Helping people to help themselves is the common thread in Human Services, and the field is diverse and extensive. You may work in education, child care, social services, mental health, home health, or recreation. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “The number of social and human service assistants is expected to grow by nearly 23 percent between 2008-2018, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This is due in large part to the aging population and increased demand for mental health and substance abuse treatment.”

Field Experience

As part of your six-credit internship you will work in a Human Service agency. This field work course enables you to work for 224 hours in direct care helping people to help themselves

Career Opportunities

Our graduates work as teachers in child development programs, child care workers in group homes, caregivers, examiners in social service agencies, recreation specialists in geriatric settings, and caregivers in centers for children who are developmentally disabled, among other positions. Recent graduates have been employed by Catholic Charities, Cortland County Community Action Program, Cortland Migrant Outreach Program, Family and Children’s Services of Ithaca, Franziska Racker Centers, Mental Health Association, Tompkins County, J.M. Murray Center, Tioga Opportunities, Inc., Tompkins Community Action/Headstart, Tompkins County Youth Advocate Program, Inc.

Transfer Options

Although the A.A.S. Human Services degree is not designed primarily for transfer, graduates have continued their education at four-year institutions. Recent transfer institutions include:

• Binghamton University
• SUNY College at Canton
• SUNY College at Cortland
• Elmira College
• Empire State College
• Hunter College, City University of New York
• Ithaca College
• Keuka College
• Syracuse University
• Wells College