Ph.D. in Aging Studies

Ph.D. in Aging Studies

The Ph.D. in Aging Studies is a campus-wide, interdisciplinary research training program, hosted by the School of Aging Studies. Students select research mentors from faculty throughout the USF campus and develop individually tailored training programs.

Students develop expertise in one of four research focus areas. Recent dissertations from our graduates illustrate the range of work in each area.

Caregiving and Behavioral Interventions

  • Technology and Aging: Maintaining, Improving and Understanding Health and Wellness
  • Multidimensional Well-Being Across Time Scales in Caregivers and Non-Caregivers
  • Stressors, Resources, and Psychological Well-Being Among Working Black and White Caregivers in the United States

Palliative Care, Chronic Pain, and Dementia

  • The Joint Effects of Sleep and Pain, and Moderations by Work Characteristics
  • Intersectional Inequities in End-of-Life Care Quality: The Roles of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender
  • Early Indicators of Cognitive Dysfunction: The Role of Mild Behavioral Impairment

Policy and Long-Term Services and Supports

  • Assisted Living Administrators’ Perspectives of How COVID-19 Affected Direct Care Staff
  • Serious Mental Illness in Nursing Homes: Quality Concerns
  • Assisted Living Facilities in Florida: Examining the Factors Associated with Entries, Closure, and Licensure Change

Social Relationships, Cognition, and Health

  • Association of Social Isolation, Loneliness, Social Strain and Support with Cancer Onset, Frailty and All-Cause Mortality in People with Cancer
  • A Life Course Approach to Understanding Preserved Cognition in Late Life
  • Retirement and Cognitive Aging: Modifying Factors

Graduates from the Ph.D. in Aging Studies Program have taken research and teaching positions in academia, government, and private consulting.

Students may also apply for the program as part-time students, but must meet additional admission criteria.

For more information on our PhD program, click here

The application deadline for the Fall 2027 admission cycle is December 11, 2026.
To apply for our PhD in Aging Studies, click here 

For more information, please email Dr. Daniel Meng at cbcs-sas-phd@usf.edu