Human services professionals help prevent, analyze, and treat social and individual issues such as poverty, mental illness, and addiction. The interdisciplinary field of human services employs theory and practices from sociology, social work, and psychology. Many bachelor's in human services programs feature communications, education, and political science coursework.
Bachelor's in human services degrees traditionally take four years to finish, but applicants who hold transferable, accredited associate degrees often graduate sooner. Accelerated online programs also reduce graduation timelines by offering 4-6 intensive terms annually. Human services program applicants typically must submit ACT/SAT scores, recommendation letters, application essays, and official transcripts demonstrating a 2.5-3.0 GPA.
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), human services specialists earned a median annual salary of $61,920 in 2019. BLS projects an above-average job growth of 7% for these professionals from 2019 to 2029. Meanwhile, the BLS projects 17% growth for social and community service managers, who earned a median salary of $67,150 in 2019.
What Can I Do With a Human Services Degree?
The diverse field of human services includes research, administrative, and direct service roles serving people who suffer from various problems. Many human services professionals work as social workers, community organizers, or probation officers.
Individuals with an associate degree qualify for many entry-level human services jobs, but some jobs require a bachelor's degree. Professionals with a bachelor's in human services often use their degree to transition from another field or discipline or to meet degree requirements for upper-level human services positions such as program developer, facility director, and social and community service manager. Some bachelor's degree-holders go on to earn advanced degrees in human services or fields such as sociology, counseling, or social work.
Human services students often benefit from specialization in a particular subfield or role. Human services bachelor's programs offering curriculum concentrations help enrollees gain access to niche fields such as emergency management, information technology, or applied behavioral science. Bilingual candidates stand out when applying for jobs. BLS projects particularly strong job prospects for child, family, and school social workers from 2019 to 2029.
Accreditation for a Human Services Degree
Schools often demonstrate their academic quality by undergoing a voluntary evaluation process known as accreditation. Good human services schools usually hold regional accreditation from one of the seven accrediting organizations approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Regional accrediting agencies include the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the Higher Learning Commission, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and the New England Commission of Higher Education.
Academic colleges and universities typically hold regional accreditation, whereas many professional or religious schools hold national accreditation. Social work jobs requiring licensure expect applicants to hold degrees from regionally accredited schools. Many students at either regionally or nationally accredited schools qualify for federal financial aid.
Quality human services programs hold programmatic accreditation from the Council for Standards in Human Service Education, so prospective students should look for this quality indicator.
FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is a degree in health and human services? | Health and human services degrees include interdisciplinary social science and social services coursework and capstone internships and projects. Graduates often take jobs as social workers, advocates, counselors, and researchers. |
| What are examples of human services? | Serving people facing chronic or situational crises, human services include health education, child welfare casework, correctional treatment, and occupational therapy. |
| What degrees fall under human services? | Human services-related degrees include community mental health counseling, social work, rehabilitation, and speech therapy. The field also encompasses nursing, special education, child and family studies, and behavioral sciences. |
| Can you be a therapist with a human services degree? | A degree in human services helps qualify graduates for some counseling roles, but to become licensed therapists, candidates typically need additional schooling. Many counselors and therapists hold at least a master's degree. |
What Are the Requirements for a Human Services Degree?
To enroll in a human services bachelor's program, applicants typically need a 3.0 minimum GPA and decent SAT or ACT scores. Applications require official transcripts, application essays, and sometimes recommendation letters.
Human services bachelor's programs usually require 124 credits, including general education coursework, human services courses, and capstone credits. The capstone experience often includes a research project, usually connected to a real-world site. Many programs also incorporate supervised internships at approved sites such as community agencies, public schools, and health clinics.
Courses in a Human Services Program
Human services courses cultivate core skills in client assessment and outcome evaluation, care plan development, and policy advocacy. Bachelor's in human services program enrollees also usually complete capstone experiences in which students apply these skills at an approved site. Human services programs also teach students research, analysis, communication, and professional skills.
Many human services programs include specialized curriculum concentrations and courses in fields such as addictions, gerontology, and psychology. Other common concentrations include child development, child and family services, and administration. The following course samples appear in some human services programs, but keep in mind that course and concentration offerings vary significantly by program.
Introduction to Human Services A core course and prerequisite for many other human services courses, this introductory course provides an overview of the field, including its history, systems, roles, and ethical practice standards. Learners gain a sense of how various social support systems and professionals interact and collaborate. Enrollees learn major behavioral and social issues, theories, and treatment methodologies.This course usually encourages students to examine their values and assumptions in relation to their human services aspirations.
Human Services Law and Ethics This course appears in nearly all human services programs. Students learn the laws that influence and regulate human services organizations, approaches, and practices. Laws discussed often pertain to mandated reporting, involuntary commitment, guardianship, and advanced directives. Other key topics include confidentiality, parity, and parent and child rights. Enrollees also examine human services ethics principles and tensions in relation to existing laws.
Social Science Research Methods Required in virtually every human services program, this course cultivates skills in data collection, analysis, and reporting. Learners explore various research methodologies including case studies, surveys, and experiments. This course emphasizes critical evaluation of research design, methods, and conclusions. Coursework often gives enrollees the training necessary for creating capstone research proposals and projects.
Family and Community Systems Often a core human services course and curriculum concentration, this course introduces tools and cultivates skills for connecting families with community support. Enrollees learn about various support organizations and resources such as family court, community mental health and healthcare providers, and the Department of Human Services. The course also covers systems concepts to examine the composition and function of families and communities. Students cultivate skills for assessing these systems' needs, strengths, and approaches.
Human Development This key course explores psychological development from birth to death, with particular emphasis on children and young adults. Topics include the cultural, historical, environmental, and genetic factors influencing human development across the lifespan. Enrollees survey major psychological development concepts, theories, and research methods. Aspiring counselors or social workers serving populations facing significant developmental milestones often find this course particularly important.
Certifications and Licensure for Human Services Majors
A bachelor's in human services meets degree requirements for many entry-level careers in the field. However, some positions demand additional training or professional credentials. Careers in some human services fields, such as social work, may even require state licensure. See below for descriptions of three common human services credentials.
Human Services-Board Certified Practitioner
National Certified Counselor
Certified Case Manager
Professional Organizations for Human Services Majors
The professional organizations below benefit human services students and professionals by providing education, career resources, networking opportunities, and advocacy. These professional organizations often provide discounted student memberships, scholarships, and student chapters at colleges and universities.
National Organization for Human Services
This nonprofit sets professional and ethical standards, provides certifications and career development opportunities, and publishes various resources. NOHS offerings also include live and virtual conferences and webinars, networking events, and student memberships.
American Public Human Services Association
This association serves human services leaders working in local, state, and social governments. Focused on producing policies that support strong families, APHSA engages with state and local policymakers, runs educational conferences, and publishes relevant research and professional resources.
American Counseling Association
A nonprofit educational and professional association serving counseling professionals, ACA provides online resources, student scholarships, networking opportunities, and advocacy. ACA also features a career center and various continuing education opportunities.
Council for Standards in Human Service Education
CSHSE works to enhance human services education through a peer-review accreditation process and the application of evidence-based standards. The organization offers its members leadership opportunities, curriculum and program consultation, publications, and a professional network.
National Council on Family Relations
Committed to bolstering and supporting families, NCFR runs annual conferences, awards credentials, and provides career resources. NCFR also offers webinars, a resource library, and four journals.
Scholarships for Human Services Students
College students often save money by qualifying for scholarships funded by various sources, including professional organizations, nonprofits, governments, and schools. Students qualify for these financial awards, which do not require repayment, through a combination of academic merit, financial need, field of study, or group membership. See below for some scholarships available to eligible human services bachelor's students.
David C. Maloney Scholarship
Who Can Apply: Enrollees in human services-titled programs with a 3.2 minimum GPA and NOHS membership may apply. Applicants with minority status or special needs receive precedence. Application requirements include official transcripts, resumes, recommendation letters, and brief essays.
Amount: Not specified
Outstanding Human Services Student Scholarship
Who Can Apply: Another NOHS scholarship, this financial award goes to a NOHS student member who has made a notable contribution to the field during a program. Applicants require nomination by a professional such as a faculty member or a social service organization employee. Other application requirements include a resume, recommendation letters, and documents demonstrating the applicant's contribution.
Amount: Not specified
Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship
Who Can Apply: This merit-based scholarship goes to full-time, native Hawaiian college students in health professions, including social work. Eligible applicants demonstrate Hawaiian ancestry and agree to serve for 2-4 years in underserved Hawaiian communities after graduation and licensure.
Amount: This scholarship covers tuition and school-related costs, plus a monthly stipend
Turco Muñoz Domestic Violence Survivor Scholarship
Who Can Apply: Eligible applicants possess domestic violence victim advocacy experience, enrollment in a relevant program, and career plans to serve domestic violence survivors. Application requirements include a recommendation letter and resume.
Amount: $1,000
Maryland Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant
Who Can Apply: This grant serves students planning careers in health, education, or human services-related fields and attending (or planning to attend) an eligible, accredited postsecondary school in Maryland. Applicants who submit a FAFSA demonstrating financial need gain precedence. All applicants submit official transcripts from all previous schools, and students in some majors must submit additional documentation.
Amount: $2,000
