Special Masters Program

The CSUS Gerontology Special Masters 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.

View the combined Gerontology and Public Policy Special Masters to see a sample of how such a degree might be developed. Remeber, you can choose any appropriate secondary discipline.

For general information about the Special Masters at Sacramento State, see the current Catalog.

Additional Masters Degree Samples

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

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
It is required that students entering the Gerontology Special Master’s Program take the GRE (general test).  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.  For more information about the GRE, click here.

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 following deadlines:

Spring 2009: October 1, 2008
Fall 2009: February 2, 2009

These are completion deadlines, so all applicatons materials must be submitted by these dates.

For more information about declaring a Special Masters and about the application process, click here.

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.