Graduate Certificate in Long-Term Care Services and Advocacy

Where Advocacy Meets Excellence in Care

The demand for skilled long-term care professionals has never been greater.

With an estimated 40% increase in long-term care workforce demand by 2038, the need for knowledgeable, compassionate advocates is urgent. The Graduate Certificate in Long-Term Care Services and Advocacy prepares students to meet that challenge head-on. Through a focused curriculum covering the long-term care landscape, healthcare regulations, and the legal and ethical dimensions of caring for older adults, this program equips you with the specialized expertise to lead, advocate, and make a lasting impact, whether you're entering the field or advancing within it.

Mission

Our mission is to develop principled, informed advocates for older adults in long-term care settings. We are committed to preparing professionals who understand the complex regulatory, legal, and ethical environments of long-term care and who are empowered to champion quality, dignity, and justice for the individuals and families they serve.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Graduate Certificate in Long-Term Care Services and Advocacy will be able to:

  • Navigate the long-term care landscape — Analyze the structural, financial, and policy-driven challenges within the long-term care industry to advocate for environments that enhance quality of life for older adults and their families.
  • Apply regulatory and ethical standards — Utilize regulatory knowledge and ethical principles to ensure legal compliance across healthcare and long-term care settings.
  • Champion advance care planning — Advocate for thoughtful advance care planning and ethical decision-making in the provision of care for older adults.

Credits earned in this certificate program may be applied toward the Master of Science in Aging Studies, or may be eligible for transfer into another graduate or post-professional program.

Learn More

Graduate Certificate in Long-Term Care Services and Advocacy Program Details

 

Program Length & Format

The Graduate Certificate in Long-Term Care Services and Advocacy is 9 credit hours, delivered completely online with no campus visits required. The program is self-paced, allowing students to take courses on a schedule that fits their life.

  • Typical completion: 3 semesters
  • Maximum time allowed: 3 years
  • Format: 100% online, 8-week courses
  • On-campus requirements: None 

Course Descriptions

All required courses are 8-week, online courses.

  • HCA 555 – Federal Regulatory Standards in Healthcare (3 credits)
    The HCA 555 course provides an overview of the federal regulations that apply to health facilities and agencies, including LTC, Residential Care, and Home and Community Based Services. The course focuses on reviewing regulations and competence to write policies and procedures to maintain compliance. Students will develop skills to manage the survey and inspection processes, including the maintenance of staff training, quality monitoring, and quality improvement systems.
  • GERO 525 – Elder Abuse: Issues and Advocacy (1.5 credits)
    The GERO 525 course is designed for current and future advocates and practitioners to develop necessary knowledge and skills in order to assist older adults who have experienced abuse. Course learning activities include case studies and discussions to determine the dynamics involved in abuse and how to address them with effective measures of prevention and intervention.
  • GERO 556 – Legal and Ethical Aspects of Aging (1.5 credits)
    The GERO 556 course will provide an overview of philosophical understandings of old age, general notions about ethics & specific case-based analysis of everyday and urgent ethical issues.
  • GERO 579 – Long-Term Care: Issues and Options (1.5 credits)
    The GERO 579 course explores the labyrinth of long term care for the aging population across the spectrum from home- and community-based service options to residential living facilities. Students will examine how decision-making for later life transitions is influenced by social, environmental, financial and legal factors as well as the physical and psychological aspects of aging. The student will identify the barriers and opportunities for older adults and their care partners within long term care that affect functionality and ability to thrive. Students will determine contributions they can make to enhance quality of life for the older adults in their personal and professional life who require support.

Students must also select one of the following courses:

  • GERO 530 – Alzheimer's and Dementia (1.5 credits)
    The GERO 530 course will examine dementia and dementia syndromes including Alzheimer’s disease. The primary course objective is to develop an understanding of the complexity (and diversity) of behaviors, cognitive and psychiatric, that define dementia.
  • GERO 535 – End-of-Life Issues (1.5 credits)
    The GERO 535 course will engage students in exploring the complex issues of end of life care from the perspectives of both the individual person at end of life and the social systems that influence end of life care.

Admission Requirements

To apply for the Graduate Certificate in Long-Term Care Services and Advocacy you will need:

  • A completed online application
  • $25 application fee for graduate programs
  • A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • Official transcripts for your highest degree earned from a regionally accredited institution, from the conferring university or an electronic service (such as Parchment or Student Clearinghouse), demonstrating a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher.
  • Resume or curriculum vitae
  • A personal statement explaining your interest in long-term care and how you plan to use the certificate in your future work (1000 - 1500 words) 

when can I start?

Summer, Fall or Spring

Tuition & Aid

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