I don't have any experience working with the elderly. The internship that is required for the DAG master's degree will ensure that students have experience by the time they finish the program, even if they have little or none at the time they start it. I'm already employed in the field of gerontology. Regular course work can be substituted for the internship if a student has three years or more of relevant professional experience. Requests for internship waivers are considered by the DAG advisor and faculty on an individual basis.
Students have seven years to complete the master's degree.
The seven-year time period begins with the oldest course applied to the degree. I want to finish the program quickly so I can get a job in the field. For ADLR students, the internship is a minimum of 1,000 clock hours served over a period of at least six months, for which the student receives six semester hours of credit. For ADAO students, the internship is a minimum of 500 clock hours with no minimum time period over which they must be served, for which the student receives three semester hours of credit. Rather than a thesis, the DAG master's degree requires a capstone seminar in which students attend regular class meetings while preparing a paper or other project that demonstrates the application of research to practice in gerontology.