Human Services Degree

Human Services Associate Degree

Mount Wachusett Community College’s Human Services associate degree is the ideal program for those seeking a fulfilling career empowering and serving their communities. Students learn how to connect those in need with the services and support necessary to make improvements in their lives and thrive. Build the skills to step confidently into your future and share your passion for service through this advantageous program.

What Is Human Services?

The human services field provides short- and long-term assistance to people who require extra care. They may struggle with external or internal circumstances. For example, an external struggle would include getting laid off from a job or escaping an abusive marriage. An internal battle encompasses depression, drug addiction or other bodily conditions.

The people who need assistance all share one thing in common: They need help. Someone with a human-services-related degree can provide that aid while also assessing what type of guidance would be useful in the future. Community and human services degrees pay forward the idea of looking out for one another that we all learned as children. You can carry on that work when you pursue these career options.

What Is a Human Service Technician?

Also referred to as a social service technician, these professionals offer support to social workers and others in the human services field. They often work directly with families and employ skills in psychology and rehabilitation to identify available services and help their clients obtain such services. Technicians may organize programs that address a range of issues, from substance abuse to medical struggles from chronic conditions.

Knowledge and Hands-on Experience to Serve Diverse Populations

In the human services professional field, you will work with clients of all ages and diverse cultural backgrounds who are facing a wide range of challenges. To ensure you can meet the needs of this diverse population, MWCC’s Human Services curriculum dives deep into assessment, advocacy, outreach, referral, and counseling techniques. These concepts build your interpersonal and communication skills to improve your ability to help others.

Course topics such as sociology, cultural awareness, counseling methods, psychology, and human development broaden your perspective, and an internship provides hands-on experience putting the knowledge you gain in the classroom into action to serve others.

Internship sites include mental health clinics, developmental disabilities services, and community service projects, where for 10 hours per week under the supervision of a seasoned professional, you will gain real world experience that will have a lasting impact on your career.

Career Outlook with a Human Services Degree

MWCC’s Human Services degree prepares students interested in pursuing employment after graduation for a wide range of entry-level positions within the rapidly growing human and social services fields. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that many human services fields are predicted to grow by 14-18% by 2026.

The demand for human services professionals exists across a wide range of settings, including hospitals, schools, and community health centers. This means that MWCC Human Services graduates will have a wide range of career opportunities across psychology, sociology, and social work available to them, including:

  • Probation Officer
  • Social Service Manager
  • Case Management Aide
  • Intake Specialist
  • Human Resource Assistant
  • Community Outreach Worker
  • Substance Abuse Counselor
  • Counseling and Therapy Aide

The careers available with a human services degree encompass a range of public- and private-sector opportunities. Learn more about the human services profession at American Psychological Association and National Organization for Human Services Education.

Ready for Transfer to a Four-Year Institution

An MWCC associate degree is an affordable way to start your education in human and social services and build a strong foundation in the field. Some students decide they want to further their education and pursue an academic specialization that matches their interests through a bachelor’s degree in human services or a related field, such as psychology or sociology.

If you are interested in transferring to pursue a bachelor’s degree after completing the Human Services degree, you will have the opportunity to meet regularly with your MWCC advisor to help you plan a course of study that meets admission prerequisites for your desired four-year institution. Learn more about transfer advising services at MWCC.

Why Choose MWCC for Human Services Technician Online Courses

Mount Wachusett Community College provides online and in-person classes in a supportive college atmosphere. We care about our students and set them up for success in their fields by providing the hands-on guidance they need. We have many programs designed to assist students who want a college education but don’t want to rack up the debt that accumulates from a four-year college.

We have affordable options that won’t saddle you with high bills. When you get a degree from MWCC, you can pursue a career that you love after graduation without worrying about having to pay off your post-college debt. Our administration gives personal attention to all of our students, as each one is a valuable and vital part of our community. We care about each student’s future.

You can obtain a human services associate degree at our Gardner, MA, campus and receive the support you need to pursue your future career. We offer programs such as:

  • A food pantry for food-insecure students
  • Veterans support for those who have served in the military
  • A Career Services Center with tools to help students with career placement after graduation
  • Support for students who are parents, including day care services

Positively Impact Society With an Associate Degree in Human Services From MWCC

You can make a difference in the world. When you commit to change, you will fill energized and determined to move forward with your goals. Getting the right education will put you a step closer to providing the assistance so many people need to help them through a difficult time.

Mount Wachusett Community College’s Human Services associate degree offers an affordable and enriching academic experience that lays the foundation to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program or get started immediately in a career helping those in need.

Ready to make a difference? Request more information! You can also fill out an application today. It takes just a few minutes to apply, and we’ll let you know the status of your application quickly. We look forward to seeing you at the start of the next semester!

*Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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"My experience with Pathways has been nothing but amazing. It really has transformed my life completely. I think about if I hadn’t entered Pathways, where I’d be right now, and it is literally a different life I’d be living."

Rachel Vargeletis, 2017, Human Services (Pathways Student)

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