USC Debuts Graduate Degree in Aging Services

The USC Davis School of Gerontology has announced a new master’s program in Aging Services Management. One of the first of its kind in the United States, the professional degree — launching in fall of 2009 — will provide leadership training for careers that supply services to the rapidly increasing population of older adults.

“Aging services is a tremendous growth area worldwide, and there’s a huge demand for high-level positions,” said Gerald C. Davison, dean of the USC Davis School. “Administrators and managers must be knowledgeable about multi-payer systems, government-regulation policies and programs, as well as the needs and preferences of the people they serve.”

Baby boomers, the 77 million Americans born between the years 1946 and 1964, are healthier and better educated than any previous generation was at their age. Their estimated annual spending power is more than one trillion dollars.

“We will not only be preparing students to serve the increasing global population of older adults; we will also equip them with the knowledge to prepare for and deal with shifting economic trends, legal changes, regulatory environments and government policies in which they will be employed,” Davison said.

In addition to health care providers and social workers, older adults will require additional aging services that do not yet exist. Small and medium-sized enterprises in this realm have the potential to be engines of economic growth, productivity and job creation.

“We hope to develop innovators in the silver industries,” said Maria Henke, assistant dean of the USC Davis School. “Entrepreneurs attempting to reach out to this market will be aware of what consumers are requesting and will be trained to look for niche needs that are not being met.”

Using academic research about aging to inform real-life situations, the Master of Arts in Aging Services Management curriculum will expose students to general information about aging, including demography, health and culture, as well as a core set of management skills related specifically to aging services businesses.

Courses offered include Applied Legal and Regulatory Issues in Aging, which examines the shifting legal and regulatory issues affecting the delivery of aging services; Marketing and Shifts in Consumer Decision Making, which covers efforts to capture the senior market; and Current Issues in Aging Services Management, which focuses on the basic skills needed for executives in the industry.

“Advanced longevity brings with it demands for employment and retirement, and a greater prevalence of frailty, disease and disability over time, requiring the services of trained professionals,” Davison said.

Upholding the USC Davis School’s commitment to technological innovation, all courses will be taught in one of the school’s “smart” classrooms for on-campus students and will be transmitted over the Web to distance-learning students globally.

Worldwide, the population of adults over the age of 65 is expected to increase from 6.9 percent in 2000 to 12 percent by 2030. This age group brings with it preferences and needs sharply different from previous generations of older persons. Improved socioeconomic status and health care also means that these elders can expect to live longer than ever before.

The Master of Aging Services Management is now one of six graduate programs offered at the USC Davis School, including the Master of Science in Gerontology, the Online Master of Arts in Gerontology, the Master of Arts in Long Term Care Administration, the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, and a Ph.D. in Gerontology.

“We see the Master of Aging Services program as a strong professionally-oriented complement to our already diverse graduate offerings,” Henke said.

For more information about the new program, including application requirements, please visit the USC Davis School of Gerontology Web site at www.usc.edu/dept/gero.

Contact: Athan Bezaitis at (213) 740-0821 or bezaitis@usc.edu