Bachelor’s Degree in
Human Services (Online)
- Bachelor of Science (BS)
- Online
- On Campus
- Hybrid
When you earn your Bachelor’s In Human Services, you’re not just earning a degree. You’re earning the trust of the people who will depend on you as you advance your career.
Everyone deserves a fair opportunity in life, but not everyone gets one. Underserved populations encounter constant challenges created by social, racial, and economic injustice, and they need someone to be on their side. With your Bachelor of Science in Human Services, you can be that someone.
From child care to elder care, there’s a constant demand for compassionate, ethical professionals who are ready to serve. With a combination of academic study and real-world experience, Monroe’s BS in Human Services will prepare you for leadership positions in social service agencies, mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities, domestic abuse shelters, community centers, and much, much more.
Why an Online Major in Human Services?
As a Human Services major, you’ll be building multiple futures: those of the communities you serve, and that of your own. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that jobs in community and social service occupations will grow by 10% by 2031 — with an even greater increase of 12% for social and community service managers. That’s much faster than the national average.
With a Bachelor’s in Human Services, you’ll benefit from that trend. You’ll also be well-prepared to benefit others. A human services career is about helping under-resourced, diverse communities get the help they need. To do that, it takes more than good intentions. It takes education, training, and skill, all of which you’ll get at Monroe University’s fully accredited School of Criminal and Social Justice.
When you earn a degree in Human Services, you’re not just changing your own life. You’re learning what it takes to change someone else’s.
Curriculum
The term “human services” can mean a lot of things, from counseling to career guidance to providing food and shelter for those in need. Fundamentally, it’s all about helping people find stability and self-sufficiency.
No matter which career path you take, success in human services requires mastery of many different skill sets, including:
- Policy and administration
- Ethics
- Social issues
- Political engagement
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Communication
- Counseling theory
- Group dynamics
- Substance abuse
At Monroe, you’ll learn from seasoned professionals with decades of experience working in community centers, mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities, crisis intervention, military and veteran services, group homes and foster care, adult day care, residential care, and much more. You’ll then be ready to take on new experiences of your own, including:
- A supervised practicum at an approved human services or community agency, and
- Two semesters of field experience in social service agencies.
With the help from Monroe's dedicated support team, you’ll gain hundreds of hours of training in the real world before you even finish your degree.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services?
It takes eight (8) semesters to finish a Human Services Bachelor’s Degree online. That’s less than three (3) years if you complete those semesters consecutively on Monroe’s accelerated three (3)-semester academic calendar.
Online BS in Human Services Requirements:
- 124 total credits
- 64 credits of major-related courses
- 60 credits of general education and related courses
Monroe also offers multiple degree options. In addition to a fully on campus program, we offer a hybrid curriculum that allows you the flexibility of taking Human Services classes online while still enjoying hands-on, in-person experience.
Learn more about the requirements for an online Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services.
Cultural Competence in the Human Services
Serving diverse populations means working with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds — some of which may be very different from your own. Despite our best intentions, we may not always be aware of the unconscious personal biases that can affect how we deliver services to those populations. This course will train students to recognize critical issues in working with culturally diverse groups on the road to developing a higher level of cultural competency.
Admission Requirements
Candidates for a Human Services Bachelor’s Degree must fulfill the following admissions requirements:
- Candidates must possess either a high school graduation credential or high school equivalency diploma, or a recognized college associate degree or higher as listed in the transfer admissions policy.
- Candidates must also submit a completed application for admission, as well as a personal statement or essay.
Human Services candidates also participate in a pre-admission interview.
Tuition and Financial Aid
How Much Does an Online Human Services Degree Cost?
At Monroe, we do everything in our power to make sure everyone can afford a quality education. We offer affordable tuition and fees, manageable payment plans, and our financial aid office works with you to secure all the scholarships, grants, and loans for which you’re eligible. We’ll even help you to find any available work-study employment opportunities.
Your Future Human Services Career
Over the course of your studies, you’ll get a stronger sense of the populations you want to focus on helping, including:
- People living with disabilities
- People living with mental illnesses or substance abuse disorders
- Immigrant populations
- Unhoused persons
- Veterans
- Senior citizens
- The formerly incarcerated
And once you complete your degree, you’ll have opened the door to an enormous range of human services jobs, including:
- Community health educator
- Substance abuse counselor
- Child welfare specialist
- Case manager
- Community advocate
- Family and child advocate
- Correctional counselor
- Rehabilitation counselor
- Juvenile counselor
- Juvenile probation officer
- Behavioral management aide
You’ll be well prepared for positions in government, non-profit organizations, and even in private, for-profit enterprises.
Professional Opportunities
With internship opportunities built into the curriculum, Monroe’s degree in Human Services will give you a real-world understanding of where you want to focus your career ambitions. You’ll also give potential employers a chance to observe your talents. Recent field placements for Monroe Human Services majors have included:
- The New York City Department of Probation
- The Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle
- Compassionate Care Hospice
- The Children’s Village
- ACDP Sedgwick Cornerstone Community Center
- Success Outpatient Treatment Services
Monroe’s Human Services program is also proud to be a member of the National Organization of Human Services. NOHS provides students with numerous scholarship and grant opportunities, as well as access to yearly conferences.
You’ll also build valuable connections right here on campus. Monroe’s Human Services Club assists local agencies through fundraising and public awareness initiatives around issues including domestic violence, poverty, and homelessness.
Discover What You Can Achieve
With a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services, you can lift others up as you climb toward success. You can build a life and a career that’s centered around your core values. At Monroe’s School of Criminal and Social Justice, we’ll make sure of it.
Factsheet
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