Helping people is a noble calling. Answer that call through Columbia-Greene's Human Services program. Classes illuminate the struggles and challenges people face while preparing students for dozens of career options.
Why Study Human Services?
The Human Services program teaches the skills needed to understand other people and the hurdles they face, along with the techniques to help them thrive.
Learn to view people as individuals while framing their needs in the context of existing research. Through a required internship, students spend 135 hours in the field at a local human service agency and gain valuable hands-on experience.
Skilled providers are needed more than ever as mental health needs become more acute. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment in community and social service occupations will grow 12 percent by 2030, with a special emphasis on counseling and social work.
As a field of study at Columbia-Greene, the Human Services program was created with the intention of educating students in preparation for entry into the helping professions. The program provides students with both an academic and experiential foundation that will enable them to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to serve their communities. This program has a specific emphasis on the prevention and remediation of problems in addition to maintaining an overall commitment to enhancing the quality of life of service populations. Areas of focus include interviewing skills, intervention strategies, trauma and crisis mediation, and multicultural treatment approaches.
Program Options
Curriculum Code: 1175 I Liberal Arts Credits: 30 I Program Credits: 32
Columbia-Greene Human Services graduates transfer to four-year colleges and universities and enter programs in psychology, social work, sociology, or related fields. The internship provides practical experience, while classes cover theory and science.
Human Services students interact with a diverse group of people, comprising different ages, backgrounds, and beliefs. Pursuing a career in human services requires an open mind and a willingness to understand the perspectives of others.
Applicants to this program must complete an interview. Speak with an advisor for more details.
| Course Code | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CD 208 SL 205 | Chemical Dependency and Addiction OR Trauma and Resilience | 3 |
| EN 101 | Composition | 3 |
| EN 102 | Composition and Literature | 3 |
| HU ELE | Humanities Elective | 6 |
| MA 113 | Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
| PY 101 | General Psychology | 3 |
| SC ELE | Lab Science Elective | 3 |
| SL ELE | Social Science Electives | 3 |
| SO 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Liberal Arts Credits: | 30 | |
| CE 101 | College Experience | 1 |
| GN ELE | General Elective | 9 |
| HS 103 | Introduction to Human Services | 3 |
| HS 105 | Interventions in Human Services | 3 |
| HS 110 | Interviewing Techniques | 3 |
| HS 212 | Community Organizing | 3 |
| HS 230 | Human Services Internship I | 4 |
| SL 110 | Cultural Diversity | 3 |
| SO 102 | Social Problems | 3 |
| Program Credits: | 32 | |
| Minimum Credits: | 62 |
Careers & Outcomes
The A.S. Human Services degree prepares the student to transfer to four-year schools with junior status to continue their bachelor level education in social work, psychology, sociology or related fields. Transfer opportunities include, but are not limited to: Marist College, The College of Saint Rose, University at Albany-SUNY, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Plattsburgh, Adelphi University, and the Sage Colleges.