FAQ's

University Links

Where Can I Find General Information on Applying to the MS in Aging and Lifespan Development, or the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology?

Please make sure you are familiar with the policies, etc. of the Graduate School. For the Graduate Catalog, go to http://www.asu.edu/catalog/.

To apply to the MS or Graduate Certificate (or any graduate program), go to http://graduate.asu.edu/prospectivestudents/index.html for information for prospective students.

The actual application process is done on-line, at http://graduate.asu.edu/admissions/index.html. You can save your application as you type it and return to it later. Make sure you write down your application reference number and password!

(All of these sites are links on the Graduate College homepage at http://graduate.asu.edu/.)

What will I need to apply? Do I need the GRE?

To apply to the MS in Aging and Lifespan Development, you will need three letters of recommendation, official copies of your undergraduate transcripts (unless it's ASU), and a personal statement. You do not need the GRE or any other test.

To apply for the Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, you will need two letters of recommendation, official copies of your undergraduate transcripts (unless it's ASU), and a personal statement.

All of the instructions are contained in the Graduate College application for the Aging and Lifespan Development program, which you can access at the Graduate College website. (See the above links.)

When you are filling out the application, you will need your Social Security Number, your ASU ID (if you already have one), the date your driver’s license was issued, your undergraduate GPA, your junior-senior GPA, and your graduate GPA if you have one. You may need other information as well.

What is the deadline to apply for the Master's or Graduate Certificate?

Students who wish to be admitted to the MS or Graduate Certificate for the FALL semester of any year need to have all of their application information submitted by July 15 of that year. Students who wish to admitted for the SPRING semester should have all of their information submitted by December 1 of the previous year (e.g., if you wish to apply for Spring 2009, your application should be complete by Dec. 1, 2008). Students cannot begin their coursework in the summer as the introductory course ALD 505 is not offered in the summer. However, if they have already taken ALD 505 (or the equivalent), they can apply for summer admittance in order to continue taking classes without losing credits (see below). The deadline for SUMMER admittance is April 1 of that year.

Please note that your file must be COMPLETE by those dates. The biggest delay in file completion is the letters of recommendation. We cannot process your file if your letters are not included, so please make sure to allow enough time for those writing your letters to complete them well in advance of the deadlines.

How much does it cost to take graduate-level classes?

For Tuition and Fee information go to http://graduate.asu.edu/gradcosts.html.

I already have taken some graduate-level classes. Can I transfer them to the MS degree or Graduate Certificate?

It is ASU policy that students applying to a graduate degree program (such as the MS) may count up to nine previously-taken credits (that meet program requirements) toward that degree or certificate. The previously-taken credits must have been graduate credits, taken at another university (no more than 20% of the total degree credits) or at ASU. For the MS in Aging and Lifespan Development, the courses must be at the graduate level and related to aging issues. Documentation (syllabus, copies of papers) will be required. Contact the program advisor for more information.

There is no limit on the number of ASU credits a student can transfer into an ASU Graduate Certificate program (as long as they meet program requirements), but only six credits from a different university may be transferred to the Graduate Certificate program.

I already have a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from ASU and want to get the Master’s. Do I need to retake classes I have already taken?

Because some of our potential MS students have recently taken more than nine credit hours of our graduate courses, those students may be waived from repeating courses for credit. Instead, they may take additional elective courses to meet the 36-hour requirement.

For example, suppose a student began coursework toward the Graduate Certificate in Spring 2003 and earned the Graduate Certificate in Fall 2006. That student could transfer in nine credits toward the MS. If that student chose to transfer in GRN 598 Perspectives on Aging, GRN 598 Health Aspects of Aging, and GRN 598 Caregiving, then that student would be waived from taking ALD 505 Perspectives on Aging and ALD 520 Health Aspects of Aging Adults, and instead take two additional electives. The Caregiving course would count as one of the six elective courses. (However, see the next question regarding time limits.)

Students who have earned the Graduate Certificate in recent years should meet with the program advisor to review their coursework and prepare their Program of Study.

Is there a time limit to completing the MS or Graduate Certificate?

All coursework for either must be completed within six calendar years (see the graduate catalog). This includes courses taken previously. Using the example of the student above, that student would need to complete the MS by Spring 2009 if he or she wanted to count one or more courses taken in Spring 2003.

Please also note that if you do not enroll in a class for one semester (not counting summer terms), you will need to reapply to ASU for the next semester, and pay the application fee. If you do not take classes for two consecutive semesters (not counting summer terms), you will need to reapply to both ASU and to the MS in Aging and Lifespan Development or Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, and will be subject to the policies of that semester’s catalog.

Should I apply for the Master’s degree, or the Graduate Certificate, or both? I think I want the Certificate, but I may decide to get the Master’s.

Graduate degree programs (such as the MS in ALD) only permit up to nine previously-taken approved courses to be transferred to the degree. Therefore, if you are applying for the Certificate (21 credit hours) and think you may want to pursue the Master’s degree later, you may want to consider applying for the Master’s degree (36 credit hours), either simultaneously or once you are taking your ninth credit. This will ensure that you do not lose any credits, should you decide to continue on for the Master’s. You would need to pay the application fee again, but that would be much less expensive than losing three or more credits.

At this time, there is no limit on the number of ASU credits a student can transfer into an ASU Graduate Certificate program. A student who is in the Master’s program could decide to get the Certificate instead, and not lose any credits.