Master's Degree in Gerontology

2023/2024 · 60 credits

Access and admission

UDC Master’s studies programmes are open to students with an undergraduate degree or equivalent from a recognised Spanish university, or an equivalent qualification from a recognised third-level institution in the EHEA.

Candidates from non-EHEA university systems are not required to have their qualifications officially recognised, provided the UDC is satisfied that the learner outcomes and status of their non-EHEA qualification are homologous to the equivalent degree in Spain. This is an application-specific statement of equivalence only: under no circumstances may the University’s admission of non-EHEA qualifications be construed as a form of official accreditation.

Candidates from non-EHEA university systems are required to have their qualifications officially recognised if they request access to master's degrees that qualify for a regulated profession.

Applications for UDC Master’s studies programmes will be assessed on the basis of specific entry criteria, including the candidate’s academic qualifications and merits. Information relating to entry procedures and requirements will be included in the programme structure for each degree.

The decision to offer a student a place on a UDC Master’s degree programme is the result of an application-specific evaluation process, and has no bearing on the academic or professional status of the candidate’s existing qualifications.

More information on Master's studies programmes admission.

Recommended profile

The Interuniversity Master's Degree in Gerontology is focused as a postgraduate degree of great utility for all university graduates directed towards the field of gerontology, both clinical and social, being especially relevant for careers in Health Sciences (medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, speech therapy, clinical psychology...) and Social Sciences (social work, labor relations, social psychology, psychopedagogy, sociology...), both from a professional and academic and research point of view via the completion of doctoral thesis by graduates. The Master's Degree is conceived as a specialized and multidisciplinary training degree, supported by the level of the teachers involved, most of whom are PhDs, and from different fields of social and health care for the elderly.

General applications requirements

The access criteria follow the guidelines established in Article 16 (R.D.1393/2007) and Article 9 (R.D.861/2010), coinciding with the own regulations of both universities, which in the case of the UDC is regulated by the "Normativa por la que se regulan las enseñanzas oficiales de grado y máster de la UDC", approved by the Governing Council on June 27, 2012 and modified by the Governing Councils of December 19, 2013, September 29, 2015 and February 23, 2017 and Academic Management Regulations of the University of A Coruña for the academic year 2019/2020, approved by rectoral resolution on June 6, 2019, which states that "To access the official teachings of Master will be necessary to be in possession of an official Spanish university degree or another issued by an institution of higher education belonging to another State member of the European Higher Education Area that entitles in the same country for access to Master's studies".

Likewise, graduates from educational systems outside the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) may be admitted without the need for the homologation of their degrees. To this end, the student must submit a request to the Rector for the equivalence of foreign studies and pay the corresponding fees. Access by this route will not imply, in any case, the homologation of the previous degree held by the interested party, nor its recognition for purposes other than that of pursuing the Master's degree.

Applications made by persons with foreign academic degrees, not belonging to the EHEA, must be accompanied by the following documentation, translated into either of the two official languages at the University of A Coruña and Santiago de Compostela (Spanish and Galician), which must be presented duly legalized: Degree that gives access to the Master; Plan of studies completed; Academic certification; Programs and course load of the subjects studied, or other documentation deemed necessary according to the criteria of the Selection Committee.

Application and admission

Applications for places on UDC Master’s programmes should be made using the online application system on the UDC website. You can consult this webpage, for mor information.

Applications from students with degrees from non-EHEA university systems should be accompanied by officially notarised or apostilled translations (into either of the two official languages of the University of A Coruña) of the following documents:

  • Degree certificate
  • Academic transcript

Registration will be completed through the online registrar according to the dates indicated in the official admissions calendar for UDC Master’s programmes.

Where necessary, the following documentation should be submitted to the relevant Department within 10 calendar days of registration:

  • Completed application for financial assistance
  • Proof of entitlement to fee reduction or exemption


 

20 places offered in academic year 2023/2024

Admission procedures and criteria

The student should preferably respond to the profile of each of the two specialties of which the Master is composed, namely:

-To be admitted to the specialty in Clinical Gerontology, the student (recent graduate or not) should preferably (preference 1) come from a degree related to Health Sciences (medicine, clinical and health psychology, nursing, physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, dentistry, pharmacy) or Social Sciences (preference 2), or demonstrate sufficient professional and/or research experience in this field, a requirement to be assessed by the Academic Committee of the UDC according to the provided merits (work and/or research experience among others).

-Specialty in Social Gerontology: the student (recent graduate or not) should preferably (preference 1) come from a degree related to Social Sciences and/or Law (sociology, law, pedagogy, anthropology, psychology, demography, geography, social work, physical education) or Health (preference 2), or demonstrate sufficient professional and/or research experience in this field, a requirement to be assessed by the Academic Committee of the USC according to the merits provided (work and/or research experience among others).

Admission will be by adequacy of profile (areas of studies of origin). And, in the event that the demand is greater than the number of available places, admission will be based on the scale set out in the verification report.

In the event that there are vacancies available, the student may take any of the two specialties as long as his/her degree is related to Social and Legal Sciences and/or Health Sciences.

The student admission system will be carried out in accordance with the criteria and procedures established in the call for enrollment. All the information related to access and admission can be consulted in the specific pages of each participating University, the University Information Office of the USC and the Academic Organization Service of the UDC.

Deadlines

The deadlines for pre-registration in official master's degree studies are approved by the Governing Council of the UDC, and can be consulted on the following website.

 

scolarships

There is a system of aids and scholarships for students in need. The different criteria, application procedures and deadlines depend on the body that convenes (own, regional and state) and the type of aid. You can consult the following links:

Rules and regulations

If you want to know in detail the rules and regulations related to the studies in the UDC can be seen here. You can also consult other documents relating to the academic regulations.

We also note the following: