Skip navigation
A geriatric nurse helps a patient: Pursue your B.S. in Gerontology degree online at Regent University, Virginia Beach.

B.S. in Gerontology

Pursue Health. Improve Lives With a Gerontology Degree.

You have a heart for seniors and a desire to serve them in your chosen career. Regent’s Bachelor of Science in Gerontology, offered exclusively online, blends the disciplines of biophysical sciences, healthcare management and psychology to prepare you to create and coordinate services that benefit seniors. Based on a strong Christian foundation, our gerontology degree can equip you to lead positive change in programs, organizations and agencies that support aging populations.

Online
120+
May 6, 2024
Download PDF

GAIN EXPERTISE

Analyze aging and human development issues in the light of God’s truth.

BUILD ON A STRONG FOUNDATION

Anchor your knowledge and skill on Christian principles and values.

LEARN FROM THE BEST

Be mentored by faculty in Virginia Beach who hold the highest degrees in their field.

Explore Scholarships

Explore exciting scholarship opportunities such as academic merit scholarships, honors college scholarships, and more! Learn about the scholarships for on-campus incoming freshmen: the $10,000 Freedom Scholarships, $4,000 Homeschool Scholarships and $4,000 Private School Scholarships. Explore all scholarships.

Please complete the Request Information form on this page to learn more about this program.

On completing the B.S. in Gerontology degree, you can:

  • Provide solutions to real-world gerontology problems based on strategic business and healthcare management applications.
  • Engage with others to promote integrated approaches to serving the aging populations.
  • Apply professional, ethical, and responsible leadership behaviors to tangible geriatric situations.

Career Opportunities

  • Administrative Gerontologist
  • Social and Healthcare Assistant
  • Social Worker
  • Healthcare Professional
  • Home Health Aides
  • Health Services Facility Manager
  • Entry-level Social Scientist
25%
Projected employment growth for home health aides and personal care aides from 2021-31 (much faster than average) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022
Life satisfaction; life review; age related physical and emotional changes; anxiety and acceptance of “growing old;” isolation and social construction of aging; theories and models of aging and retirement; implications for families and caregivers.
Issues in the field of aging; emphasis on the frontier of social concern and public debate: implications of an expanded life expectancy, ageism and poverty, victimization and abuse of the aged, institutions and centers for the aged, politics and conservatism, aging and sexuality, death and dying. Prerequisite: GERO 201.
Theological and spiritual foundation for working with and caring for the aged; biblical views of aging presented in the Old and New Testaments; views and theories of aging in a variety of cultures, ancient and modern; the role of faith and spiritual needs of those in later life. Prerequisite: GERO 201.
Anthropological perspectives on aging including racial differences in aging; gender differences in aging; the importance of cultural context in facilitating the aging experience; the impact of globalization and modernization on the aged; factors that influence how a person ages. Prerequisite: GERO 201.
Explores the specific age-stages of adult development and aging emphasizing psychosocial, psychopathological, biological, intellectual, and personality processes from a theoretical and research-oriented perspective. Prerequisite: GERO 201 (for Gerontology majors only). Cross-listed with PSYC 416.
Megatrends of modern culture; the rapid aging of society and relentless advances in technology to sustain individual autonomy to an advanced age; mobility and transportation; assistive devise; in-home technologies; smart homes for seniors. Prerequisite: GERO 201.
Current health policy issues for the aging; the process and politics of health policy development and implementation; health policy issues for seniors in regard to governmental regulations; health policy within historical, political, social and economic contexts; public and private sector initiatives for care for the aged.
Healthy aging in seniors; prevention and/or management of disease; health and wellness in the older adult population; risk factors for late life health problems and threats to independence; health behavior change and health education models; health status and health behaviors of older adults. Prerequisite: GERO 201.
The structure of the human response to death, dying, and bereavement in their socio-cultural, interpersonal, and person context; senior citizens perception of death; bereavement and grief over the life course; euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide and death-related ethical debates; Christian responses to death and dying. Prerequisite: GERO 201.
Full spectrum of long-term care settings: family and community based care, supportive housing options, and institutional long-term care alternatives; ethical considerations in long-term care; lived experience of long-term care among the aged; the future of long-term care. Prerequisite: GERO 201.
Biological basis of aging; variations in the patterns of aging; changes that occur in cells, molecules, metabolism, and structure during the aging process; the development and progression of several diseases associated with aging; manipulation of aging in the future. Prerequisite: GERO 201.
Supervised practicum experience in a community agency planning for and/or delivering professional services to older adults (or comprehensive research paper); culminates the coursework for the major and focuses on application of the interdisciplinary nature of the degree. Prerequisite: GERO 201. Must be taken as the final course in program.

Step 1: Apply to Regent University

Submit your application using the Regent University Online Application.

Note: If you are unable to complete our application due to a disability, please contact our Admissions Office at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu and an admissions representative will provide reasonable accommodations to assist you in completing the application.

Step 2: Submit Your Unofficial Transcripts

Submit your unofficial high school or college transcripts to regent.edu/items.

Upon submitting your application, you will receive an email requesting authorization for Regent University to obtain your official transcripts from your U.S. degree-granting institution. International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES, AACRAO or NAFSA approved agency.

Step 3: Submit Your Government-Issued ID

To ensure academic integrity, Regent University requires a copy of a government-issued ID. Please submit a scanned copy or photograph of it to regent.edu/items.

Step 4: Submit Your FAFSA

Complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov Regent's school code is 030913.


Please feel free to contact the Office of Admissions at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu should you have any further questions about the application process.

Note: All items submitted as part of the application process become the property of Regent University and cannot be returned.

DegreeTuition Block Rate Per SemesterCredit Hours Per SemesterTuition Rate Per Year
Students taking on-campus classes
(fall & spring semesters)
$9,49312 - 18$18,986
DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Students taking on-campus classes
(fall & spring semesters)
$630Under 12$7,560
Students taking on-campus classes
(fall & spring semesters)
$630Over 18$11,340
Students taking on-campus classes
(summer semester)
$630N/A$1,890+

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$850 (Fall & Spring)
$700 (Summer)

Housing Fees » | Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Part-Time Students (3-11 Credit Hours Per Semester)$4506$2,700
Full-Time Students (12+ Credit Hours Per Semester)$39512$4,740

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (Online Students)$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

DegreeTuition Block Rate Per SemesterCredit Hours Per SemesterTuition Block Rate Per Semester
Students taking on-campus classes
(fall & spring semesters)
$9,04012 - 18$9,040
DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Students taking on-campus classes
(fall & spring semesters)
$603Under 12$7,236
Students taking on-campus classes
(fall & spring semesters)
$603Over 18$10,854
Students taking on-campus classes
(summer semester)
$603N/A$1,809+

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$800 (Fall & Spring)
$650 (Summer)

Housing Fees » | Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Part-Time Students (3-11 Credit Hours Per Semester)$4506$2,700
Full-Time Students (12+ Credit Hours Per Semester)$39512$4,740

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (Online Students)$650

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

What Can you learn while completing a B.S. in Gerontology?

Throughout the B.S. in Gerontology program, you can learn about how aging affects a patient’s body and psychology. This knowledge can be a foundation for theories and practices to help older patients live more healthy, comfortable lives.

What can you do with a gerontology degree?

Once you complete a degree in gerontology, you can pursue a career in social work, nursing, and other healthcare occupations like home health aide or healthcare administration.

If you pursue a master’s degree, you can become a therapist specializing in mental health for senior citizens.

“Regent provided a very hands-on experience that I could implement in my life right away. You can’t come out of this program without becoming a better leader. It proves itself of worth and value time and again.”

Cynthia Arocho, M.A., 2012

“Regent offers a 25% discount for veterans, which is helping me pay for my MSN degree.”

Michelle Schindler, MSN, '22 Registered Nurse, Certified (RNC); Veteran

“I chose to go back to school to help advance my career. I’ve used the knowledge, skills and abilities I’ve learned at Regent extensively. When I saw Regent’s motto, Christian Leadership to Change the World, I knew this was for me.”

Julia DuBree, RN to B.S. in Nursing, 2018 School Nurse

“Regent’s online program gives me flexibility and convenience I need.”

Sheri Terrillion, MBA, 2019 Healthcare Management

“Regent's online, eight-week programs will help you take responsibility and have a way to be self-taught. You'll not only have that initiative, but you'll be able to interact with your professors online. It was really good for me.”

Taniki Richard, B.S. Business Leadership, 2016 Former U.S. Marine Corps