Human Service Studies - Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to Your Questions About the Human Service Studies Major

• What can I do with a Human Service Studies major?
• Will I have a chance to gain some hands-on experience in the field?
• In what types of agencies might I do my field work?
• Can I major in Human Service Studies and still have time for electives or a minor?
• What types of graduate study could I pursue with a Human Service Studies major?

What can I do with a Human Service Studies major?

The Department of Human Service Studies offers you the opportunity to prepare for a career in the helping professions. Graduates may work in agencies and organizations in fields such as crisis intervention services, services for children and families, social services, substance abuse rehabilitation, mental health, services for older adults, and services for the developmentally disabled as well as many others. In the Human Service Studies major, you will gain knowledge and skills that can be applied in a broad array of service settings. Graduates in recent years are employed in positions such as activities director, social worker, juvenile court counselor, psychiatric assistant, counselor, probation officer, agency coordinator, volunteer coordinator, case manager, intake worker and many others.

Will I have a chance to gain some hands-on experience in the field?

The Department of Human Service Studies believes that direct experience is an essential part of a human services education. The Human Service Studies major requires students to complete at least the following three field experiences in human service agencies:

• A forty (40) hour of service-learning project is required in HSS 111.
• Three (3) weeks of full-time service for four (4) hours of course credit are required in the winter term of the student's junior or senior year. (HSS 381: Practicum)
• Eight (8) weeks of full-time service for four (4) hours of course credit are required in the senior year. (HSS 481: Internship)

In what types of agencies might I do my field work?

The Department of Human Service Studies has established working relationships with well over 100 agencies and institutions in Alamance County and surrounding areas. A complete list is available in the department. Some representative types of placements are listed below:

Can I major in Human Service Studies and still have time for electives or a minor?

Yes. Unless a student decides upon the major very late, a minor or second major is possible. Human Service Studies majors often pursue minors or develop concentrations that are relevant to their personal goals. Particularly relevant areas for minor studies are psychology, sociology, foreign language, business, women's/ gender studies, criminal justice, and public health studies.

What types of graduate study could I pursue with a Human Service Studies major?

Human Service Studies majors in recent years have been accepted into highly respected graduate and professional programs all over the country. Some of these programs are listed below:

• Columbia University: Social Work
• Johns Hopkins University: Education
• Pennsylvania State University: Social Work and Social Planning
• Texas A&M: Higher Education Administration
• University of Illinois: Social Work
• University of Georgia: Higher Education Administration
• University of Maryland: Counseling, Special Education, Social Work
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Social Work, School Counseling, Law
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro: Higher Education Administration, School Counseling, Child Development and Family Relations, Community Counseling
• University of Tennessee - Knoxville: Law
• Virginia Commonwealth University: Social Work, Health Care Administration

Please contact a member of the Human Service Studies faculty in Alamance 213 if you have further questions.