Community and Human Services
Study for a degree in community and human services expands your understanding of the relationship between human needs and values and social conditions. You develop analytical and communication skills, as well as the knowledge and expertise to contribute to the development and maintenance of healthy communities, groups and individuals.
Students in this area learn to understand and integrate the four foundations of the discipline -- knowledge, skills, attitudes and values -- with experience, application and practice. Many faculty mentors in community and human services have had extensive experience in the field in roles ranging from direct service to program evaluation and are available to guide you to meet personal and vocational goals.
Why a degree in community and human services?
Students who study community and human services are preparing to:
- enter community-service professions
- further develop their current professional role
- pursue graduate study
- combine their background in nursing or substance-abuse counseling with further education to broaden their knowledge and abilities
- solve problems interfering with the well-being of individuals, groups and communities
- manage social-service organizations delivering assistance
- help individuals and communities in emergencies
- affect social policy and change
- teach
- enter jobs in government
- assume a policymaking role.
Degrees Available
As a regionally accredited college of the State University of New York, Empire State College offers the following degrees in community and human services:
- Associate of Arts
- Associate of Science
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Professional Studies
Taking individual courses as a nondegree student is also possible and will offer you the same range and depth of courses and rigorous standards as matriculated undergraduate students.
Popular concentrations
- children and family services
- criminal justice services
- disability services
- emergency management services
- health and human services
- substance abuse services.
You can focus on a single area such as children and families, or create an interdisciplinary concentration that connects or combines perspectives exploring a theme or topic.
Sample Degree Programs
The following illustrate what a degree program might look like. As a student, you will work with a faculty mentor to design a degree plan that meets your educational goals.
- Early Childhood Educational Studies (PDF
40kB) - Human Service (PDF 41kB)
- Marketing for Non Profits (PDF 41kB)
- Mental Health (PDF 41kB)
- Social Issues (PDF 40kB)
- Social Services (PDF 40kB)
Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read the degree plans. If Acrobat Reader is not installed on your computer, you can download it for free from Adobe.
