The Department of Human Development at Virginia Tech invites applications for master’s and doctoral study in adult development and aging. Financial support is available. Details and contact information follow.
Program Emphasis
The doctoral program in Adult Development and Aging prepares professionals for participation in academic, research, governmental, and private organizations. Students complete coursework that includes developmental theories, developmental research methods, development across the adult years at the individual and family levels of analysis, health, and advanced statistical analysis.
Pending sufficient qualifications, students with a master’s degree are admitted directly into the Ph.D. program. Students with a bachelor’s degree are admitted to the doctoral track and complete an M.S. degree en route to the Ph.D. Successful completion of a comprehensive exam and a master’s thesis prepare students for doctoral-level study, which includes advanced course work, research experiences, a preliminary exam, and dissertation research.
Students opting for a master’s degree in human development complete a research- and theory-based program that focuses on human services delivery systems and development of advanced professional intervention and management skills. As part of this program, students may include support courses in Adult Development and Aging and complete their practicum in an agency serving adults.
Research questions examined by the Adult Development and Aging faculty are grounded in compelling theory and employ rigorous analytic techniques. This research is published in top-tier and well-established scholarly journals including Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, The Gerontologist, Journal of Marriage and Family, Family Relations, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Personality and Individual Differences, Journal of Women and Aging, Ageing International, and Journal of Applied Gerontology. Faculty members encourage students to participate actively in research and in the dissemination of research findings, often as co-presenters at scholarly conferences and co-authors of publications. Students in the program collaborate in collecting data, coding human behaviors, analyzing data, and preparing reports of the results. Please visit the faculty members’ individual pages to see recent publications.
Developmental Science Across the Lifespan
The initiative for Developmental Science Across the Lifespan is a collaborative effort between the departments of Human Development and Psychology at Virginia Tech. The Developmental Science Initiative provides additional resources, including research assistantships and a colloquium speaker series, to foster collaboration across disciplines. The collaborative efforts also provide for team-taught and cross-listed courses and foster interdisciplinary research that reflects lifespan development. To learn more about the Developmental Science Initiative, visit the DSI website: http://www.psyc.vt.edu/devsci/.
Student Opportunities and Support
For more than 30 years, the Center for Gerontology has served as Virginia Tech’s organizational unit and focal point for aging-related activities. The Center fosters and facilitates basic and applied research on relationships in later life, health and aging, and elder rights; promotes and supports graduate education in gerontology; and provides leadership for outreach activities. Opportunities for students include research assistantships, internships, scholarships, and professional development activities and support.
The Center coordinates a 15-credit Graduate Certificate in Gerontology that may be included as part of any graduate program at Virginia Tech. The Certificate is designated a Program of Merit by the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. Certificate students are eligible for scholarships and professional development funds administered by the Center.
Virginia Tech Adult Day Services Center
ADS serves as a research laboratory and provides opportunities for applied training experiences for students focusing on community-based long-term care for older adults, family caregiver support, and intergenerational programming involving children and older adults. Opportunities for students include research assistantships and internships. ADS also provides a community outreach service for older adults and their family members who participate in its daily programs.
Faculty and Research
Adult Development and Aging faculty members have diverse areas of interest including developmental research methods and statistics, caregiving, close relationships (friendship, parent/child, grandparent/grandchild, family caregivers), health and chronic disease, elder abuse, community capacity, program evaluation, rural service delivery, spirituality, therapeutic interventions, intergenerational resource transfers, social support, and gender issues. Faculty research is funded by the National Institute on Aging, USDA National Research Initiative, USDA CYFAR Initiative, Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases Research Award Fund, and other sources.
Faculty: Rosemary Blieszner, Alison Galway, Shannon E. Jarrott, Jay A. Mancini, Karen A. Roberto, Tina Savla
Applying to the Adult Development and Aging Program
For more information or for questions about applying to the Ph.D. program in Adult Development and Aging, please contact Dr. Rosemary Blieszner (rmb@vt.edu). You may also visit the Graduate School website to learn more about applying to our program.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Tech is among the top 50 research universities in the nation, enrolling 23,000 undergraduate and 4,000 graduate students. It is located in Blacksburg, 30 miles west of Roanoke between the scenic Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains. It is easily accessible by air and car. The University's excellence and the natural beauty of the area have attracted scholars from around the world. Blacksburg and nearby Roanoke provide many metropolitan diversions including fine dining and internationally renowned entertainment, while the surrounding mountains offer a wide range of activities for recreation and relaxation.
Rosemary Blieszner, PhD
Alumni Distinguished Professor
Department of Human Development (0416)
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg VA 24061
Phone: 540-231-5437 Fax: 540-231-7012
Email: rmb@vt.edu
http://www.humandevelopment.vt.edu/blieszner.html
Editor, Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences
Gerontological Society of America
Email: jgps@vt.edu
http://www.geron.org/journals/psychological.html
