title: Professionalizing gerontology: why AGHE must accredit gerontology programs.
abstract: The aging of society requires more trained aging specialists. Are higher education institutions prepared? Results of a comparison of gerontology programs in 2000 and 2010 indicate that the number of programs has declined and that higher education is not prepared. To address this challenge, the authors propose that gerontology be professionalized. To do so will require the accreditation of gerontology programs, the credentialing of gerontology graduates, and the employment of professional gerontologists. The authors offer a model that describes these relationships. The authors make the case, using a symbolic interactionist approach, that the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education must accredit gerontology programs.
authors.affiliation: Gerontology Program, School of Social Work, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California 94132, USA. apelham@sfsu.edu
authors.forename: Anabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pelham
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schafer
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abbott
authors.forename: Carroll
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Estes
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D004522:Educational Status; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D024382:Professional Role; D012933:Social Identification; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities / Q000592:standards*