Do you dream of making a difference in the lives of others? A career in human services and restorative justice may be your calling. At Penn College, you’ll find experienced faculty, learn through extensive field experience, and have the opportunity to explore flexible career paths. Become a corrections officer or restorative justice coordinator. Work with individuals of all ages from children to the elderly. Assist those with developmental delays or people struggling with chemical dependency. Coursework lays a solid foundation in theory, covers principles of assessing and responding to human needs, and comes full circle with a capstone project.
Next steps...
You're on your way to becoming a tomorrow maker.
At Penn College, we believe your educational experience should go beyond specialized skills. Real-world ready means taking a broader approach that builds communication skills, inspires collaboration, and encourages exploration of arts, history, and science.
Specialization requires in-depth knowledge and high-level proficiency. Students learn and apply major-specific concepts, skills, and methods.
Perspectives are points of view, offering a variety of ways of understanding, interacting, and influencing the world. Students identify, explain, and utilize the approaches used by academics and professionals to study, analyze, or understand problems, and offer solutions.
Foundations are the practical, intellectual, and social skills: communication, collaboration, critical and ethical thinking, quantitative thinking, and technological literacy that are crucial to every student at every stage of education and at every stage of life.
Also reserved for Human Services and Restorative Justice students, this applied learning space is used for mock one-on-one and group counseling sessions—all of which are captured via video for the future review and can be used as part of a resume. Upper division students play the role of the clients while students taking lower level courses act as counselors.
Reserved for Human Services and Restorative Justice students, this lab is the premier location for our mentoring program. All incoming students are paired with current students. Together they design a study plan for their time at Penn College. The lab can also be used for study sessions and peer-to-peer advising.
"My experience was nothing short of excellent. The curriculum and professors challenged and gave me a solid base of professional skills that I utilize daily as a law enforcement officer. My adviser was a key support in identifying what career path I wanted to pursue after graduation and I am forever grateful for his guidance."
Jarod Corman
Parole Officer, Lycoming County Adult Probation
Think Penn College might be a good fit for you? Make plans to visit and discover what hands-on learning is all about. Academic Tours allow you to explore labs and get to the core of your future program. If you’re looking for a deeper dive into your academic area of interest, opt for a Self-Scheduled Personal Tour. Comprehensive COVID-19 safety protocols are in place.
Jun 2
Human Services & Restorative Justice Visit Day
Wednesday, June 29:00 AM - 1:00 PM Eastern Time (U.S.)
Jun 26
Human Services & Restorative Justice Visit Day
Saturday, June 2610:00 AM - 2:00 PM Eastern Time (U.S.)
Jul 14
Human Services & Restorative Justice Visit Day
Wednesday, July 1411:00 AM - 3:00 PM Eastern Time (U.S.)
Jul 31
Human Services & Restorative Justice Visit Day
Saturday, July 3110:00 AM - 2:00 PM Eastern Time (U.S.)
Selfcare is vital to the success of human services professionals. As part of a class activity, student Natalie Schrader, led a guided meditation with a focus and peacefulness and mindfulness. Students participating in the activity shared their take on being a Human Services & Restorative Justice major.
“When I first got here, I wasn't too sure what I wanted to do. Dr. Winder sat me down one day and she just said, “tell me your story.” And that was the first time I actually told my story. I believe those were the most impactful moments, just knowing that the faculty cares as much as I do.”
– Jerome Frazier
"One of the real-life scenarios that's really impacted me is crisis intervention. I've really gravitated towards that aspect of this major - learning how to respond to individuals who are in crisis. Some of the professors have had jobs that deal with counseling and they share their experiences with us."
– Skylar Bartholomew
Penn College's strong corporate partnerships impact every step of your journey – from your first day in the classroom and labs, to career placement (oftentimes before graduation) and beyond.
The National Human Services Organization has established a code of ethics, which is designed to protect the rights and dignity of human service professionals and their clients. Students are introduced to this early in their coursework and it is reinforced through the internship experience.
Curious campus queries are answered here! The Fish Real Estate Leadership Challenge Course is beginning to take shape on a lawn ...
“Second Nature,” the current exhibit at The Gallery at Penn College, is attracting educational interest from students and ...
A podcast sharing the compelling professional and personal journeys of Penn State alumni has engaged Jennifer R. Wahl, a ...
See the world via Williamsport. Take your education abroad and get hands-on experience learning about your industry on a global scale.
Internships are key for career preparation. As part of this curriculum, you’ll participate in three in-depth practical learning internships including 30 hours of observation in the community, a 250-hour internship and 400-hour internship.
This student-organized event was designed to raise awareness and humanize the local opioid epidemic.
Requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress 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 Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications.)
Students must complete all courses in the major (those courses with the alpha designator HSJ) 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. 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.
Graduates of Penn College's Human Services and Restorative Justice associate degree will transfer into the baccalaureate all major courses (defined as those with HSJ, ENL, PSY, SOC, SPC designators) when those courses have been completed with grades of 'C' or better.
Alternative Credit refers to academic credits earned through means other than traditional college course completion, including: credit by exam, articulation, proof of competency gained in high school, work/life experience, and advanced placement.
Visit the Alternative Credit Options page in our Course Catalog for general requirements and procedures and for information on credit through Advanced Placement.
