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Studies & Degrees in Human Services

Human services is an applied field that prepares people to help individuals, families and communities with everyday needs: housing, food, care for older people, disability, mental health, addiction, child protection and employment. The National Organization for Human Services in the United States defines it broadly, as a field that meets human needs through an interdisciplinary knowledge base and focuses on prevention as well as remediation of problems.

The name is used mainly in the United States, Canada and Australia. Students take courses in psychology, sociology, counselling skills, case management, group work, ethics, social policy and the organisation of public and non-profit agencies. Supervised fieldwork in an agency is a standard part of the programme. Human services is close to social work but broader and less regulated: social work is a profession with its own degree and, in many places, a licence.

Qualifications and levels

  • Certificates and associate degrees. US community colleges are the main providers. The Community College of Rhode Island, for example, has a Human Services department with an Associate in Arts in Social Services, with concentrations in ageing and older adults, mental health, social work and substance use disorders, and a Case Management Certificate. Many associate degrees are designed so that graduates can transfer to a bachelor's degree.
  • Bachelor's degree. Universities offer a bachelor's degree in human services or a related name. In Australia, the Bachelor of Human Services at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) takes 3 years and is accredited by Community Work Australia, according to the university.
  • Master's degree. Postgraduate study leads to management roles or to a licensed profession such as social work or counselling. UniSC notes that graduates whose bachelor's degree included at least 500 hours of field education may get a reduced study load in its qualifying Master of Social Work.
  • Spain. There is no Spanish degree called human services. The equivalent training is spread over the bachelor's degrees (grados) in Trabajo Social and Educación Social and the vocational qualification Técnico Superior en Integración Social, a 2,000-hour higher-level FP programme. The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) teaches a 240-credit grado in Educación Social fully online, in Spanish and Catalan.

In the United States, programmes can seek accreditation from the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE), established in 1979 and recognised by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Ask each school whether its programme is accredited and whether its credits transfer.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 69 active schools for human services. The United States has 59 of them and Australia four; Spain, Canada, New Zealand, Italy, Japan and Russia have one each.

The US schools range from two-year colleges, such as Alexandria Technical & Community College in Minnesota, the Community College of Rhode Island, Tacoma Community College and Laramie County Community College, to universities such as The Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, Northeastern University and Troy University. University of Phoenix and National University teach mainly online. Outside the United States the list includes UniSC in Queensland, Camosun College in Victoria, Canada, and the UOC in Barcelona.

Teaching is in English almost everywhere on the list; the UOC teaches in Spanish and Catalan. Because the work depends on national welfare systems and law, a programme prepares students for practice in the country where it is taught. Students who plan to work elsewhere should check how the qualification is recognised there.

Careers

Graduates work for non-profit organisations, social service agencies and state and local government, in roles such as case worker, community support worker, youth worker, family support worker and residential care worker. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) describes social and human service assistants as workers who provide client services, including support for families, in fields such as psychology, rehabilitation and social work. Individual and family services employed 28% of them in 2025.

The BLS projects employment of social and human service assistants to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. The entry requirement is low, typically a high school diploma, but advancement to case management or social work jobs requires a bachelor's or master's degree in human services, counselling, rehabilitation, social work or a related field. Social and community service managers, who typically need at least a bachelor's degree and work experience, are projected to grow 7 percent over the same period, and social workers 6 percent.

Frequently asked questions

Is human services the same as social work?

No. Human services is a broad field with jobs at several levels. Social work is a specific profession: according to the BLS, social workers typically need a bachelor's or master's degree in social work and may need a licence.

Can I study human services in Spain?

Not under that name. The closest options are the grados in Trabajo Social and Educación Social and the higher-level FP qualification in Integración Social.

Can I continue to a bachelor's degree after an associate degree?

Often, yes. Many US community colleges design their human services associate degrees for transfer, but each university decides which credits it accepts. Ask before enrolling.

What is the job outlook?

In the United States, the BLS projects 7 percent growth for social and human service assistants from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations.