The purpose of this program is to provide education and internship to prepare students for entry-level employment in the human services field. Human service workers provide a wide range of emotional and practical support services aimed at addressing the needs of people facing a variety of challenges. Embedded within the AAS degree is a Career Pathway Certificate in Addiction Studies which prepares students for state certification in addiction counseling through Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board (MHACBO). For information on the certification process visit the MHACBO website: http://www.mhacbo.org/en. 

Program Student Learning Outcomes

• Practice professional and ethical standards inherent in the human services field
• Utilize skills of attending behavior, active listening, effective questioning techniques that align with theoretical orientations in the helping fields, while working with both individuals and groups
• Exhibit competence in working with people from diverse backgrounds
• Conduct various assessments with regard to eligibility, service needs and problem resolution, commonly used in the human services field
• Develop a plan of action for clients using a strengths-based approach to link people with community resources
• Utilize technology and digital resources for educational and career purposes
• Communicate effectively with others, both verbally and in writing
• Describe current best practices in the field of human services and demonstrate the ability to implement these practices at the entry level

Graduation Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 93 credit hours with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better. All courses must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better. Twenty-four (24) credits must be completed at Southwestern before the degree is awarded.

Complete the graduation application process one term prior to the term of completion (e.g., spring term graduates must apply during winter term).

Math and writing placement are unique to each student and are determined during the admissions and intake advising process.  Additional math or writing courses may be required prior to taking the math or writing program requirements in this degree. 

Program Guide

¹

MTH111Z or higher may be used as a substitution, excluding MTH211.

²

PE231 Wellness for Life or 3 courses of PE185 may be used as a substitution. 

³

AS Arts and Letters designated courses will satisfy this requirement.

⁴

AS Science/Math/Computer Science designated courses will satisfy this requirement.