Part 1 3.7.qxp - Southwestern Oregon Community College

Human Services
Description: The human service professional is dedicated to providing services to
assist individuals, families, and communities to function as effectively as possible in
the major domains of living. Enhancing the quality of life for those served is a primary
goal. A strong desire to help others is an important consideration for a job as a human
services worker, but each human service worker must also have a broad,
interdisciplinary knowledge base in order to succeed in their goal of helping. Human
service workers hold professional and paraprofessional jobs in such diverse settings
as group homes and halfway houses; correctional, developmentally disabled and
community mental health centers; family, child, youth, and senior service agencies;
and programs concerned with alcoholism, drug abuse and family violence.
Employment Opportunities: Human service career opportunities range from
good to excellent with occupational titles that include Caseworker, Mental Health Aide,
Substance Abuse Counselor, Residential Counselor, Family Support Worker,
Social Service Technician, Child Abuse Worker, Personal and Home Care Aide,
Child Advocate, Community Outreach Worker, Treatment Counselor, Skills Trainer,
Youth Worker, Welfare Eligibility Worker, Psychological Aide, Juvenile Court Liaison,
and Intake Interviewer. It is important to note that secondary education improves
salary opportunities.
The Associate of Science degree with an emphasis in human services is for
students who intend to transfer and earn a Bachelor's degree from a four-year college
or university. The curriculum will lead to an Associate of Science degree upon
completion from Southwestern and will satisfy the lower-division requirements of
transfer institutions. Students may petition for adjustments in the AS with an
emphasis in human services at Southwestern if course requirements for the first two
years of any accredited four-year institution offering a degree in social sciences,
human services or social work are met.
The AS Human Services degree at Southwestern also meets all requirements for
the AA/OT, so no additional courses outside of the AS Human Services need to be
taken in order for a student to meet both degree requirements. When applying for
graduation at Southwestern two separate applications must be submitted for the AS
Human Services and the Associate of Art Oregon Transfer (AA/OT).
For additional information on any of these programs, please contact the Human
Services program advisor.
Program notes
Associate of Science Human Service Emphasis
Notes:
1. SP111, SP112, or SP218 may be substituted for SP219.
2. One lab science sequence must be selected from the Science Distribution
Requirement list on page 61. Biology is strongly recommended.
3. Prerequisite of MTH70 with a “C” or better or appropriate placement test score.
4. Students planning to attend Oregon State University should take WR227.
5. SOC205 or SOC206 may be substituted for SOC204.
6. One Arts and Letters course must be selected from: ENG104, 105, 106, 107, 108,
109, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 253, 254, 255; HUM204, 205, 206.
7. Specific electives from prefixes: ANTH, CJ, ED, HDFS, HS, SOC, SPAN, PSY.
Students who have not completed two years of high school foreign language are
encouraged to take approved foreign language courses.
8. Course must be selected from the Arts and Letters Distribution Requirement list
on page 61.
9. Developmental and Remedial courses listed on page 60 will not fulfill elective
requirement.
• The AS Human Services Emphasis degree meets all the requirements for the
AA/OT. Students who wish to receive both degrees must submit a separate
application and fee for each degree. Three (3) credits in Arts and Letters or
Social Sciences must fulfill the Cultural Diversity requirement for the AA/OT.
Southwestern Oregon Community College 2006-07 Catalog www.socc.edu Programs 118