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Why Health & Human Services at ¹ú²úÓ´Ó´?

Do you aspire to make a difference in the lives of individuals, families, and entire communities? In the Health & Human Services degree program, students take core courses that provide a background in physical and mental health, ethics, communication, and social policy.

The Health & Human Services degree program is an interdisciplinary degree program that prepares students for a variety of careers in healthcare, social services, rehabilitation, policy, and program administration. The health and human services bachelor's degree program also prepares students well if they choose to pursue graduate study in the fields of allied health, healthcare management, public health, clinical mental health counseling, social work, special education, or non-profit management.   

The Health & Human Services Degree Program:

• Exposes students to a variety of populations, health conditions and abilities, and settings so that they are able to make informed and personal decisions about their interests in order to prepare for careers and/or graduate study;
• Provides students with a broad conceptual framework of health and human service organizations, funding issues, policy concerns, and political and economic trends to develop a comprehensive understanding of interaction and impact;  
• Amplifies this understanding through internships, job-shadowing, service learning projects, site visits, and guest speakers. 

Majors Offered:

Health Science: The health science major provides a valuable interdisciplinary curriculum that provides foundational skills to pursue a wide range of health care careers. Through a combination of coursework, labs and experiential learning, you will study natural, behavioral and social sciences and develop effective communication skills and problem-solving abilities. Our program values ethical, compassionate care and cultural humility which are necessary to interact with patients and their families or a team of health professionals. 

This versatile degree prepares students to work in a variety of health-related careers and settings or to pursue graduate-level education in allied health fields such as rehabilitation, nutrition, and physical therapy. 

The Health Science program is also an excellent option to those students who choose to continue into the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program at ¹ú²úÓ´Ó´ or elsewhere, but not as an accelerated Pre-Occupational Therapy Studies major. Students in this program are admitted to ¹ú²úÓ´Ó´'s MOT program if they meet GPA and prerequisite requirements.

The following majors prepare students for graduate study in these fields.  Students can also take 4 graduate courses at ¹ú²úÓ´Ó´'s Graduate School as part of their undergraduate curriculum:

Counseling Studies*: A gateway for students planning on pursuing graduate study in ¹ú²úÓ´Ó´’s MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Students take selected 500-level psychology courses in addition to a 300-level course in Interviewing and Counseling to build knowledge and skills for helping people with psycho-social issues in a variety of contexts. 

Special Education*: a gateway for students planning on pursuing graduate study in ¹ú²úÓ´Ó´’s MSEd in Special Education program. Students are prepared to work in programs that provide the proper support, services, and the least restrictive environment to meet the educational needs of children with special needs, such as visual or hearing impairment, intellectual or learning disabilities, speech disorders, neurological conditions, or behavioral and emotional disorders.  Please note that this concentration/major is a non-licensure program, and will not lead to educator licensure at the undergraduate level. Students can choose to apply to the Graduate licensure program in Education to continue on to a licensure program.

The following majors prepare for professional certification:

Integrative Health: fulfills the requirements for the Integrative Health Certificate.  Students’ knowledge and skills that are developed within this concentration are suitable for careers in health education and wellness programming as well as healthcare with a comprehensive approach.

Youth Development: fulfills the requirements for the Youth Development Certificate. Students learn how to develop positive outcomes and resiliency for young people by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships, recognizing strengths, and furnishing the support needed to build leadership skills. Coursework includes service-learning projects to build skills and confidence to work with youth successfully.

I completed an internship with The Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services, interning with the Human Services Coordinators for the Acquired Brain Injury Program. I spent time in the community and was involved in numerous state meetings, in-home visits, yearly and quarterly meetings for the participants, and day program visits. I even had the opportunity to attend the Annual Acquired Brain Injury Conference in Marlborough, Massachusetts. I still remain in contact with several people I met during this wonderful experience." - Amber, Health & Human Services