Selecting a major. It’s one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. Your undergraduate education grants you the insight, perspective and skills you’ll carry with you all throughout your career. So, how do you make sure you pick the right program?
To start, think about what you want to achieve. What motivates you? Do you have a passion for helping others? Can you see yourself working with children, at-risk youth, the elderly and everyone in between?
If you’re nodding your head, then the Human Services major was practically made for you. You may even have heard about human services degrees already. But, unless you know someone personally who works in this field, there’s a good chance your mind’s racing with questions right now.
So, if you’re wondering, “What do human services students study? Who works in the human services field? And how will I know if a human services degree is right for me?” then just keep reading, because we’re going to cover all of that—and more.
What is an Associate’s degree in Human Services?
At the associate’s level, the Human Services major offers an introduction to the philosophies, principles and strategies aimed at helping people when they are most vulnerable.1
Pursue an associate’s in Human Services, and you’ll get a comprehensive overview of what makes this line of work so important for a healthy society.
Through your studies, you’ll learn from professionals who provide essential community resources for children, teens, adults and elderly individuals struggling to meet their basic needs. You’ll learn how to determine what type of aid clients need, work with other professionals (like social workers) to make a plan, coordinate resources and research the types of aid that are available to clients.
Clients for human services tend to be people who need help…2
- Finding access to food and health care
- Fighting substance abuse or addiction
- Coping with homelessness and seeking shelter
- Addressing mental health needs
- Adjusting to daily life while navigating the aging process
Students discuss the fundamentals of the human services discipline, including human behavior, social advocacy, crisis intervention and effective communication strategies. This not only prepares graduates to form meaningful relationships with the people they help, but also equips them with a solid foundation to build upon later, if they decide to enroll in a Bachelor’s degree program.
4 Human Services classes you’ll take if you pursue your associate’s degree
Rasmussen’s Human Services Associate’s degree program consists of 90 credit hours, with a total of 23 courses. You can graduate this program in as few as 18 months—and they might just be some of the most eye-opening months of your life.3
As you complete your Associate’s degree in Human Services, you’ll have a chance to explore the depths of this remarkable field and the many ways in which it helps change lives.
1. DEP2004 Human Growth and Development
“Human development” refers to everything from the physical growth we experience during childhood to mental health and wellness in adulthood. Truthfully, this knowledge has applications that extend far and wide beyond the human services profession. After all, every field involves working with people in some capacity. And the better we all understand one another, the better we’re able to communicate with and relate to each other.
This is especially true for human services professionals. If you want to help people in need, you need to know how and why their circumstances came to be. Studying human development can help you learn how a person’s behavior reflects past experiences and trauma. It also teaches you how to recognize causes for concern in children and influential factors that can impact their growth negatively.
2. HUS1175 Developing Awareness and Understanding
Human services workers must be adept at responding to others and addressing their needs in an empathetic and non-judgmental way.
Working face-to-face with strangers in the human services field, you’re bound to come across people whose choices and attitudes you won’t agree with. In those situations, you’ll need to set your biases aside and find a practical solution to help make a positive change.
There’s also a bit of a balancing act this course helps prepare you for. Human service workers must maintain clear, professional boundaries, while simultaneously ensuring clients feel comfortable enough to open up about some of their most sensitive, personal issues.
Whether you ultimately find yourself working for nonprofit organizations, child and family services or a community organization, the self-discovery journey you complete as part of this course will prepare you with the tools you need to forge powerful connections with your clients.
3. HUS1320 Introductory Strategies to Crisis Intervention
Human services professionals regularly work with clients who are facing incredible challenges. They help people struggling with substance abuse, mental illness and homelessness.2
They may also work with domestic violence and/or sexual assault survivors.4 No matter the case, there are always legal and ethical standards to adhere to. At the same time, human services workers must know how to intervene to effectively protect their clients from further harm.
These situations can be tense and even dangerous for the people involved. Human services professionals need strategies to intervene safely and effectively.
This course examines the leading theories surrounding the impact of crisis and trauma on an individual. Human Services majors not only learn about what their clients are going through, but also how to best support their needs.
4. HUS2834 Professional Practices in Human Services
The thought of entering a new career field from the ground floor is enough to intimidate anybody, let alone an aspiring human services professional. Choosing this field means choosing to help people through some of the worst moments of their lives. It’s a career choice that goes hand-in-hand with a sense of purpose and pride. And pressure.
Don’t panic. You won’t have to figure it all out on your own. This course will be your survival guide, in the sense that it prepares you with a clear, comprehensive overview of your duties and responsibilities as an entry-level professional in the human services world.
You’ll have a chance to practice everything from communication skills to basic counseling, all in a safe and welcoming environment. This course also covers ethical issues you may encounter along the way—and the appropriate ways to respond as human services professional.
So, whichever path you choose upon graduating with your associate’s—whether you dive head-first into the job market or pursue your Bachelor’s degree in Human Services—you’ll have the building blocks for a fulfilling new chapter.
What is a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services?
A bachelor’s in Human Services zooms in even further on all the ways you can support your community as a professional in this field. You’ll explore the depths of the human experience and uncover what it truly means to help people in times of need. You may even find that your studies change the way you view the world around you—and your place in it.1
Throughout your classes, you’ll consider the raw, honest truth about life without privilege and why human services programs are an important component of every community. You’ll complete assignments that help you to see how human service workers combine empathy with professionalism to make a lasting impact.
Baccalaureate coursework covers everything from case management practices to the power of human connection. It adds further context to the key concepts discussed throughout the Associate’s program.
Earning your bachelor’s in Human Services could help prepare you for a diverse range of rewarding career options, including a role as a social and community service manager, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.5 It’s also a wonderful way to deepen your knowledge of human behavior as it applies to case management.
4 Human Services classes you’ll take when you pursue your Bachelor’s degree
If you’re serious about dedicating your future to helping others, consider Rasmussen’s Bachelor's in Human Services program. Here, you’ll develop the knowledge and skills to aid people from all walks of life.
1. HUS3270 Working with Special Populations
The human services profession is all about working with society’s most vulnerable people: children from broken homes, teens and adults struggling with their mental health (or even addiction), elderly individuals who need help looking after themselves—basically, working in human services means being there for anyone and everyone who could use an extra helping hand.
This course familiarizes students with the gravity of human vulnerability and what it means to be disadvantaged in today’s United States. Students also discuss the factors that contribute to vulnerability to gain a deeper understanding of the hardships they’ll help future clients overcome.
2. HUS3340 Models and Techniques of Effective Helping
There’s a right and a wrong way to go about your duties as a human services professional. Every client you work with is in a unique, yet delicate situation. Even when you have the best of intentions, trying to help a person in need without first understanding the proper protocols to do so could yield devastating results—for yourself and your clients alike.
This course covers everything, from the skills you’ll need to build appropriate relationships with clients to stress-management strategies to help you avoid career burnout. Whether you end up working in a rehabilitation facility, a nursing care facility or you pursue roles at other community organizations, the information you gain from this course is all but guaranteed to apply.
3. HUS4000 Social Problems and Advocacy
People drawn to the human services field typically share a desire to make meaningful changes in their communities—and our society, as a whole. If that sounds like you, then you’ll love this course!
Students analyze some of the most pressing social problems that plague our society. In this course, you’ll take on the challenge of ideating strategies to advocate for positive change.
Do you see yourself as a child advocate? A voice for those facing domestic abuse? Is social justice near and dear to your heart? This course will show you how you can start to channel your passion and make a difference.
4. HUS3130 Theoretical Approaches to Service Delivery
What does service delivery look like in a child welfare case? How does it compare to how you’d handle cases of substance abuse? What do you do when a client shows signs of impaired mental health? And how might cultural barriers influence your future clients’ treatment plans?
These are the types of questions you’ll dig into as part of this course. Human services professionals need to know how to identify each client’s unique needs and, from there, provide individualized care. That’s no small task, but theories backed by human services research can serve as a roadmap for you and your future colleagues in the field.
Throughout this course, you’ll grow acquainted with a number of theoretical approaches for working with children, teens and adults.
Who should major in Human Services?
Some people lead with compassion. They’re givers. They see someone in pain and don’t think twice before lending a hand.
Those are the people the human services field needs the most right now. Are you one of them?
Which type of Human Services program is right for you: An associate’s or a bachelor’s?
In general, associate’s degrees offer a faster route to the workforce—but at the cost of having fewer career options when you get there, since so many entry-level roles require bachelor’s degrees.4
Once you have an Associate’s degree in Human Services, however, you may be able to complete your Bachelor’s degree in as few as 18 months at Rasmussen.2 This allows you to start with an associate degree, gain work experience, and return for a bachelor’s degree if you decide you want more education.
Now that you have a better idea of what these degrees are—see what you can do with them. Check out “What Can You Do With a Human Services Degree?” for potential job titles, role descriptions and more.
Rasmussen University’s Human Services Associate’s and Human Services Bachelor’s degree programs are not designed to meet, and do not meet, the educational requirements for professional licensure as a therapist, counselor, social worker, psychologist, or other similar licensed careers, in any state. For further information on professional licensing requirements, please contact the appropriate board or agency in your state of residence.
1Rasmussen University’s Human Services Associate’s and Human Services Bachelor’s degree programs are not designed to meet, and do not meet, the educational requirements for professional licensure as a therapist, counselor, social worker, psychologist, or other similar licensed careers, in any state. For further information on professional licensing requirements, please contact the appropriate board or agency in your state of residence
2Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Social and Community Service Managers, (accessed March 2024), https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm#tab-2
3Completion time is dependent on transfer credits accepted and the number of courses completed each term.
4U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HHS Strengthens Response to Domestic Violence through the New Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services, (date accessed), HHS Strengthens Response to Domestic Violence through the New Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services | HHS.gov Department of Health and Human Services, HHS Strengthens Response to Domestic Violence through the New Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services, (accessed March 2024), https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/03/20/hhs-strengthens-response-domestic-violence-through-new-office-family-violence-prevention-services.html
5Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Social and Community Service Managers, (accessed April, 2024), Social and Community Service Managers : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov).
