Special Master's Program

The CSUS Gerontology Special Master's Program is an individualized graduate program. Because there is no set curriculum for the program, each student meets with the Program Director to discuss his or her unique needs and goals. With permission from the Director, students will combine a concentration in Gerontology with a secondary academic discipline of their choice, and will title their own degree. In the past, students have chosen disciplines such as psychology, sociology, education, therapeutic recreation, ethnic studies, marketing, and public policy to enhance their degree in Gerontology.

To see the list of core graduate classes, see our Graduate Flyer.

View our brochure for the Special Master's in Gerontology and Public Policy and Administration to see a sample of how such a degree might be developed. Remember, you can choose any appropriate secondary discipline.

For general information about the Special Master's at Sacramento State, see the current Catalog.

Additional Master's Degree Samples

The following chart shows the secondary disciplines and degree titles of past and current Gerontology Special Masters students.

Discipline	Secondary Discipline	Degree Title
GERO	Health Science	Health and Aging
GERO	Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration	Recreation Administration and Management for Older Adults
GERO	Recreation and Leisure Studies	Activity Therapy and Aging
GERO	Organizational Behavior and Environment	Gerontological Studies and Corporate Organizations
GERO	Public Policy and Administration	Senior Employment and Education
GERO	Social Work	Quality of Life in Aging Populations
GERO	Public Policy and Administration	Aging Paradigms and Policies
GERO	Education/Nursing	Aging and Community Education
GERO	Public Policy and Administration	Elder Related Government Administration
GERO	Health Science	Aging and Health
GERO	Public Policy and Administration	Elder Policies and Politics
GERO	Recreation and Leisure Studies	Healthy Aging and Recreation
GERO	Education	The Memory Bump in the Hmong Community

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

It is required that students entering the Gerontology Special Master’s Program take the General Subject GRE*. There is no specific score students must achieve. The GRE is mainly used as a diagnostic tool to gauge potential students’ abilities in writing and critical thinking, but a lower score will not necessarily cause your application to be denied. GRE must be taken within the last 10 years, and must include a writing component. For more information about the GRE, click here.

*Note: Students who, within the last 10 years, have successfully completed a Master's Degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher do not need to submit GRE scores.

Application Deadlines

Students must apply online via CSU Mentor and submit the Graduate Special Major Application and Special Major Declaration, along with 2 copies of all college transcripts to the Office of Graduate Studies. Students must also submit a Gerontology Program Application and GRE scores* to the Gerontology Program Office by the deadlines posted below.

*If you will be unable to complete the GRE prior to the deadline, please contact our office. We may be able to make an exception. All other materials must be submitted by the deadline.

Spring 2012: The application period is now closed.

Please check back for information about application deadlines for Fall 2012.

Application deadlines are subject to change. Check with the Office of Graduate Studies for exact deadline dates.

For more information about admissions, click here.

BE SURE TO PLAN EARLY! Students interested in pursuing a Special Master's should meet with Dr. Osborne at least one year in advance to form a faculty committee, and to ensure timely enrollment into the program. Contact the Gerontology Program Office for an appointment, or come to one of Dr. Osborne's Prospective Student Advising sessions.