Education
At the Columbia Aging Center, we are training the next generation of aging researchers and policy makers.
Columbia University offers a number of avenues for students to pursue an education on aging at the undergraduate and graduate level. There are aging course offerings in biology, psychology, sociomedical sciences, global thought listed in the directory of courses (keyword "aging"). In addition to these courses, the Mailman School of Public Health offers doctoral and masters programs within which students may pursue the Health of an Aging Society Certificate. The Columbia Aging Center fosters student groups like "Perspectives on Aging" and assists postdoctoral fellows on the Columbia University Medical Center campus with professional and networking opportunities in its "Aging Roundtable."
Health of an Aging Society Certificate
As part of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health's innovative Master of Public Health (MPH) curriculum, students in the departments of Sociomedical Sciences, Populations and Family Health, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, and Health Policy & Management are eligible to complete a certificate in the Health of an Aging Society. Meeting the needs of our aging society is one of the most significant public health challenges of the 21st century. The training and leadership of today's students is crucial to mapping the implications of aging and structuring effective future policies and programs that address the welfare of aging populations. The certificate offers graduates an ecological approach to aging and comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives on aging in societies. As an aging society is often framed as a negative problem, the curriculum will consider ways to frame a rights-oriented perspective to policies and programs for older persons. Visit the Mailman School's aging certificate webpage for more information on the certificate's required courses, certificate electives, and scheduling. Sample courses include:
• (Y)our Longer Life
• The Global Politics of Aging
• Lifecourse Epidemiology
• Epidemiology of Genetics and Aging
• Public Health and Aging
Longevity Scholars & Global Internships and Training
Our Longevity Fellowships support Columbia Mailman MPH students enrolled in the Health of an Aging Society Certificate to pursue practica in aging science and practice. The call for applicants takes place in February each year. The Center also supports matching MPH students with global and national internship opportunities. Please contact Caitlin Hawke for more information: cmh2197@cumc.columbia.edu.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
Columbia Mailman School's Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) can be obtained in Biostatistics, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Population and Family Health (Leadership in Global Health and Humanitarian Systems), or Sociomedical Sciences; and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) can be obtained in Biostatistics, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, or Sociomedical Sciences. The Sociomedical Sciences PhD program is interdisciplinary, with study divided between the Mailman School and one of several departments in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Anthropology, History, Psychology, or Sociology ). Visit Columbia Mailman School's doctoral program webpage for degree competencies, curriculum plans, and admissions requirements.
"Perspectives on Aging" Student Group
Perspectives on Aging (PoA) is a student-run group based at Columbia Mailman. The group's objectives are to sponsor events that explore key issues regarding aging and health from multiple perspectives, provide an environment in which students can explore ideas about how public health can best address the challenge of an aging society, and raise awareness among the Mailman School of Public Health and the larger university environment about the implications of aging and health for a variety of subjects. More information on PoA may be found here.