Human Services Degree

One of the broadest terms an individual may ever hear is “human services.” Just what do human services entail? With few people likely in the know about human services, even fewer realize that there is such thing as a human services degree. The field of human services is one of the broadest career fields available to college graduates. The field of human services consists of jobs in which individuals assist other people through a variety of public outreach programs as they try to tackle major challenges in their lives.

Individuals pursuing a human services degree should be able to work well with others and be prepared for long hours and little in the way of glamor in return for their hard work. Those who earn a human services degree often work side by side with doctors, detectives, social workers, and other outreach specialists. Human service specialists often assist those facing challenges arising from substance abuse or those who have been the victim of violence and crime.

There are a variety of levels at which an individual can begin their education in human services. Everyone has their own constraints to face in life and these may affect which degree certain individuals can achieve in the human services field. Luckily there are options to suit everyone that will help them at the very least gain an entry level position in the field of human services. The following are a few examples of entry level human services degrees students can earn:

• Human Services Certification programs (for example: Early Childhood Education, Substance Abuse Counseling, Child Development Associate)
• Associate of Arts in Human Services Management
• Associate of Applied Science in Human Services
• Bachelor of Science in Human Services
• Bachelor of Science in Human Services – Child and Family Welfare
• Bachelor of Science in Human Services – Gerontology
• Bachelor of Science in Human Services – Human Services Administration

The above degrees will vary in their requirements of students as well as the doors they open in the career field. Human Services certification programs as well as Associate’s degrees are considered the minimum education requirement for an individual to get an entry level position. A Bachelor’s degree sets an individual up for greater success, and many if not all credits from certificate and Associate’s programs can be put towards a Bachelor’s degree at a later date.

Most Bachelor degree programs in human services will require individuals to complete a liberal arts curriculum. During this time individuals will first study a broad range of topics in college before devoting their final years to a more focused study of topics relevant to human services. These more specialized classes often include:

• Abnormal Psychology
• Group Dynamics
• Developmental Psychology
• Ethics and Human Services
• Research Design and Evaluation

Individuals do have the option of pursuing more advanced graduate level human services degrees upon completion of a Bachelor’s program. The most common Master’s and Doctorate level human services degrees include:

• Master of Science in General Human Services
• Master of Science in Social and Community Services
• PhD in Health Services
• PhD in Human Services