Online Gerontology Program Wins National Award for Innovation

Posted on May 28, 2008 by Jennifer Brady

UMass Boston Award Recipients UMassOnline is proud to announce that the Management of Aging Services (MAS) program offered by UMass Boston has been named Outstanding Credit Program for 2008 by the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA).

The MAS program, a track of the Master of Science in Gerontology, was selected for its innovation and creativity. According to UCEA, “the concept of this program—to specifically train individuals to assume management positions in agencies that deliver services to elders—is highly innovative,” says Maggie Dionne, Director of Housing and Supportive Services for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs.

The MAS program offers students an advanced degree in the growing field of aging services with a focus in long-term care, service-supported housing, community-based services, marketing to an aging population, and health services for those requiring chronic care. It affords professionals in the aging network the opportunity to broaden their perspectives and develop skills in policy development and analysis, program management, administration, and finance with a focus on the aging population. 100 percent of the coursework is offered online through UMassOnline as well as campus-based resources in I.T., instructional design, video production, and interactive conferencing. The curriculum is organized so that students can complete the 30-credit program in a two-year time period.

Congratulations to the UMass Boston team for another symbolic recognition of providing education in areas that respond to public need in a format that makes it possible and more flexible for lifelong learners to earn their degree.

[Image Credit: MAS co-directors Lillian Glickman and Ellen Birchander show off their 2008 UCEA Outstanding Credit Program Award. Source: UMass Boston]