This article has information about how to choose a bachelor’s degree in human services. The article also details why you may want to earn this in demand degree. It also contains information about three solid, online universities where you can earn this degree. We also offer important accreditation information for human services degree programs.
What Is a Bachelor’s in Human Services?
A bachelor’s degree in human services is a four year degree that focuses on providing various social services to clients in need. Some of the areas that you may focus on in a human services degree program are psychology, education, social work and criminal justice. Generally, this degree holder will be qualified to work in many public service occupations that help the needy and vulnerable among us.
Common courses in human services programs are in crisis intervention, behavior management, effective personal communication, family and community systems, trauma impact on children, child welfare, showing empathy, ethics, and counseling psychology.
This type of degree is especially well suited for workers who have a passion and interest in child welfare, juvenile corrections, family court, family support, domestic violence, and schools.
Students who earn this degree will be effective at working with clients who are at risk, and have a great respect for multiculturalism and diversity.
A professional with a human services degree may work in these professions and others:
- Addiction counselor
- Mental health counselor (under close supervision of doctoral degree holder)
- Child welfare manager
- Health care aide or assistant
- Legal mediator
- Disability assistant
- Rehabilitation assistant
- Career counselor
After you have earned your bachelor’s degree in human services, you may need to obtain licensure or certification in your state; this is required for many social and public service jobs. If you are working in the social work field, you can likely start out in a social worker related field and eventually earn your social worker certification and license.
Why Earn a Bachelor’s in Human Services?
Professionals who earn this degree first choose to do so because they feel a strong desire to help vulnerable citizens who have a variety of problems, but may not have the personal resources to make needed changes. Those clients also may simply not know that there is public service help available to assist them with many life problems, from illness and disease, to addiction, to domestic violence and much more.
Second, professionals enter the human services field because there is strong and increasing demand in most of the positions that can be obtained with this bachelor’s degree. For example, the following careers in human services and social services are some of growing possibilities with this bachelor’s degree:
Social Worker
Social workers help their clients to deal with many different personal, financial and emotional problems. They also help clients to locate resources in their local community that can help them to live a better and more productive life.
A professional with a bachelor’s degree in human services will possibly need more courses in social work, and will need to obtain licensure. After that, you may be able to move into the child and family social worker career. You would be helping individual clients to find greatly needed social services, housing and financial aid. Many social workers help their clients to apply for child care, apply for public benefits, and intervene in situations of domestic violence.
Social workers will experience 12% job growth by 2024, and the median salary is $46,890.
Social and Community Service Manager
These human services professionals help to supervise and coordinate many community and social service programs. They also provide supervision for lower level staff who give social services to the general public.
Social and community service managers are employed by many public human service and social agencies. Some of these organizations might work with a particular group of people: children, the homeless, the poor and elderly, and war veterans. Other organizations in social and community services may work on specific issues: mental health, hunger, or unemployment.
These managers usually are in charge of managing staff and programs, as well as recruiting, hiring and training new employees. Some managers may also supervise social workers, who work one on one with clients.
This field will experience solid 10% growth by 2024. So there will be a strong need for more managers in social services; there is particular need for these workers to work with our aging US population.
The median salary in this field is $64,680. An entry or mid level professional with a human services bachelor’s degree may earn less, in the area of $40,000 per year.
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor
This professional provides counseling and advice to people who suffer from serious alcohol and drug addictions. They also may provide the same to people who have eating disorders and other addictions that seriously compromise health and wellness. These counselors provide individual treatment and support to help that client to recover from their addiction problem.
This type of human services professional also may be referred to as an addiction counselor. He or she may work with clients one on one or in small groups. Some may use various 12-step programs, such as AA to guide and inform their work.
This field is growing fast, with 22% increase in jobs by 2024. The major factor in this is that more drug addicted people are being given drug rehabilitation rather than long jail time. Another factor is that drug treatment is covered by most health insurance policies.
The median pay in this field is $41,070.
Online Degree Options
Does a bachelor’s in human services sound like an interesting option? Then you may wish to consider the following online bachelor’s programs:
Ohio Christian University
Ohio Christian University focuses on the exploration of social advocacy within a Christian, biblical worldview. Human services students in this program will be ready to work in many social services professions, as well as graduate work, in counseling, psychology, social work, criminal justice and criminology.
Through this program’s broad based readings, intense composition courses, and presentations giving orally, all human services majors will be armed with the practical and intellectual skills to make a real difference in the lives of those most in need.
After completion, you will have the skills in social services to do the following:
- Show an ability to think logically, clearly and compassionately in the human services and related fields
- Analyze the newest trends in human and social services
- Be able to identify and be an advocate for the client-specific needs and expectations in human services in different communities
- Be skilled at integrating a Christ-centered approach in practicing social and human services
Required courses are:
- Criminal Justice
- Human Resources
- Psychology
- Substance Abuse Counseling
- Human Services
- Advocacy and Public Policy
- Ethics and Human Services
- Leadership and Administration
- Human Services Capstone Course
Post University
If you think that helping people in need is your passion, and you believe that people can change for the better, a Bachelor of Science in Human Services may be an ideal fit for your career aspirations.
You will attain the skills and experience that are necessary to be a progressive leader in many human services roles. Or you may use this bachelor’s degree to ready yourself for further study at the graduate level.
Post University’s online program features a large, skilled faculty who are highly accomplished in human and social services. You will gain the skills and empathy that you will need to work in many jobs, from caseworker to probation officer to client advocate.
This program will teach you the following:
- How to develop strong, foundational knowledge in case management, theories of prevention, and human development theories
- Learn vital skills to succeed in human services jobs in counseling, crisis intervention and social advocacy
This program has concentration options in counseling, human services management, sociology, criminal justice and psychology.
This program will impart upon you a good understanding of how people can change and grow with proper education and guidance. You also will learn how to be an effective advocate for social justice.
Colorado State Global Campus
This bachelor’s degree at Colorado State Global Campus in human services is a good choice if you have a true passion for helping people to overcome challenges and meet their potential. After graduation, you will possess the skills to help your clients in such diverse fields as rehabilitation, social work, family support and counseling.
Some graduates of this four year program may help social workers to develop, organize and implement social services programs. These program are often intended to both prevent and resolve serious social problems in at risk communities. These include substance abuse, domestic violence, rehabilitation, and dependent care.
The program will give you the knowledge of related social services fields, including mental illness, child care, disability support and elderly assistance. You will have the skills to work in an efficient manner to help needy individuals, groups, families and organizations.
Required courses are:
- Applying Leadership Principles
- Race, Gender and Ethnic Relations in the US
- Community Development
- Introduction to Human Services
- Human Development
- Intervention Methods in Human Services
Accreditation
It is recommended that potential students verify if their program has been accredited by the Council for Standards in Human Services Education, or CSHSE. This accreditation is confirmation that the program is of high quality and that your degree will have value after you graduate.
Summary
A bachelor’s degree in human services is a versatile educational option that will open doors to many social services careers with strong growth and career potential.
References
- Social Workers. (2015, Dec. 17). Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm
- Social and Community Service Managers. (2015, Dec. 17). Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm
- Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors. (2015, Dec. 17). Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-and-behavioral-disorder-counselors.htm#tab-2
- Ohio Christian University. Human Services Bachelor’s Degree. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ohiochristian.edu/adult-graduate-online/bachelor-arts_/human-services#sthash.yyRWLQn3.dpbs
- Post University. Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://post.edu/academics/bachelor-degree-in-human-services-1
- Colorado State Global Campus. Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://csuglobal.edu/undergraduate/bachelors-degrees/human-services
