2024-2025 University Catalog
Human Services, Department of
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 Return to: College of Health and Human Development
Department Chair
Joe Albert Garcia
Department Office/Website
Education Classroom 405
657-278-8444
hhd.fullerton.edu/husr
Faculty
Michelle Berelowitz, Sapna Chopra, John Doyle, Joe Albert Garcia, Gary Germo, Stephen Hall, Mikel Hogan, Melanie Horn-Mallers, Kristi Kanel, Trent Nguyen, Carl Renold, Adrian Rodriguez, James Ruby, Mia Sevier, Yuying Tsong
Introduction
The Bachelor of Science in Human Services is a carefully articulated program providing the academic and experiential background for the student seeking a career working with people in the varied and expanding field of human services. An application-oriented major, it is based on a synthesis of knowledge from several social sciences, together with methodologies of intervention at the individual, group and community levels. Human services graduates are educated to respond in an informed way to identifiable human service needs in a variety of settings. The program’s orientation and its synthesis of knowledge from many background disciplines, as well as its focus on the development of specific methods and practical skills to apply this knowledge, give it a unique perspective.
The Human Services major is structured around four interrelated components: theoretical foundations/intervention strategies; client population/cultural diversity; research/evaluation; and skill development/field experience.
About half of the graduates of the Human Services program go on to graduate programs, typically in social work, counseling, psychology, gerontology, public administration or education. A human services professional may provide direct services to clients, supervise personnel, administer programs and develop policies, and/or deliver support services to professional staff. Sample career options for Human Services graduates include adoption counselor, AIDS services case manager, child protective service worker, client advocate, community educator, elementary school teacher, geriatric caseworker, human services agency administrator, parent educator, policy analyst, probation officer, social service employee, youth counselor and behavior specialist.
Degree Description
Upon completion of the degree, students are capable of fulfilling the duties of an entry level position in a variety of human service agencies. This includes public funded, non-profit and for profit agencies that focus on mental health services, social welfare services, educational services, alcohol and substance abuse services, correctional services and agencies serving disabled populations. Students are capable of working in a multidisciplinary team with professionals and other paraprofessionals. They are capable of providing case management, basic counseling services, and basic data collection and interpretation. Students are capable of seeking and utilizing supervision and are capable of seeking personal services when they are in need. They seek collaboration and are capable of being sensitive and competent with a diverse client population. The unique learning outcomes include: 1) Learning about the student’s own personal issues and strengths; 2) Learning about how to develop one’s sense of well being and coping with job stress; 3) Learning how to assess diversity issues and work effectively with multiple cultural groups; 4) Learning how to apply theoretical concepts from textbooks to real life situations; 5) Learning how to work in an agency and receive supervision; 6) Learning how to conduct counseling, crisis intervention and case management services to a variety of client populations; 7) Learning how to construct a new program and apply for funding; 8) Learning how to evaluate human service programs in the community; and 9) Learning about the duties of human service workers in a generalist, eclectic and interdisciplinary model. The distinctive student learning experiences provided by the human services degree include: 1) serving 120 hours during three different semesters at a community human service agency; 2) practicing counseling, crisis intervention, group leadership and case management skills in class via role-plays and with real life problems; 3) participating in small groups that focus on self-awareness and character building; 4) writing reflection and reaction papers to guide students in understanding their own personal experiences as they discuss and practice theories and interventions; 5) writing a proposal for a new agency and evaluating such agency; and 6) engaging in courses that each contain a strong component of multicultural competence.
Learning Goals and Student Learning Outcomes
Programs and Courses Offered
ProgramsBachelor’sMinorCoursesHuman Services
Courses are designated as HUSR in the class schedule.
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