Human Services, AS

Location(s): Online, Clarion-Blended, Edinboro-Blended

The Associate of Science in Human Services at PennWest trains professionals to work in a wide range of human and social service agencies. The program equips students with knowledge of human services and community organizations, social and behavioral research, social diversity and inequality, as well as fundamental skills in human service casework. Students may also choose to earn credits for the program through supervised internships at a human service agency. Graduates will be prepared to work in assistant level positions as mental health workers/ psychiatric aides, social service providers, developmental disability specialists, drug and alcohol counselors, child and youth specialists, paraeducators, eldercare providers, and more. The program is perfect for those new to human service occupations as well as for adult learners with career experience seeking to credential up. This program serves as the first rung on a human services careers ladder. Students who complete with program will be able to apply the credits from their program toward the completion of a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Sociology, or other related disciplines.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be familiar with the range of human service delivery models.
Students will demonstrate professional attitudes, behavior, and skills.
Students will demonstrate appreciation and awareness of diversity.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the importance and relevance of the constantly evolving knowledge base of the field of human services and its related disciplines and use this knowledge to better inform practice decisions and evaluate outcomes.
Students will apply meaningful connections between classroom learning and experiences in the field throughout the program.
Students will analyze the needs of clients/consumers, develop goals and design as well as implement a plan of action.

Curriculum Requirements

General Education

Oral Communication - SOWK 1500 - Interviewing and Engaging: Skills for Professionals Credit Hours: 3
Written Communication - Any Course Credit Hours: 3
Quantitative Reason - Any Course Credit Hours: 3
Technological Literacy - Any Course Credit Hours: 3
Arts and Humanities - Any Course Credit Hours: 3
Social Sciences - SOCI 1000 - Introduction to Sociology Credit Hours: 3
Natural Sciences and Tech - Any Course Credit Hours: 3
Student Elective - PSYC 1000 - Introduction to Psychology Credit Hours: 3

Competencies

Applied Methodologies - SOWK 2800 - Case Management Credit Hours: 3
Intercultural Fluency - SOCI 2050 - Contemporary Social Problems Credit Hours: 3
Information Literacy - SOCI 2100 - Social Inequalities: Who Gets What, and Why? Credit Hours: 3
Writing Intensive - SOCI 2300 - Sociology of Life Course Credit Hours: 3

Major

Required Major Courses

SOWK 1000 - Introduction to Social Work Credit Hours: 3
OR
HSRH 1260 - Introduction to Rehabilitation and Human Services Credit Hours: 3
SOCI 2100 - Social Inequalities: Who Gets What, and Why? Credit Hours: 3
OR
SOWK 1200 - Diversity in a Changing World Credit Hours: 3
SOCI 2300 - Sociology of Life Course Credit Hours: 3
OR
SOWK 2500 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Life Course Credit Hours: 3
SOCI 2050 - Contemporary Social Problems Credit Hours: 3
SOCI 2040 - Disability Studies Credit Hours: 3
SOWK 2800 - Case Management Credit Hours: 3

Major Electives

Any SOCI, SOWK, or PSYC listed course Credit Hours: 12

Total Credits: 60

Depending on the program of study, students may need to complete additional credits to ensure the total credit hour requirement is met.