Human Services
At A Glance
Two-year, associate degree program that’s also offered as an Accelerated Part-Time Program
Graduates can start working in an entry-level human services position or continue their education to become a social worker, psychologist or sociologist.
Job growth is expected to be healthy in human services with positions as aides expected to grow 17% from 2020 to 2030.
Graduates can earn between $27,910 and $59,490, depending on experience and industry.
Available in Scranton, Hazleton, Lake Region – Hawley, Sunbury, Towanda, Tunkhannock and online.
Welcome to Human Services-Associate Degree
If you want a career that will give you the chance to make a difference in people’s lives, studying human services may be the answer. The program helps students learn the skills they need to serve others.
Your Career Starts Here
The human services field is expected to grow by 17% over the next 10 years, which means trained aides are needed. There are a number of different situations that can cause someone to require social services, all of which need workers trained to do that unique work.
Some of the areas graduates can work as aides include:
- Education
- Rehabilitation
- Government agencies
- Nonprofits
- Social service institutions
With an associate degree, graduates enter the workforce immediately and work as an aide or they can continue on to obtain a Bachelor’s degree from Lackawanna in Human Services.
More About the Program
Lackawanna’s curriculum is designed to teach students the knowledge and skills necessary to work with people in various helping relationships. Students in this program will study topics in philosophy, sociology and psychology so they can effectively assist others in challenging situations.
The curriculum offered aims to:
- Acquaint students with the human services profession and the agencies, programs and careers included within this designation.
- Introduce students to the stages of intellectual, emotional and social development and individual experiences as they move through childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age.
- Familiarize students with recognized exceptionalities in individual development and group pathologies, such as racial discrimination or gender bias, that can affect an entire society.
- Show students how and why certain counseling theories and techniques lead to interventions that markedly improve the psycho-social lives of individuals and families.
- Explain thoroughly how controlled substances of various types alter mood and behavior in those who abuse them and adversely impact society as a whole.
The Human Services Associate degree is also offered as one of our Accelerated Part-Time Programs. This allows students to study part time, while still allowing them to graduate with an associate degree in just over two years.
The Course Work
To give graduates the ability to help those in difficult circumstances, they need a well-rounded education that will prepare them for anything. Some of the topics in the Human Services curriculum includes:
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Race and Ethnic Relations
- Drugs and Behavior
Additional Information
Lackawanna College is approved by the Pennsylvania State Department of Education to grant bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, and professional certificates and is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, which is designated as a National Accrediting Agency by the U.S. Office of Education.