Progress and challenges in graduate education in gerontology: the U.S. Experience

The history and current status of graduate programs in gerontology in the United States are reviewed. Masters degree programs began in 1967, and currently exist at 57 universities in the United States. Challenges for these programs include maintaining enrollment and identifying employment for program graduates, given competition from graduates from other disciplines that have advantages such as state licensure. Doctoral programs in aging began in 1989, with nine current programs. Results to date suggest that graduates with doctorates in gerontology can succeed in academic, policy, research, and business settings. Challenges for these programs include competition from traditional disciplinary doctoral programs. The U.S. experience suggests that successful development of graduate programs in gerontology must be attentive to providing stable academic structures for these programs, and careful consideration of how gerontology graduates will compete with graduates from traditional disciplines and professions.