The programme focuses on introducing students to services for the elderly in the Nordic countries and equipping them for Nordic research collaboration.
Students learn about topics related to the ageing of individuals and populations, the consequences of ageing, as well as factors that underline the processes of ageing. They will explore key issues affecting well-being in old age and ways to promote healthy ageing.
The programme is 120 ECTS and is organised as two years of full-time study.
The programme is made up of:
Students learn remotely and through face-to-face blocks in Reykjavík, Jyväskylä in Finland and Lund in Sweden.
The programme is taught in English.
The programme aims to provide students with a deeper understanding of the issues affecting the elderly, introducing them to the field of gerontology, theories and methods, and equipping them to work together with people in other professions to promote well-being in old age.
Completing the programme allows a student to apply for doctoral studies.
BA- or BS-degree in Social Sciences or Health Sciences. Typically, a first-class grade (7.25) is required.
120 ECTS credits must be completed for the qualification. The MA programme consists of theoretical courses, methods and statistics. Students complete their studies with MA thesis which carries the weight of 40-60 ECTS credits.
Further information on supporting documents can be found here
Check below to see how the programme is structured.
This programme does not offer specialisations.
The course will present gerontology as a multi-professional discipline with an emphasis on social gerontology. The main concepts and research methods will be introduced. Formal and informal care will be discussed. Personal meaning and well-being in the social contexts of later adulthood and old age will be explored and methods to enhance personal meaning will be introduced. Emphasis is placed on deepening student’s understanding by helping them become more adept at working with other professions on elderly welfare issues.
The course is taught an intensive session.
Attendance in the intensive session is required.
Scientific study on ageing, processes of biological, psychological and social ageing and how they affect an individual, dissemination of results obtained in gerontology.
The goal is to familiarise the student with the basics in gerontology (definitions, concepts, research methods and dissemination of results) and to prepare the student for the further studies in the programme.
Web based.
The goal of this course is to deepen students' knowledge of gerontology and geriatrics. The social, biological and psychological aspects of aging will be discussed. Services for older adults will be discussed in general as well as caring for special needs. Icelandic and international research will be presented. Various theories in gerontology will be examined and their effects on attitudes towards and services for older people. Cross discipline teamwork will be discussed with emphasis placed on working with various professions.
Preparation for an MA research project. Here, the composition of academic writing will be covered. Research proposals, research methods, and how research is connected to the theoretical and practical basis of social work is discussed amongst other factors in research. Students present their research proposals, receive constructive criticism, and participate in group discussions beneficial to all participants.
An MA thesis in gerontology is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. A master's degree final project should be an individual project. The objective of the final thesis is to train students in independent academic work.
The MA thesis in gerontology and NordMaG should range between 40-60 ECTS credits.
Master’s students are assigned a supervisor from among lecturers, associate professors, or professors. The supervisor guides the final project for the master’s degree. It is allowed to appoint a co-supervisor, but this appointment is subject to departmental approval.
The length of the master’s thesis depends on the nature of the project, its ECTS credits, and the subject matter. MA theses are typically 80-120 pages in length, excluding appendices, table of contents, and abstract, for 40-60 ECTS theses.
An external examiner evaluates the master's student's final project alongside the supervisor. The external examiner provides a written assessment of the thesis.
The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.
The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.
An MA thesis in gerontology is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. A master's degree final project should be an individual project. The objective of the final thesis is to train students in independent academic work.
The MA thesis in gerontology and NordMaG should range between 40-60 ECTS credits.
Master’s students are assigned a supervisor from among lecturers, associate professors, or professors. The supervisor guides the final project for the master’s degree. It is allowed to appoint a co-supervisor, but this appointment is subject to departmental approval.
The length of the master’s thesis depends on the nature of the project, its ECTS credits, and the subject matter. MA theses are typically 80-120 pages in length, excluding appendices, table of contents, and abstract, for 40-60 ECTS theses.
An external examiner evaluates the master's student's final project alongside the supervisor. The external examiner provides a written assessment of the thesis.
This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.
The course will present gerontology as a multi-professional discipline with an emphasis on social gerontology. The main concepts and research methods will be introduced. Formal and informal care will be discussed. Personal meaning and well-being in the social contexts of later adulthood and old age will be explored and methods to enhance personal meaning will be introduced. Emphasis is placed on deepening student’s understanding by helping them become more adept at working with other professions on elderly welfare issues.
The course is taught an intensive session.
Attendance in the intensive session is required.
Scientific study on ageing, processes of biological, psychological and social ageing and how they affect an individual, dissemination of results obtained in gerontology.
The goal is to familiarise the student with the basics in gerontology (definitions, concepts, research methods and dissemination of results) and to prepare the student for the further studies in the programme.
Web based.
The goal of this course is to deepen students' knowledge of gerontology and geriatrics. The social, biological and psychological aspects of aging will be discussed. Services for older adults will be discussed in general as well as caring for special needs. Icelandic and international research will be presented. Various theories in gerontology will be examined and their effects on attitudes towards and services for older people. Cross discipline teamwork will be discussed with emphasis placed on working with various professions.
Preparation for an MA research project. Here, the composition of academic writing will be covered. Research proposals, research methods, and how research is connected to the theoretical and practical basis of social work is discussed amongst other factors in research. Students present their research proposals, receive constructive criticism, and participate in group discussions beneficial to all participants.
An MA thesis in gerontology is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. A master's degree final project should be an individual project. The objective of the final thesis is to train students in independent academic work.
The MA thesis in gerontology and NordMaG should range between 40-60 ECTS credits.
Master’s students are assigned a supervisor from among lecturers, associate professors, or professors. The supervisor guides the final project for the master’s degree. It is allowed to appoint a co-supervisor, but this appointment is subject to departmental approval.
The length of the master’s thesis depends on the nature of the project, its ECTS credits, and the subject matter. MA theses are typically 80-120 pages in length, excluding appendices, table of contents, and abstract, for 40-60 ECTS theses.
An external examiner evaluates the master's student's final project alongside the supervisor. The external examiner provides a written assessment of the thesis.
The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.
The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.
An MA thesis in gerontology is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. A master's degree final project should be an individual project. The objective of the final thesis is to train students in independent academic work.
The MA thesis in gerontology and NordMaG should range between 40-60 ECTS credits.
Master’s students are assigned a supervisor from among lecturers, associate professors, or professors. The supervisor guides the final project for the master’s degree. It is allowed to appoint a co-supervisor, but this appointment is subject to departmental approval.
The length of the master’s thesis depends on the nature of the project, its ECTS credits, and the subject matter. MA theses are typically 80-120 pages in length, excluding appendices, table of contents, and abstract, for 40-60 ECTS theses.
An external examiner evaluates the master's student's final project alongside the supervisor. The external examiner provides a written assessment of the thesis.
This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.
The course will present gerontology as a multi-professional discipline with an emphasis on social gerontology. The main concepts and research methods will be introduced. Formal and informal care will be discussed. Personal meaning and well-being in the social contexts of later adulthood and old age will be explored and methods to enhance personal meaning will be introduced. Emphasis is placed on deepening student’s understanding by helping them become more adept at working with other professions on elderly welfare issues.
The course is taught an intensive session.
Attendance in the intensive session is required.
Scientific study on ageing, processes of biological, psychological and social ageing and how they affect an individual, dissemination of results obtained in gerontology.
The goal is to familiarise the student with the basics in gerontology (definitions, concepts, research methods and dissemination of results) and to prepare the student for the further studies in the programme.
Web based.
The goal of this course is to deepen students' knowledge of gerontology and geriatrics. The social, biological and psychological aspects of aging will be discussed. Services for older adults will be discussed in general as well as caring for special needs. Icelandic and international research will be presented. Various theories in gerontology will be examined and their effects on attitudes towards and services for older people. Cross discipline teamwork will be discussed with emphasis placed on working with various professions.
Preparation for an MA research project. Here, the composition of academic writing will be covered. Research proposals, research methods, and how research is connected to the theoretical and practical basis of social work is discussed amongst other factors in research. Students present their research proposals, receive constructive criticism, and participate in group discussions beneficial to all participants.
An MA thesis in gerontology is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. A master's degree final project should be an individual project. The objective of the final thesis is to train students in independent academic work.
The MA thesis in gerontology and NordMaG should range between 40-60 ECTS credits.
Master’s students are assigned a supervisor from among lecturers, associate professors, or professors. The supervisor guides the final project for the master’s degree. It is allowed to appoint a co-supervisor, but this appointment is subject to departmental approval.
The length of the master’s thesis depends on the nature of the project, its ECTS credits, and the subject matter. MA theses are typically 80-120 pages in length, excluding appendices, table of contents, and abstract, for 40-60 ECTS theses.
An external examiner evaluates the master's student's final project alongside the supervisor. The external examiner provides a written assessment of the thesis.
The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.
The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.
An MA thesis in gerontology is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. A master's degree final project should be an individual project. The objective of the final thesis is to train students in independent academic work.
The MA thesis in gerontology and NordMaG should range between 40-60 ECTS credits.
Master’s students are assigned a supervisor from among lecturers, associate professors, or professors. The supervisor guides the final project for the master’s degree. It is allowed to appoint a co-supervisor, but this appointment is subject to departmental approval.
The length of the master’s thesis depends on the nature of the project, its ECTS credits, and the subject matter. MA theses are typically 80-120 pages in length, excluding appendices, table of contents, and abstract, for 40-60 ECTS theses.
An external examiner evaluates the master's student's final project alongside the supervisor. The external examiner provides a written assessment of the thesis.
This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.
The timetable shown below is for the current academic year and is FOR REFERENCE ONLY.
Changes may occur for the autumn semester in August and September and for the spring semester in December and January. You will find your final timetable in Ugla when the studies start. Note! This timetable is not suitable for planning your work schedule if you are a part-time employee.
The University of Iceland collaborates with over 400 universities worldwide. This provides a unique opportunity to pursue part of your studies at an international university thus gaining added experience and fresh insight into your field of study.
Students generally have the opportunity to join an exchange programme, internship, or summer courses. However, exchanges are always subject to faculty approval.
Students have the opportunity to have courses evaluated as part of their studies at the University of Iceland, so their stay does not have to affect the duration of their studies.
After completing a degree in gerontology, students will be equipped with theoretical and practical knowledge of issues affecting the elderly, which is a valuable asset on the job market.
Gerontology attracts students from a range of professional backgrounds, generally with links to:
This list is not exhaustive
Faró is the organisation for social work students at the University of Iceland.
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