Number and Types of Long Term Care Academic Programs in the United States
Types of Program Offered
Table 1 shows that 90% of the 106 programs at the associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels are offered as a recognized concentration in a core curriculum. Eight programs (7%) consist only of an optional course, 2 programs offer separate degrees in long term care administration.
Table 1 Long Term Care Administration Concentrations in the United States.
Number and Percent of Associate, Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral Concentrations in Long Term Care Administration in UNITED STATES Colleges and Universities by Type of Offering (Optional Course, Recognized Concentration, or full Degree). N = 106
| Optional Course | Recognized Concentration | LTC Administration Degree | Total | |||||
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| Associate | 1 | 12 | 7 | 88 | 8 | 8 | ||
| Bachelor's | 2 | 4 | 49 | 92 | 2 | 4 | 53 | 50 |
| Master's | 5 | 12 | 36 | 88 | 41 | 38 | ||
| Doctorate | 0 | 0 | 4 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 100 |
| Total | 8 | 8% | 96 | 91% | 2 | 2% | 106 | 100% |
Academic Locations
Departments of health administration and departments of gerontology together account for two-thirds of all long term care administration concentrations in the United States. The courses offered and required tend to reflect the foci of the departments within which these concentrations are located. One of the oldest masters degree in long term care administration programs in the country, for example, is at the University of North Texas at Denton. This program's primary thrust is toward in-depth gerontologic knowledge.
Table 2 Academic Location of Long term care Administration Concentrations in U.S. Colleges and Universities. N = 96
Number of Long Term Care Administration Concentrations- 49
- Health Administration: 51%
- 14
- Gerontology: 15%
- 8
- Business School: 8%
- 7
- Comm. College: 7%
- 5
- Allied Health: 5%
- 3
- Public Health: 3%
- 10
- Other: 11%