The Human Services Program is designed to prepare students to work in a variety of human services fields and to offer advanced training to those already employed in human services professions.
With a Human Services focus, you will:
- Develop your administrative and leadership skills.
- Gain research skills in needs assessment and program evaluation.
- Learn about positive trends in human services, e.g., strengths-based, empowerment-oriented models.
- Develop your understanding of key content areas.
- Build a critical analysis.
Courses
Students in the Human Services Program complete 15 credits of core courses:
- SOC 710 Sociology of Human Services
- SOC 711 Human Services Administration or SOC 712 Methods for Human Service Practitioners
- SOC 705 Research Seminar in Sociology
- SOC 762 Analysis of Social Data
- SOC 709 Contemporary Sociological Theory
In addition, students choose a specialization and complete three to five* courses focusing on their particular area of interest:
- Administration and Evaluation
- Children and Families
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse
- Health and Medicine
- Aging
- Or create your own!
*Three courses for those choosing the Thesis option (6 cr), and five courses for those students choosing the Non-Thesis option. Please see the Graduate Catalog for a complete listing of curriculum requirements.
A six-credit internship offers students the ability to utilize their acquired knowledge on a first-hand basis.Finally, students have the option to choose to complete a thesis or a comprehensive exam.
Special Features
- Evening classes available
- Go part-time or full-time
- Thesis or comprehensive exam option
- Small class size and seminars
- Begin Fall, Spring, or Summer
- Can enroll first in one course with simple admission process
- Earn credit for internships
- Nationally recognized faculty
- Paid assistantships available
- Combines practical and academic knowledge
- Professional training through Mid-Atlantic Addiction Research and Training Institute (MARTI)
- Campus located fifty miles NE of Pittsburgh
- Courses may be applicable for CAC credentialing with Certification Board's approval
Prepare yourself for positions like:
Executive director/administrator
Educator/trainer
Evaluator
Supervisor
Direct service practitioner
Researcher/data analysis
Advocate
Policymaker
In programs such as:
Government agencies
Adolescent services
Drug and alcohol services
Child welfare
Prisons/corrections
Family services
Women's shelters
Hospitals/nursing homes
