Bachelor of Science in Human Services

Apply Now | Request Info

Professional Samaritans
Some students following a call "to help people" enter specifically defined programs in counseling, psychology, or social work. Others prefer the broad, rapidly growing field called human services, choosing to become well-prepared helpers who, in multiple settings and in countless ways, are prepared to link people in need with sources of assistance.

Every setting that helps human beings-clinics, nursing homes, social services agencies, substance abuse programs, homeless shelters, community organizations, and many others-seeks skilled workers who can assess what people need and find ways to provide it. After completing Southeastern's degree in human services, you'll be ready to enter a variety of service settings and help make a difference in the lives of people. Moreover, you'll hold a degree that opens your way to a fascinating spectrum of jobs and-when the time is right-to graduate programs in human services or other fields, such as counseling and social work.

The Preparation
Southeastern's human services program begins with our Christ-centered liberal arts (general education) core curriculum, where you develop an understanding and appreciation of God and His creation, human creativity and reason, and our place of responsibility as stewards in the world God has made. As you forge links between what you've learned in the general education curriculum and the more specialized courses in your major, our hope is that you also begin to relate all that you learn to your life and your faith.

By the time you reach your major coursework, you're ready to acquire specific helping skills-such as problem solving, critical thinking and analysis, and ethical decision making-in courses that cover a lot of professional ground: human development across the life span from a human services perspective, human services delivery, case management and intervention, program planning and evaluation, human diversity, and organizational leadership, to name a few. By choosing elective courses in topics like child and family care, substance abuse, church ministry, or youth ministry, you can tailor your degree to your particular interests.

Practicum and Internship
As part of your training, you will gain hands-on experience working with a local human services agency during two three-credit internships. You can choose from faith-based or non-faith-based agencies, and you'll work for 250 hours, the equivalent of about 30 full-time work days.

Role Models, Mentors, Teachers
Our professors-all experienced practitioners-have worked extensively as professional counselors, coordinators, and administrators themselves. They represent experience in an array of settings: private practice, hospitals, community mental health centers, schools, special education programs, skilled nursing facilities, and churches (youth pastoring and church-based counseling). As seasoned insiders, they will guide you toward techniques both for remedying individual problems and for advocating systemic change.

What's Next?
Already, human services settings are struggling to meet the demand for workers at every level, from entering paraprofessionals to senior level administrators. And the need is rapidly increasing. Recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor report that between 2006 and 2016, the employment of social service professionals is expected to grow by nearly 34 percent-a rate much faster than the average for all occupations. Your job prospects, then, are excellent. What's more, because your level of education influences the kind of work you're assigned and the amount of responsibility you carry, starting out with a bachelor's degree in human services will support your advancement into counseling and case management.

A degree in human services from Southeastern will prepare you for graduate study in human services and other fields, such as counseling and social work. It also will equip you for the following human services positions:

• Case coordinator
• Case management aide
• Community outreach worker
• Direct care counselor
• Health care assistant
• Intake counselor
• Life skills counselor
• Mental health aide
• Program coordinator
• Social worker assistant
• Social service administrator
• Youth specialist

Catalog Description and Course Requirements