The Certificate in Elder Care Foundations is designed to prepare healthcare professionals, career changers, and community members to understand and support the needs of older adults. The program integrates cultural, social, economic, health, and ethical perspectives on aging with practical caregiving and advocacy skills. Students will gain the ability to recognize the cultural, social, political, spiritual, health, and economic components of aging; provide basic care for elder clients; and advocate effectively for older adults and their families.
To earn a professional certificate in Elder Care Foundations, participants must:
This course explores the cultural, social, and economic dimensions of aging.
Once you have enrolled in your course, log in to your account to access the course Welcome Letter, which includes directions on how to access the New Student Orientation and your online course.
This graduate-level course examines the multidimensional determinants of health and wellness in older adults.
Courses offer a convenient, yet rigorous style of learning that allows you to structure your education to suit your schedule while keeping you on pace toward achieving your educational.
Our online self-paced courses are similar to online fixed-date courses, but are designed to give you a six-month period from time of enrollment to complete all assignments. Your instructor will provide feedback via written responses on your assignments and exams. Grades are based on completed projects, assignments and exams.
How is the self-paced course structured? Like fixed-date courses, online self-paced courses are asynchronous meaning that you can work on your assignments anytime; the difference being there are no assigned due dates in self-paced courses. The content is divided into learning modules. Each module will cover one or more topics. Within each of the learning modules, you can expect the following components:
Typically, there is a final project, paper, or exam due in the last module that culminates all of the topics covered in each of the learning modules. You’ll find that the design of the learning modules has a rhythm to help you manage your time in the course.
Module introduction that outlines what you can expect to learn in the module.
Required readings (textbook, articles, journals, websites, etc.) and presentations (audio and/or video).
Assignments (which may include: written assignments, quizzes, blogs, etc.) based on the readings and presentations.
Module conclusion to review the topics and what you should have learned.
Materials will be specifically created solely for these courses – all original.
With the rapid growth of the aging population, there is significant demand for professionals and community members who understand the complexities of elder care. Healthcare professionals require refresher training in geriatrics, while career changers and new entrants seek accessible entry points into the field. Families and community caregivers also need practical skills and advocacy knowledge to support aging loved ones. This program fills a critical gap by providing interdisciplinary training that is both professional and community-facing.
Professional development courses offered by the University of San Diego’s Division of Professional & Continuing Education are taught by faculty that possess a depth and breadth of academic and real-world professional experience.
Employment opportunities in the health care field are expected to grow by over 2.6 million new jobs by 2030 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). With so many new and emerging opportunities, employers are going to have to compete heavily to attract and retain the most talented and educated health care professionals.
This makes furthering your education and diversifying your skillset all the more important. With expertise in a wide variety of healthcare concepts, you will not only be well suited for many job roles, you will also be in demand by the employer of your choosing.
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Requirements for completing a certificate can be found on the certificate page.
Professional and Continuing Education courses that are transferrable to a USD master degree will be stated on the course or certificate page. If you wish to transfer credit, it is your responsibility to confer with the receiving institution before enrolling, as each individual academic institution decides whether or not to accept USD Professional and Continuing Education credit.
You have five years to complete the certificate.
Click here for complete details regarding our refund, drop and transfer policies
Prospective students can request to be placed on a waitlist. Should a space open up in a course, those on the waitlist will be notified. We encourage you to register early for courses.
The Professional and Continuing Education program nurtures key partnerships on the local, national, and international level. The goal is to better serve working professionals who seek to enhance or build their careers and help achieve their highest value and potential. Contact us today to learn more.
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