Help Make A Difference To People In Need Of Assistance: Human Services Degree
Do you care about the health and wellbeing of other people and would like to guide those around you to improve their lives? Would you like to not only help those who are experiencing a crisis in their lives, but also prevent future crises from occurring? If you have a passion for not just helping other people to survive, but for them to thrive even when they have to face adversity then a degree in human services can be a huge advantage. With this type of degree you can learn the type of skills that are required to empower people so that they are able to live more independent lives. Human services is often seen as more of a calling than a job, so if you have a passion for the subject and a drive to help others then this could be the ideal degree for you.
Human Services Degree Information
Bachelor of Arts in Human Services Degree
The Bachelor of Arts in Human Services is a degree that can take up to four years to complete. It is often completed by students interested in working in the field of human services or those who wishes to go on to do graduate studies in related fields, such as human resource administration, social service administration or education. In addition to the required general education program, major courses for this type of degree typically include Sociology of Social Problems, Communication Skills for Human Service Professionals, Human Services Organizational Systems, Case Management, as well as Law and Ethics in Human Services. Usually this type of bachelor’s degree also requires students to complete a capstone experience in order to demonstrate the use of their skills in a real-world setting.
Master of Science in Human Services
The Master of Science in Human Services is a degree that can take up to two years to complete and is often favored by students with undergraduates in human services, criminal justice or psychology in order to increase their potential. Core courses for this degree usually include Human Services Policy, Human Service Management, Human Services Ethics and Diversity as well as Applied Research Methods in Human Services. In addition, the coursework typically also involves practicum, internship and a capstone. Students can also choose concentration courses in human services, such as alcohol and drug counseling, non-profit management, clinical mental health counseling or forensic mental health counseling.
Human Services Degree FAQ
Is It Possible To Earn A Human Services Degree Online?
There are a number of online institutions that offer degrees in human services. The curriculum for these online courses tend to mirror those available on campus, but offers greater flexibility. This means that students are able to study at their own pace and at locations that suits them, provided they have access to an internet connection. Online courses in human services may be presented in the form of streaming lectures or other forms of online media. Earning your degree online is great if you are not able to commit to an on-campus program due to other obligations, but it still requires a lot of dedication and perseverance. There is also a misconception that studying human services online means you don’t get the personal attention you might have received at a campus location, but this is not the case. Online education programs are often interactive and allows you to communicate with fellow students as well as professors to enhance your learning experience. Most importantly, online degree programs in Human Services are often much more affordable than the campus based equivalent and does not require any travel cost.
Who Is An Ideal Candidate To Study Human Services?
Because most of the careers involving human services require you to interact with people or communities, it is essential that you have a love and passion for doing so. You’ll also be dealing with a lot of people who are in need of assistance, so good problem solving skills are a must. Since many of the people you deal with on a regular basis might be going through difficult circumstances, it is just as vital that you have compassion and can show understanding for their plight. At the same time, you must also be able to be able to behave in a ethical and professional manner at all times when working. Finally, you need to have patience as you might be required to deal with people who are not always cooperative.
What Type of Employment Options May Be Available To Those With A Human Services Degree?
People with a degree in human services tend to go on to work in a variety of settings. These range from residential care and institutional settings to working with communities. Job titles may range from home health aide and mental health aide to juvenile court liaison, social service liaison, crisis intervention specialist and community outreach worker. Other popular career paths for people with this type of degree includes client advocate, youth worker, intake interviewer and case management aide. However, because human services is such an interdisciplinary field of study, there are few career paths that are really typical and the skills you learn can be useful in many different jobs.
What Type of Duties Might I Have When Working In The Human Services Industry?
There are lots of different career paths for students with human services degrees and while they all differ, your duties often boil down to helping others. For example, case management aides typically perform tasks such as interviewing and screening clients while community outreach workers generally perform more administrative tasks. On the other hand, if you become a social work assistant you might be required to assist people who are affected by poverty, domestics violence or substance abuse.
How Much Can I Potentially Earn When Working In This Field?
Your place of employment as well as geographical location can play a big role in how much you might earn when working in the human services industry. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for those working as social and human service assistants was about $35,060 in 2019. Statistics also indicate that the top industries in terms of salaries are state and local government, excluding education and hospitals as well as religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations. This field also has a positive job outlook as the projected growth of employment is estimated at 11 percent until 2024, which is faster than the average for all other occupations. With further education and more experience, it is also possible for those working in human services to become social and community service managers where the median annual wage is in the region of $67,150.
What Are The Other Benefits To Studying Human Services?
One of the biggest reasons why people choose to study human services is because of how rewarding it is as a career. It is a great career path for anyone who enjoys helping others and seeing people overcome adversity thanks to your guidance is extremely satisfying. Working in human services means being able to affect social change within communities and positively impact people, which is something that not many jobs can offer.
