The USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology explores all aspects of human development and aging. Course work and research opportunities in biology, psychology, sociology, policy and aging services make up its multidisciplinary curriculum.

Founded in 1975, the USC Leonard Davis School is the nation’s premier school of gerontology. Named in honor of Leonard Davis, a philanthropist and businessman who pioneered insurance plans for the elderly through his involvement in AARP and his own company Colonial Penn Life Insurance, the school provides ground-breaking solutions to issues facing an aging population.

The USC Leonard Davis School is committed to providing students with a broad theoretical understanding of lifespan development as well as dynamic post-graduate career placement. Students on all levels often enroll in semester-long internship programs. Working with our internship director, students can apply their gerontological knowledge to an array of industries such as health, medicine, business, finance, policy, direct services, program development, counseling and many other fields.

The Davis School’s Bachelor of Science degrees can be pursued with a health science, a social science or a global emphasis. The school also offers seven master’s degrees, seven dual master’s programs, a graduate certificate, and PhD programs in gerontology and the biology of aging.

The school is located in the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center and is home to the Center for Digital Aging, the Center for Global Aging, the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence, the Long Beach Longitudinal Study, the Longevity Institute, the USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health and the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center.