GERON 498

Work Experience in Gerontology

This course provides "hands-on" experience for students to explore their interests and capabilities in assessing and applying therapeutic interventions when working with the elderly. Students will be under the supervision of the instructor and a designated professional in the assigned facility. This work experience course is designed to provide students with effective job development skills that will assist them in obtaining and keeping an internship or a job in the student's major area. Course content will include understanding the application of education to the workforce; the responsibilities of an internship (where applicable) or a job; completion of Title V Education Code papers (the student's Application, Learning Objectives, Time sheet, and Evaluations), documentation of the student's progress and hours spent at the workplace or internship site; and developing workplace (soft) skills relevant to the 21st century workplace. In addition, the student is required to fulfill 18 hours lecture and 75 hours of related, paid work experience or 60 hours of volunteer work experience for one unit; 75 or 60 hours of related work experience for each additional unit. The program allows the student to combine practical, paid or non-paid work experience with college training. The course may be taken up to four times when there is new or expanded learning on the job for up to 16 units. In addition, the student and the Work Experience instructor may tailor the course to meet the student's specific professional needs by identifying 1-4 workshops, trainings, or conferences that the student may attend as part of the curriculum of the GERON 498 class. Only one Work Experience course may be taken per semester.

Units: 1.0-4.0(3.0)

Hours: 18 hours LEC; 300 hours LAB