What do you learn in a bachelor's in human services?

Caring for people and their unique needs will always be integral to our society. With the skills you learn pursuing a bachelor's in human services degree, you'll be set up to get a job where you can be on the frontlines of helping meet the needs of your community.

Discover what you'll learn in a bachelor's in human services program and learn what requirements you'll need to meet to graduate.

What to expect from a human services bachelor's program

A bachelor's in human services is a four-year program designed to help you build the skills needed to support individuals, families, communities, and whole populations in a multitude of impactful ways. Throughout this program, you can expect to learn about the existing systems and programs available to vulnerable people, how these systems and programs work, and how to properly connect people and populations with these opportunities.

Much like any other bachelor's program, a human services bachelor's degree takes roughly four years to complete. With this program, you'll not only spend time in the classroom, but you'll also have opportunities to interface with federal, state, and local agencies and other organizations in your area working in this field.

Common jobs for graduates of this program include social workers, agency case managers, probation officers, community health workers, child adoption specialists, and substance use counselors.

Bachelor's in human services curriculum

When it comes to the courses offered with a bachelor's in human services program, the majority will be focused on teaching you the skills you need to support the agency or individuals your future job will charge you with taking care of. Here are a few of the common courses you may find within a standard human services curriculum:

• Public and community health: In this course, students learn how to support community-wide health initiatives, such as preventing diseases, educating the public, enacting healthcare policies, and improving the overall health and wellbeing of the community.
• Introduction to counseling: Students in this course learn the basics of one-on-one and group counseling, including best practices, potential outcomes, and popular counseling strategies.
• Legal and ethical issues in human services: This is a very important course of this degree program. Students learn how to support community health and ethical considerations while operating within the confines of current local and federal laws.

Specializations and concentrations

While you may not know exactly what you want to do for a career when you start earning your bachelor's in human services degree, you will have ample opportunities to learn about the different opportunities that will open up for you. Additionally, most schools give you the chance to select electives to support your desired concentration.

Here are a few areas you may be interested in specializing in:

• Mental health: With this specialization, you'll learn more about available mental health programs that support those with unique mental health needs and how to support a population that may find immense challenges within traditional society.
• Substance use: Many professions in the human services industry — like counselors, probation officers, and case managers — may regularly encounter people struggling with substance use. This specialization allows you to learn more about the unique needs of someone dealing with these challenges who needs help.
• Public policy: While not offered at every school, some options allow you to focus on the government and legal side of health and human services. More specifically, you'll learn about how laws and mandates affect the wellbeing of a community and how to use the system to create lasting change.

Graduation requirements for a human services bachelor's degree

To successfully earn your degree in human services, you'll need to complete 120 credit hours of general education courses, core human services courses, and chosen electives.

Additionally, most schools require extensive fieldwork through an internship or school partnership. With an internship, you'll start to get real-world experience in the field. Most internships take place at local, state, or federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, hospitals or healthcare facilities, addiction centers, or counseling offices.

Explore bachelor's degrees in human services

Ready to begin your path toward an exciting career in human services? Then check out edX's bachelor's in human services programs and get started today!