Research Methods and Related Courses in Multilevel Degree Programs in Gerontology: Standards, Practices, and Proposals

This article examines the correspondence between the credit hour standards proposed by the AGHE Standards Committee for research methods and statistics courses and the number of credit hours actually required of offered by a sample of gerontology programs at the various degree levels in the United States. It was found that only 28% of the bachelor's programs and 65% of the master's programs are currently in compliance with the standards for research methods courses and that less than one-half of the master's programs are in complicance with the standard for statistics. It is proposed that the content of research methods courses by taught more selectively and differentilly across the degree levels and that more effective ways for teaching statistics and computing be found.