UMass Boston

Applicants must meet general graduate admission requirements in addition to the following program-specific requirements:

• Statement of Purpose - Attach a three to four page essay/personal statement on your experiences and why you wish to enter our program.
• Official Transcripts - Submit official transcripts from each college or university you attended, even if you were not awarded a degree.
• You must demonstrate evidence of a bachelor's degree.
• CV/Resume  - please submit your up-to-date CV/Resume
• GRE Scores - GRE scores are not required to apply for the PhD program. If you wish to provide your official GRE Score Report, you may. You can use institutional code 3924 when you register for the exam.
• Letters of Recommendation - Submit three letters of recommendation from people familiar with your academic abilities.
• Application Fee

Deadlines: February 1 (for priority consideration for funding) and June 15 (final) for fall

Application Fee: The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee.

Program Cost Information: Bursar's website

For more information on curriculum, including course descriptions and degree requirements, visit the Academic Catalog.

Our PhD students will: 

• Develop advanced research expertise in gerontology, including quantitative and qualitative research methods, data analysis, theoretical frameworks, and policy analytic techniques, allowing them to conduct original research and contribute to the field's understanding of aging. 
• Acquire a deep understanding of the social, psychological, biological, and economic aspects of aging, enabling them to critically analyze and address the complex challenges and opportunities faced by older adults and society as a whole. 
• Demonstrate advanced communication, leadership, and teaching skills, preparing them to disseminate their research findings, mentor emerging scholars, and contribute to the advancement of gerontological knowledge, policy, and practice. 

Complete 69 credits from 21 courses including five foundation courses, six research courses, three policy courses, one professional development seminar, five electives, and nine credits of dissertation research.

Doctoral candidacy: Completion of a paper examination.
Dissertation: Compose and defend a dissertation based on original research.
Empirical research paper: By the end of the fourth semester of study, students are expected to complete an empirical research paper, comparable to an article that would be published in a professional academic journal. The paper is based on the preparatory course work in research methods and statistical analysis undertaken during the first and second years of study. Completion and acceptance of the paper by two faculty reviewers by the end of the fourth term is a prerequisite to taking the qualifying paper examination.

En Route Master’s Degree: Students may, with the approval of the program director, apply to receive an MS degree en route to the PhD. To qualify, students must complete 30 credits and the empirical research paper.

Transfer coursework: Students who enter the program already holding an appropriate master’s degree may petition the Graduate Program Director for waiver of up to 12 credit hours of required or elective course work. Prior graduate courses will be considered for meeting elective requirements on the basis of their pertinence to the student’s course of studies in gerontology. All courses considered for waiver or transfer must have been completed with a grade of at least B. Consideration will be given only to courses completed within 7 years of enrollment. Acceptance of prior course work is subject to the approval of the graduate program director and the dean of graduate studies.

Statute of limitations: Eight years.

Graduate Program Director Jeffrey Stokes 
jeffrey.stokes [at] umb.edu
(617) 287-7239

Program Manager Martin Hansen-Verma
martin.hansen [at] umb.edu
(617) 287-7338

Gerontology Programs
gerontology [at] umb.edu