Human Service Degrees and Careers
Students interested in the human services field will have a wide range of job opportunities available to them after they earn their degree. While those interested in human service usually pursue a career in the counseling field, many sub-areas of counseling also have specialties that may appeal to students.
The study of human service includes subjects such as early childhood development, consumer services, counseling and mental health. Students interested in earning a human service associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree will be required to choose the type of human services on which they want to focus their curriculum.
Specializations within the Human Services Degree
Each school is different in the areas of study it provides in human services, but some of the concentrations that may be offered include:
- Community Service
- Counseling Psychology
- Genetic Counseling
- Mental Health Counseling.
A student looking to pursue a human service degree should first have a career goal in mind. Many who graduate with human services degrees end up in the counseling, social working or education fields.
For working students, a good option is to pursue an online degree. Human service degrees online are now offered by many reputable institutions. In fact, students can earn their human service degrees online at the associate degree level, up to the PhD level (though research and on-campus time may be required for higher-level degrees).
Family and Marriage Counseling
For human services students interested in a career in Family and Marriage Counseling, this specific degree is offered at many institutions, both online and on campus. This area of study teaches students how to help married couples and families as they encounter problems or need guidance in resolving disputes.
The student who pursues a Family and Marriage Counseling degree will learn how to identify psychological problems in individual family members and how they affect relationships. The student will also learn how to identify the emotional and mental difficulties behind marital or family problems. To become a Family and Marriage counselor, a student must complete a bachelor’s degree and a two-year master’s program in this area of study.
School Counseling
Becoming a school counselor is also a career path for those with a human service degree. Students interested in pursuing this career path will need a human services degree in the "School Counseling" area of study. Students who earn a master’s degree in school counseling can become an elementary, middle or high school counselor. College school counseling may require additional coursework.
The curriculum for school counseling teaches prospective counselors:
- how students absorb information
- how to help students meet their educational goals
- how to help students with problems they encounter at home, with family or in social situations with their peers.
Students enrolled in a school counseling degree program will also learn how schools operate and the reasons for their rules and regulations.
Mental Health Counseling
Mental health counseling is another area of study open to those looking to pursue a human services degree. This type of counseling may be the most in-depth and medically oriented area of study in the human services field. It also requires a bachelor’s degree and two years of master’s studies in the student's chosen emphasis or concentration.