Human Services Majors and Degree Programs

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The field of human services emerged in the United States during the 1950’s. The push to deinstitutionalize individuals with mental illness was one of the main impetuses for this movement. There was a push to integrate mentally ill people within society rather than keep them secluded from others in mental hospitals.

As more mentally ill individuals were integrated within society, demand for specialists who could assist them increased. The National Institute of Mental Health provided financial support for the first associate’s program in human services during the mid-1950’s to train mental health specialists.

This field continues to be one of the most rapidly expanding fields in term of job growth nationwide. Human service specialists are employed in various settings, including schools, state agencies, and substance abuse rehabilitation clinics. In these settings, human service specialists fill various roles, which could include managers, counselors, and program development specialists. The human services major was developed so students can develop skills and knowledge to attend graduate school, work as social workers, and fill various roles at government agencies and substance abuse rehabilitation facilities.

Select a concentration below to explore various human services majors and view colleges and universities offering majors and degree programs in community advocacy, public administration and policy, health policy social work, international policy analysis, youth services and more.