College Catalog

One College Avenue, Williamsport PA 17701-5799 · (570) 326-3761 or (800) 367-9222

Human Services (HS)
Academic School: Integrated Studies
(Effective Fall 2005)

Associate of Applied Science Degree (A.A.S.)

Human Services trains students to provide general helping, supportive and preventive services for people with emotional, developmental, social or physical problems. Students develop skills in counseling, crisis intervention, group work and case management. Students apply these general skills in analyzing specific types of agencies and through internships in the field.

Career Opportunities:  Entry-level positions in youth and aging programs, senior citizen centers, drug and alcohol counseling programs, child care development agencies, correctional facilities and other agencies.

Recommended High School Subjects:  Three years of English with emphasis on writing, one year of biology, two years of algebra, and a course in computer science, keyboarding, psychology and health.

Remediation Strategies:  Prior to registering for HSR 115, Introduction to Human Services, or any other HSR course, students must remediate any deficiencies in English or reading. Any math deficiency must be remediated by the end of the first year of the program.

Transfer Procedures:  This major is subject to the transfer standards established by the College (see http://www.pct.edu/catalog/TransferringCredits.htm ). Exceptions must be approved by the school dean.

Program Goals:  A graduate of this major should be able to:

• provide generic therapeutic, supportive and preventive services for people with emotional, developmental, social or physical problems in a variety of social or human service settings.
• demonstrate knowledge of social and human services delivery systems and their role within the local and national community.
• identify and link clients with resources and services provided by local human service agencies.
• apply systematic procedures to identify problems.
• provide basic individual and group counseling techniques to address identified problems.
• serve as a client advocate, facilitating movement of clients through social service systems, within a variety of agency settings.
• contribute to developing systematic programs for personal change.
• maintain progress and case notes and write objective, accurate reports.
• listen actively to clients, colleagues and the community.
• apply mathematical skills to reports, agency budgets, and statistical interpretations.
• apply principles of psychology, sociology and biology to human issues.
• understand and respect cultural differences that affect behavior and beliefs.
• contribute to effective agency planning, budgeting and management.
• understand the interrelation of physical, social and mental well-being and apply this knowledge.
• understand and demonstrate strong ethical behavior and decision making consistent with the ethical guidelines and standards proposed by the National Organization for Human Service Education.
• develop greater self-understanding and self-reflection to enhance professional behavior, promote students' abilities to make life affirming choices and to make effective decisions in the field.

Performance Standards:  Admission to the major does not guarantee permission to take the internship courses and to graduate from the program. Continuation in the program to graduation and permission to take internship courses are predicated not only upon satisfactory academic performance, but also upon satisfactory demonstration of professional and ethical responsibility, personal responsibility, and satisfactory demonstration of skills and abilities prerequisite to the ethical delivery of services in the field. (For more specific information about the criteria used to evaluate students' progress, a copy of the program manual can be obtained from the School of Integrated Studies.)

Students must complete all courses in the major (those courses with the alpha-designators ENL, HSR, PSY, SPC and SOC) with a grade of 'C' or above. Failure to achieve a grade of 'C' or above in a course after the maximum attempts allowed by College policy, results in withdrawal from the major in which the course is required.

Students should work closely with their advisers and with the program faculty to ensure that they are meeting all criteria for satisfactory progress in the program.

Human Services Application Electives include courses numbered HSR 260 - HSR 299.

Additional Information:  Baccalaureate degree students who have accumulated more than 45 credits, but fewer than 65 credits and students transferring into the BHS program with over 45 accumulated credits, must submit an upper class candidacy plan of study. Students must meet with their advisers to discuss the requirements of the plan of study.

Accreditation:  Accredited by the Council for Standards in Human Service Education.

Pennsylvania College of Technology · One College Avenue · Williamsport, PA 17701 · (570) 326-3761 or (800) 367-9222

Contents © 1995-Present · Privacy Statement

Contents © 1995-Present