Bachelor of Arts in Human Services Degree
The field of Human Services is one of the most rapidly growing sectors within the United States' economy with many career options.
The National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) defines Human Services as the profession of:
Meeting human needs through an interdisciplinary knowledge base, focusing on prevention as well as remediation of problems, and maintaining a commitment to improving the overall quality of life of service populations. The Human Services profession is one which promotes improved service delivery by addressing not only the quality of direct services, but also by seeking to improve accessibility, accountability and coordination among professionals and agencies in service delivery.
The goal of the Human Services program at Columbia College is to assist students in developing empirically-based knowledge and practice skills fundamental for responsible and effective application within the Human Services field. The program also helps prepare students for graduate studies in a variety of fields and emphasizes the need for life-long learning.
Two baccalaureate degrees are offered in Human Services: The Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science.
For students currently working in the field of human services, or who otherwise have considerable work experience, the BA is recommended. For those desiring to enter the field, or for those with minimal work experience, the BS degree is recommended since it offers the internship experience.
Department:
Degree Requirements:
| A. | General Education Requirements | 38-41 sem. hrs | ||
| Ethics Course Requirement | 3 hrs | |||
| PHIL 330 |  | Ethics | ||
| B. | Foreign Language Requirement | 6 sem. hrs | ||
| C. | Multicultural Requirement | 3 sem. hrs | ||
| (Courses from this list are noted in the major requirements below with an asterisk.) | ||||
| D. | Core Requirements | 33 sem. hrs | ||
| (All courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher. Courses in the major cannot be taken as Pass/Fail.) | ||||
| HUMS 105 | | Introduction to Human Services | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 250 | | Working with Individuals | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 300 | | Exploring Research | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 325 | | Case Management | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 335 | | Working with Groups | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 340 | | Working with Families | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 345 | | Working with Communities and Organizations | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 365 | | (SOCI 365) American Social Policy | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 495 | | Integrative Seminar | 3 hrs | |
| PSYC 101 | | General Psychology | 3 hrs | |
| SOCI 270* | | (ANTH 270) Minority Cultures and Relations | 3 hrs | |
| E. | Human Services Electives | 12 sem. hrs | ||
| Chosen from below: | ||||
| HUMS 310 | | Military Case Work | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 333/433 |  | Topics | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 350 | | (SOCI 350) Social Gerontology | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 375 | | Disabilities | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 380 | | Substance Abuse | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 385 | | Mental Health | 3 hrs | |
| HUMS 390 | | Child Welfare | 3 hrs | |
| SOCI 421 | | Class, Status and Power | 3 hrs | |
| F. | Electives | 25-28 sem. hrs | ||
| 120 sem. hrs | ||||
| G. | As the Culminating Evaluative Experience, all students must complete HUMS 495 Integrative Seminar with a grade of C or higher. | |||