Overview
The Cross-Disciplinary Certificate in Aging is offered to students enrolled in degree programs in the Faculty of Health beginning. This Certificate in Aging brings together courses across different disciplines (Kinesiology and Health Science, Psychology, Sociology, etc.) at the 3000 and 4000 level with the underlying theme of aging.
The general objectives of the certificate are to allow students to develop a level of competence and skills that could include the following: developing professionalism (e.g., compassion, intuition, empathy, teamwork, ethics) through interpersonal experiences with older adults; promoting positive aging (promoting independence from a person focused perspective), understanding aging from a diverse cultural perspective; advocating on behalf of older adults; contributing to life-long learning by providing education about aging to individuals and families; increasing respite capacity, contributing to supports and resources for caregivers; designing interventions regarding age related concerns; and problem solving on a case-by-case basis.
Curriculum Structure
Students pursuing the certificate must have completed the designated prerequisite courses prior to enrolling in the 3000/4000 level courses listed.
Students pursing the certificate must complete 24 credits, including:
HH/KINE 3350 3.00 – Physical Activity, Health and Aging
HH/KINE 4645 3.00 – Active Living and Ageing
HH/PSYC 3490 3.00 – Adult Development and Aging
HH/PSYC 3495 3.00 – Neuroscience of Aging & Cognitive Health
And 12 credits chosen from the following:
HH/HLST 3520 3.00 – Aging: Comparative Perspectives
HH/HLST 3530 3.00 – Population Aging and Health: Policies, Programs and Issues
HH/KINE 4060 6.00* – Independent Studies in Kinesiology and Health Science
HH/KINE 4100 6.00* – Honours Thesis
HH/KINE 4646 3.00 – Delivering Exercise to the Aging: Knowledge to Action
HH/PSYC 3900 3.00* – Individual Research Project
HH/PSYC 3901 3.00* – Individual Research Project
HH/PSYC 3902 6.00* – Individual Research Project
HH/PSYC 3903 6.00* – Individual Research Project
HH/PSYC 4000 6.00* – Honours Thesis
HH/PSYC 4001 6.00* – Specialized Honours Thesis
HH/PSYC 4006 3.00** – Part I: Healthy Aging Current Trends and Issues (cross-listed to: HH/KINE 4006 3.00)
HH/PSYC 4007 3.00** – Part II: Healthy Aging Community-Service Learning (CSL) Project (cross-listed to: HH/KINE 4007 3.00)
HH/PSYC 4900 3.00* – Individual Research Project
HH/PSYC 4901 3.00* – Individual Research Project
HH/PSYC 4902 6.00* – Individual Research Project
HH/PSYC 4903 6.00* – Individual Research Project
AP/SOCI 3550 3.00 or 6.00 – Sociology of Aging
GL/PSYC 3550 3.00 – Psychological Testing and Measurement
GL/PSYC 3555 3.00 – Learning, Behaviour Modification, and Behaviour Management
GL/PSYC 4260 3.00 or 6.00 – Applied Research Practicum
* Note: all thesis/independent study courses must be aging focused as agreed upon by the supervisor in order to qualify as satisfying the certificate requirement. A list of potential faculty members who conduct research on aging topics can be found on the York University Centre for Aging Research and Education (YU-CARE) website or you can do an ‘aging’ research keyword search on the Faculty of Health faculty directory. You can also speak with staff in the undergraduate offices of the programs offering the thesis/independent study courses to obtain any further information they might have to support your finding a supervisor.
** Students must fill in an application form and be accepted to take this course by the course director before permission to enroll will be granted. Students will receive notification of acceptance and thus permission to enroll beginning early July of the year it is offered and on a case by case basis after that until we reach capacity in the course.
Admission Requirements
Students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in the Faculty of Health are expected to apply for entry to the Certificate in Aging normally prior to completion of 36 credits of their undergraduate degree program. The applicant must provide evidence that he/she has completed all of the prerequisite courses in order for them to be eligible for enrolling in the upper 3000/4000- level courses that are a part of this certificate.
Graduation Requirements
Students must also submit an application to graduate from the Certificate in Aging. Applications will be obtained from and filed with the Faculty of Health. Please send an email to aging@yorku.ca for further details. Transcript notation that the requirements for a certificate have been completed will be made once the Registrar’s Office has received notice from the Faculty of Health. Certificates will not be conferred until candidates have successfully completed an undergraduate degree program if they are simultaneously enrolled in a degree and a certificate program.