Help improve the quality of life for your clients.
Older adult woman smiling at her caretakers
Older adult woman smiling at her caretakers
Help improve the quality of life for your clients.

Gerontology and Palliative Care Certification

By 2030, one in five U.S. residents will be over the age of 65.1 Nearly 57 million people around the world need palliative care each year, and only about 14% of them receive it.2 People are living longer, having fewer children and experiencing more chronic health problems.1,2

Clearly, there is a rapidly expanding need for compassionate professionals to care for our aging, vulnerable communities. That’s where you come in.

Earn the Gerontology and Palliative Care Certification as Part of Your MSW

Earn Wurzweiler’s gerontology and palliative care certification (GPC) by completing three targeted electives and focused fieldwork placements.

  • If you choose to pursue a GPC certification before taking electives or beginning specialized fieldwork, you won’t have to take any additional courses
  • Students in the Advanced Standing program who choose GPC certification must take an extra three-credit elective to complete the specialization
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Committed to Supporting Your Success

The Wurzweiler online MSW program delivers a robust combination of theoretical and practical education, with personalized guidance from the faculty experts who lead our highly ranked, CSWE-accredited on-campus program. With focused courses for gerontology and palliative care certification, you’ll be empowered to connect your passion for service with your professional purpose.

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Is a Gerontology and Palliative Care Certification Right for You?

The elderly and those with life-limiting diseases face a host of social, physical and mental challenges. The complexity of issues can enrich the rewards of working with these clients.

Gerontology and palliative care certification is right for you if you’re committed to helping elderly or ill clients live life to the fullest, while respecting their experiences and advocating for their rights. The Wurzweiler online MSW program with a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology and Palliative Care will develop your expertise in supporting late-life clients, from diverse backgrounds, with sensitivity and cultural competence.

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Make an impact as part of the Wurzweiler community.

Expand your career in social work and make a difference in the world. Earn your master’s degree online with Yeshiva University and the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. The online MSW program combines the best of our on-campus program with unparalleled flexibility.

For further information on the specifics of the program, fieldwork, application requirements and much more, complete the form and download the program guide.

Support Clients Through Life’s Closing Challenges

Social workers specializing in palliative and geriatric care provide much-needed support to people facing significant late-in-life and end-of-life challenges. The Wurzweiler online MSW program stresses tolerance and profound respect for individual beliefs. It prepares you to offer compassionate, life-affirming support.

You might work in hospitals, long- or short-term care facilities or hospices. You may pursue employment at a community services agency, assisting the elderly or those facing advanced serious illnesses and their families.

The gerontology and palliative care certification program will prepare you to help clients navigate:

  • Serious illnesses
  • Difficult decisions about treatment options
  • Securing healthcare or other social assistance benefits
  • Advanced care planning and coordination
  • Depression, stress and other mental health concerns
  • Abusive situations
  • Conflict resolution between family members
  • Crisis management and intervention
  • Communicating and coordinating with doctors and medical staff
  • Securing affordable housing and nutrition

The gerontology and palliative care certification program will prepare you to help clients navigate:

  • Serious illnesses
  • Difficult decisions about treatment options
  • Securing healthcare or other social assistance benefits
  • Advanced care planning and coordination
  • Depression, stress and other mental health concerns
  • Abusive situations
  • Conflict resolution between family members
  • Crisis management and intervention
  • Communicating and coordinating with doctors and medical staff
  • Securing affordable housing and nutrition

Requirements for Gerontology and Palliative Care Credentialing and Licensing

As with most social work specializations, a degree from a CSWE-accredited institution is an essential qualification for voluntary credentials and state-mandated licensing.

There are several professional associations for social workers, and many focus on individual specializations. With more than 120,000 members, the largest is the National Association of Social Workers. NASW offers voluntary credentials in several specializations, including gerontology, hospice and palliative care.

In each specialization, the clinical level certifications require a CSWE-accredited master’s degree in social work, a current social work license and supervised post-degree social work in the area of specialization.3, 4

Individual states have different requirements for licensing, but most require an MSW and varying amounts of supervised fieldwork. Once licensed, social workers must earn continuing education credits to maintain their professional knowledge.

To learn more about the social work profession and the need for qualified gerontology and palliative care specialists, connect with one of our Admissions Advisors today.

Contact an Admissions Advisor

Why Wurzweiler?

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Immediately Apply Your Training

Supervised fieldwork requirements throughout your online MSW at Wurzweiler will help you better understand all facets of the client relationship.

Learn More About Fieldwork
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The Wurzweiler Experience

When you choose the geriatric and palliative care certification path for your online MSW, the Wurzweiler School of Social Work gives you end-to-end support.

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Get to Know Us Better

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Historically, most research and training regarding education has focused on the academic achievement of students. This focus became especially narrowed due to the emphasis on standardized testing and achievement in American schools over the last few decades.

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What is an MSW?

Acronyms like “MBA” are generally universally recognized and come with a certain amount of prestige, but what is an MSW and what does it stand for? MSW stands for Master of Social Work. Like many other graduate degree programs, an MSW aims to give you the skills and knowledge needed for career...
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