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GRN – Gerontology Instructor Qualifications

See Gerontology-oriented SOC and PSY descriptions further down the page.

GRN Instructor Qualifications

GRN 233 Supporting End of Life

Master’s degree in gerontology, social sciences, human services, or related field; and 3 years recent experience in end of life care and support services or programs; OR

Bachelor’s degree in gerontology, social sciences or related field; and 4 years recent experience in end of life care and support services or programs.

GRN 240 Care and Service Coordination

Master’s degree in gerontology, social work, social sciences, human services, or related field; and 3 years experience in case management, care management, or care and service coordination in the field of aging; OR

Bachelor’s degree in gerontology, social work, social sciences, human services, or related field; and 4 years experience in case or care management, or care and service coordination, in the field of aging.

GRN 165 Basic Activity Director Training
GRN 264 Activity Professional Training

Bachelor’s degree and Activity Consultant Certified status with the National Certification Council for Activity Professionals; and

NCCAP Instructor Pre-Approval to teach the Modular Education Program for Activity Professionals Parts I and II.

GRN 172 Adult Home Care Training

Master’s degree in gerontology, nursing, social work, or human services and 3 years recent, full-time, non-teaching experience in long term care or care management; OR

Bachelor’s degree in gerontology, nursing, social work, or human services and 4 years recent, full-time, non-teaching work experience in long term care or care management; OR

AAS Degree in gerontology, nursing, or human services field and 5 years recent full-time, non-teaching work experience in long term care or care management; OR

Demonstrated competency and qualifications in adult care home operations and levels of care,

AND

Oregon Division of Seniors & People with Disabilities, Office of Licensing & Quality of Care Approval to teach the Ensuring Quality Care Curriculum. [EQC Instructor Approval must be attached to PCC Instructor Approval documentation]

GRN 234 Introduction to Dementia Care & Practice

Master’s degree in gerontology, social sciences, or health field, with at least 3 years recent experience in dementia services or programs OR

Bachelor’s degree in gerontology, social science, or health field, with at least 4 years recent experience in dementia services or programs.

GRN 175 The Aging Mind
GRN 176 Cognitive Activity Design

Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in any field AND

4 years of part-time experience (within the last 10 years) relevant to the field of cognition and aging

Qualifications for these three courses added December 2014.

GRN 237 End of Life Therapies
GRN 239 End of Life Practices

Master’s degree or Bachelor’s degree in gerontology or the field featured in the course offering; OR

Three years full-time experience working with end of life therapies and practices (such as art, music, horticulture or pet therapy; mind-body practices, expressive arts, legacy development, home funerals, and rituals)

AND

Required qualifications or certification in the therapeutic field or practice featured in the course offering (such as certification by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT), the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB), or the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA); or certification in end of life practices, such as home funerals, legacies, rituals, and thanatology)

GRN 181 Exploring the Field of Aging
GRN 280B Gerontology Internship Seminar
GRN 282 Gerontology Professional Seminar

Master’s degree in gerontology, social sciences, counseling, education, social work, or related field;and 3 years recent experience in the field of aging OR

Bachelor’s degree in gerontology, social sciences, counseling, education, social work, or related field;and 4 years recent experience in the field of aging

Preferred: Experience in workforce or career development and advising

GRN 280A CE: Gerontology Internship

Master’s degree in gerontology, social sciences, workforce or career development, or certification in the field related to the internship specialization area; and3 years recent experience in the field; OR

Bachelor’s degree in gerontology, social sciences, workforce or career development, gerontology, or certification in the field related to the internship specialization area;and 4 years recent experience in the field.

GRN 245 Introduction to Guardianship
GRN 247 Applied Legal & Policy Issues in Aging

JD Degree or Master’s degree in gerontology, social work, public policy, or related field;and 3 years experience or professional practice in the field

Preferred for GRN245: For non-attorneys, national certification as a Guardian and experience assessing cognitive incapacity or practicing in a guardianship-related context.

GRN 166 Therapeutic Horticulture in Health and Human Services
GRN 267 Introduction to Professional Therapeutic Horticulture
GRN 268 Techniques and Adaptive Strategies in Therapeutic Horticulture
GRN 269 Therapeutic Horticulture Skills I
GRN 270 Therapeutic Horticulture Programming for Adults & Children
GRN 271 Therapeutic Horticulture Skills II
GRN 272 Therapeutic Garden Design, Maintenance & Programming
GRN 273 Interior Plants
(this course added December 2014)

Bachelor’s degree including 18 credits in social sciences and 18 credits in horticulture, according to AHTA standard;and

Three years experience with a Master’s degree and four years experience with a Bachelor’s degree in horticultural therapy and healing gardens;and

Registered Horticultural Therapist with the American Horticultural Therapy Association

Gerontology Qualifications Last Approved: November 2019

SOC Instructor Qualifications
  • Sociology faculty must have a minimum of a Master’s degree in sociology or a sub­ discipline of sociology (i.e. demography, urban studies, criminology, gerontology, peace studies, womens’ studies, or as defined by the SAC). The sub-discipline degree must have at least 32 hours of graduate-level course work in sociology, with not more than half in research There may be exceptions for special topic classes, as specified by the SAC.
  • Social Work and other social science disciplines, such as Anthropology, Psychology, or Political Science, are not considered sub-disciplines of

Revised Date: 2008

Qualifications for specific SOC courses:

SOC 223: Sociology of Aging
SOC 230: Introduction to Gerontology
SOC 232: Death and Dying

  • Master’s degree in sociology or gerontology; or Master’s degree in related area with at least 30 credit hours of graduate level credit in sociology or gerontology; and 3 years recent work or teaching experience in the field of

Approved: October 2013

SOC 231Sociology of Health and Aging

  • Master’s degree in sociology, gerontology, public health, or nursing; or Master’s degree in related area with at least 30 credit hours upper division or graduate credit in health and aging; and 3 years recent work or teaching experience in the field  OR
  • Bachelor’s degree in sociology, gerontology, public health, or nursing; or Bachelor’s degree in a related field with at least 30 credit hours upper division course work in health and aging; and 4 years recent work experience in the field.

Approved: January 2010

PSY – Psychology Instructor Qualifications
General Qualifications

Master’s degree or higher in Psychology (including all specialized degrees with Psychology in the title of the degree)

OR Master’s degree or higher in Counseling (including specialties in MFT, MFCC, CMF)

OR Master’s degree or higher in a Related Area and completion of 30 quarter-hours of graduate credit in a Psychology or Counseling Department.

Related Area degrees include, but are not limited to:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Human Sciences
  • Neuroscience
  • Social or Human Ecology
  • Social Work
  • Human Development

The list of Related Areas may not be inclusive as there are other degree titles that may be appropriate. The Division Dean, in consultation with the Faculty Department Chair (and/or screening committee), will make a recommendation to the Dean of Instruction about the applicability of a particular degree that is outside the scope of these lists.

The SAC may recommend a Master’s degree outside of these qualifications for a special-topic course.

Qualifications that apply to specific courses:

PSY 236 – Psychology of Adult Development & Aging:

Meet general instructor qualifications for Psychology (above), OR

Master’s degree in Gerontology AND at least 30 graduate credit hours in Psychology and/or Human Development.

Gerontology/Sociology/Psychology Instructor Qualifications prior to November 2019