Program Overview

---

Program Overview

The Aging and Applied Thanatology certificate program is a 12-credit, flexible online post-baccalaureate certificate that can be completed in as little as nine months. This interdisciplinary program is designed to provide students with advanced knowledge and practical skills to address the sensitive and complex issues of aging, death, dying, and grief.

Program Details

Class Format

The program is offered online, with full-time and part-time options available. The classes are asynchronous, allowing students to complete the coursework at their own pace.

Program Location

The program is 100% online, providing students with the flexibility to complete the coursework from anywhere.

Program Length

The program can be completed in a minimum of 2 semesters, with a maximum of 3 years to complete the requirements.

Credits to Complete

The program requires 12 credits to complete.

Cost/Credit Hour

The cost per credit hour is:

• In-state: $769/credit
• Out-of-state: $994/credit

Admission Requirements

Core Requirements

• Online application
• $75 application fee
• Official transcripts
• 300-500 word essay
• Proof of English language proficiency
• CV or resume

Educational Objectives

The program explores the biological, psychological, social, and cultural aspects of aging, preparing students to understand the challenges and opportunities of later life. The program applies principles of thanatology to support older adults and their families through end-of-life issues, grief, and bereavement.

Career Outlook

The program provides students with the knowledge and skillset to support the bereaved on their grief journeys and to improve the dying process for individuals managing chronic illness. The demand for professionals qualified to care for older patients, their caregivers, and families is increasing, with career opportunities in:

• Nursing home care
• Hospice and hospital care
• Psychology
• Emergency services
• Social work
• Spiritual guidance
• Patient care
• Bereavement counseling

Coursework

The program requires the completion of four 3-credit courses:

• THAN 604: Death and Dying: Ethical and Legal Considerations
• THAN 605: Palliative Care
• THAN 606: Caring for the Bereaved
• THAN 609: Psychosocial Perspectives in Aging

Continuing Education Credits

The program provides continuing education credits for professional counselors, psychologists, social workers, and nurses. Completing the program also supports eligibility for capstone designations for Certified in Thanatology (CT) and Fellow in Thanatology (FT) through the Association for Death Education and Counseling.

Program Completion Timeline

• All four courses will be offered at least once each year to enable students to complete the program within one year.
• Participants can begin the program at the start of either the Spring or Fall semester.
• Although most students complete the program within one year, students will be allowed up to three years to complete the program.

Educational Objectives

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Recognize common responses to aging, death, dying, and grief as experienced by adults and children.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to individual, developmental, and cultural variations in addressing and coping with aging, dying, death, and grief.
• Communicate effectively with those who are dying and grieving, as well as recognize barriers that can impede effective communication with these populations.
• Use patient-sensitive methods of palliative care based upon an interdisciplinary perspective.
• Describe and apply empirically-based methods of therapeutic grief intervention.
• Analyze and evaluate legal and ethical principles and dilemmas regarding death, dying, and end-of-life choices.
• Work effectively as an interprofessional team member around issues related to aging, dying, and grief by developing and applying the competencies of interprofessional practices.
• Evaluate the societal, cultural, and religious/spiritual influences on responses to death and dying.
• Develop greater self-awareness of and coping skills for one's own experiences of and attitudes toward aging, death, and grief.
• Apply this training for certification through the Association for Death Education and Counseling.