Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Graduate Bulletin 
    
2018-2019 Graduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Department of Sociology


soc.appstate.edu

Cameron Lippard, Interim Chair
lippardcd@appstate.edu

Aging, Health and Society

Bradley Nash, Jr., Graduate Program Director
nashb@appstate.edu

The Aging, Health and Society program prepares students for careers requiring graduate-level knowledge and skills in areas relating to aging populations and their health in contemporary society. The program emphasizes knowledge about the sociological and related processes of normal aging coupled with a focus on the variety of social factors that influence health outcomes. Theory, research and professional career preparation are emphasized, as is knowledge and understanding of public policies that pertain to older populations in general and the delivery of health care in particular.

Students are encouraged to develop their own unique aging and health-related areas of specialization. (Recent creative examples include the aging of the inmate population and the growth of eating disorders among middle-aged women.) Faculty assist students with their research, which can lead to conference presentations and/or publications.

The Graduate Certificate can be completed in either one or two years. It is designed to develop or supplement aging-related knowledge and skills for (1) students in other master’s degree programs; (2) students “testing the waters”, that is, who are considering but do not yet want to commit to a master’s degree program; (3) employees who desire a graduate credential, but who do not want or need a master’s degree; (4) others with a personal or professional interest in aging and elders.

Graduates of the Graduate Certificate program have found jobs in both the public and private sectors, ranging from direct work with older persons to managerial/administrative positions. The program is approved by the NC Division of Health Service Regulation to offer the Administrator-in-Training Program for students who want to obtain assisted living facility administrator licensure.

The Graduate Certificate program can be completed 100% online so students can schedule coursework and assignments around their job, family and other obligations. There is no requirement to be logged on at a particular day or time, nor is there any online course requirement to come to the main campus. Other elective courses are offered only on campus.

Sociology

Bradley Nash, Graduate Program Director
nashb@appstate.edu

The Graduate Certificate in Sociology is designed to provide a solid post-baccalaureate foundation in Sociology. The six required courses:

  • comprise the basis of a master’s degree in Sociology, and
  • qualify Certificate recipients who also hold a master’s degree in a field other than sociology to teach Sociology courses in most colleges and universities nationwide.

The curriculum provides graduate-level expertise for teaching the most common Sociology courses (Introduction to Sociology, Social Problems, Marriage and Family). It also develops expertise in other standard Sociology sub-disciplines that are useful per se and that will enhance the teaching of Sociology (Sociological Theory, Research Methods, Social Stratification).

The Graduate Certificate in Sociology is 100% on-line and asynchronous, so students can schedule coursework and assignments around their job, family and other obligations. There is no requirement to be logged on at a particular day or time, nor is there any requirement to come to the main campus.

By taking two courses per semester (Summer, Fall and Spring), the Graduate Certificate in Sociology can be completed in one calendar year. The program is cohort based, each cohort commencing in the Summer term.

Programs

    Graduate Certificate

    Courses

      Sociology