s overall positive outcome rate for 2023 hit 91.9%. This includes full-time employment, part-time employment, volunteer service, and continuing education. The success extends to public health graduates too – 95% of MPH degree holders found jobs soon after graduation.

Case Western Reserve University’s Aging Specialization

Case Western Reserve University’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences offers a specialized aging pathway. This program prepares students for the field of geriatric social work, which is growing faster as 10,000 Americans reach age 65 each day.

Program Structure

CWRU’s Aging specialization functions as part of the Integrated Health & Wellness specialization and requires 19 credit hours. Students need to complete these four essential courses:

• SASS 540: Integrated Health and Wellness Specialized Policy
• SASS 581: Social Work Practice with Older Adults
• SASS 518: Social Work with Death, Grief and Loss
• SASS 589: Advanced Social Work Practice In Integrated Healthcare

The curriculum includes free electives to complement these courses. This campus-based specialization addresses demographic changes that will lead to one-fifth of U.S. residents reaching retirement age by 2030.

Case Western’s Geriatric Social Work Focus

The Mandel School’s approach helps clients use their personal strengths to adapt to major life changes such as retirement or declining abilities. The aging curriculum develops essential skills in counseling, case management, advocacy, and teamwork across disciplines. The program pays special attention to poverty’s, gender’s, and minority status’s effects on aging patterns and needs.

Research Initiatives

The University Center on Aging and Health (UCAH) has served as a hub for gerontological research and education since 1978. This center promotes teamwork between scholars and practitioners to advance innovative research that benefits older adults. A CWRU-led study discovered that dementia patients face a higher risk of COVID-19, with African American patients showing greater vulnerability.

Admission Statistics

The Mandel School evaluates 395 applications each year. They accept 311 candidates, representing a 79% acceptance rate, and 127 students ended up enrolling. Students must submit an online application, two-part essay, three recommendation letters, resume, and transcripts. The school does not charge an application fee. Graduates can work in various roles, from adult protective services to financial counseling for older adults.

New York University Silver School’s Aging Focus

The Silver School at NYU launched a groundbreaking Healthy Aging Specialization in 2023-24. The Eisner Foundation provided substantial support with a $175,000 grant. This state-of-the-art program trains emerging gerontological social workers who help older adults live meaningful lives.

NYU’s Gerontology Curriculum

The Healthy Aging Specialization equips students through focused coursework that explores aging from social justice viewpoints. Nine advanced MSW students in the inaugural cohort receive detailed training on:

• Policies and programs that affect various aging populations
• Theories and research about intergenerational relations
• Social justice frameworks applicable to gerontology
• Capstone project development that shows applied learning

The program provides exceptional financial support. Each student receives a $6,000 stipend while PhD students who research aging-related topics receive $4,000 stipends. PhD candidate Cliff Whetung studies whether Native American and Alaska Native older adults who participated in intergenerational volunteer activities showed better cognitive health outcomes.

Field Placement Options

Field education stands at the heart of NYU’s gerontology focus, with many placement sites throughout New York City. Students gain supervised experience in health and aging settings of all types before graduation. The university maintains strategic collaborations with healthcare facilities, senior centers, and community-based organizations that serve older adults.

Faculty Specializations

The program thrives under faculty with deep expertise in aging research. Dr. Ernest Gonzales, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Health and Aging Innovation, guides the specialization. His research delves into risk and protective factors that affect health throughout life. His recent work studies early and midlife determinants of cognitive health in various populations. Allison Merz, a full-time social worker and NYU Silver alum, manages intergenerational programming as CHAI’s program manager.

Networking Opportunities in NYC

NYU’s location provides unmatched networking advantages. The university hosts conferences, seminars, and training events about contemporary aging issues. Specialists share topical insights and skill-building resources. The Center for Health and Aging Innovation works with a large network of local and global practitioners, organizations, and government entities to create programs that promote healthy aging.

University of Texas at Arlington’s Direct Practice in Aging

The University of Texas at Arlington has a specialized Direct Practice in Aging program that gives social work professionals the skills they need to create solutions for older adults and their caregivers.

Program Overview

UTA’s Direct Practice in Aging concentration teaches you to work at both micro and macro levels with aging populations. The program has key courses like “Direct Practice in Aging” and “Aging Policy and Social Justice”. Students learn to perform biopsychosocial-spiritual assessments of older adults, support better social and economic policies, and create solutions for older populations’ diverse needs. Social work is one of the ever-changing career fields with a 16% growth in job openings, which makes this specialty quite valuable.

UTA’s Geriatric Social Work Approach

UTA’s approach centers on three main duties of gerontological social workers. They help clients access vital services like healthcare and housing, provide emotional support during life transitions, and stand up for older adults’ rights and wellbeing. Students develop skills in client interaction, assessment, intervention, and evaluation while upholding social work values of dignity, human relationships, and social justice.

Online and On-Campus Options

The program runs in two formats – traditional classroom learning or fully online. This means U.S. residents or those on military installations can earn their degree from anywhere. Students with a BSW (advanced standing) need 38 credit hours and can finish in just 12 months. Other students take 61 credit hours over 24 months typically.

Tuition and Scholarships

Yearly tuition costs $11,044 for in-state students and $23,486 for out-of-state students. In spite of that, UTA has many financial aid options. The Hernandez Scholarship gives priority to first-generation college students, single parents, and students who’ve faced personal challenges.

George Mason University’s Adults & Healthy Aging Specialization

George Mason University has trained social work professionals for over 50 years. Their Adults & Healthy Aging (AHA) specialization stands out as an excellent choice for students interested in gerontology social work. GMU’s location, just 15 miles from Washington DC, gives students a perfect setting to influence social policies that affect older adults.

Program Highlights

GMU’s MSW program with AHA specialization helps students learn about the unique psychosocial, health, and mental health needs of adults throughout their lives. The CSWE-accredited program teaches students to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate programs that create meaningful social change. Students can complete their MSW degree in two, three, or four years on campus, or in just over three years online. GMU also offers a unique MS/MSW dual degree with the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution that blends social work practice with conflict resolution theory.

GMU’s Geriatric Social Work Curriculum

The AHA specialization teaches students to work effectively with adults, older adults, and their families at micro, macro, and mezzo levels. Students learn population-specific prevention, assessment, treatment, and evidence-informed interventions. The program includes core courses like SOCW 640 (Clinical Practice with Adults), SOCW 689 (Clinical Practice with Older Adults), and SOCW 650 (Advanced Social Work Policy Practice Skills). Students can also earn a graduate certificate in gerontology by completing 15 credits in courses such as Social Gerontology and Aging and Health. The program focuses on cultural, social, and economic factors that shape client functioning and helps develop equity skills.

Field Education Partnerships

Students get hands-on experience through structured interactive learning at GMU. The Practicum Education Program Office helps place students in interdisciplinary social work settings that serve older adults. Students gain exceptional experience through partnerships with over 400 field practicum agencies across Northern Virginia, the Washington Metropolitan area, and throughout the United States. GMU’s partnership with ServiceSource, Inc. created the Northern Virginia Center on Aging, a satellite center of the Virginia Center on Aging. Located less than four miles from Mason’s campus, this center offers students workforce training through practicums, internships, and hands-on learning opportunities.

Career Pathways

Graduates can work in hospitals, healthcare facilities, mental health centers, substance abuse treatment facilities, long-term care facilities, and hospice agencies. The MSW degree is complete, versatile, and respected in the job market. Graduates pursue careers in direct client service, policy analysis, advocacy, community practice, research, and organizational leadership. The growing need for professionals with aging-related education means GMU graduates are ready to make a difference in this expanding field.

Comparison Table

Start Your Path to Geriatric Social Work

Becoming a geriatric social worker with an MSW specializing in aging or gerontology is a rewarding and increasingly vital career path in our aging society. This profession offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of older adults and their families. pists, and community organizations, fostering a collaborative and dynamic work environment.

It offers a chance to make a lasting difference in the lives of older adults while navigating a professionally and emotionally fulfilling career path. As our population continues to age, the expertise of geriatric social workers will become increasingly valuable, positioning those in this field at the forefront of addressing one of society’s most pressing challenges.