Washington University in St. Louis

Offers PhDs with 1) a focus on experimental research on aging and human development across subfields of psychology (cognitive, social, personality), and 2) clinical psychology (clinical geropsychology).

Program Director: Experimental: Dave Balota, Clinical: Brian Carpenter

The Aging and Development Program trains psychologists at both the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels for careers in research and teaching. We began to develop a major focus on aging in 1957, which made Washington University's Aging and Development Program one of the first in the country to offer specialization in research addressing the later years of life. This training program has enjoyed continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health since its inception.

The cognitive changes that accompany the normal aging process as well as pathological conditions such as dementia of the Alzheimer's type are a major focus of faculty research on aging. Other faculty members interested in aging study issues related to social psychology as well as clinically relevant topics such as health promotion and neuropsychology.

The Aging and Development program's integration with the other areas of specialization in the Psychological & Brain Sciences department allows you to combine your training in this area with training in other areas of psychology.

The curriculum at the Brown School emphasizes substantive, theoretical and methodological preparation. Our program requires 72 units of credit, 21 of which can be transferred from your MSW program or a graduate degree from an allied field.

Your first year of study includes basic principles in research, statistics and measurement, as well as theoretical study and content to strengthen your social science knowledge-base. Your second year offers a more individualized program of study that is expanded to include a host of electives offered throughout the university. A curriculum plan is developed by each student and an advisor/mentoring team, focusing on an area of specialization. Following two years of coursework, an additional two years is reserved for work related to the dissertation.

This concentration at the Brown School prepares students to address challenges and opportunities of population aging through policy, programming, and direct practice.

Students in the Older Adults and Aging Societies (OAAS) concentration develop the skills to work on the mezzo and macro levels, in areas such as advocacy, program development and evaluation. They also learn clinical skills such as biopsychosocial assessment and case management, which inform direct practice with older adults and their families. Coursework emphasizes culturally competent approaches to aging.