Human Services

The Human Services program leads to an Associate of Applied Science degree and prepares a student to work effectively in any paraprofessional counseling and human service practice. The MSC Associate of Applied Science in Human Services is articulated with the UAA Baccalaureate Degree in Human Services in two plus two sequence. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, the degree objective is to provide a student with a conceptual and skill foundation suitable for successful Human Service practice in both urban and rural settings. Human Service practice requires multicultural understanding and respect of clients through a collaborative relationship founded upon a developmental model. Specific skill courses combined with practica are strengthened through conceptual course work in Human Services, Social Work, Sociology, and Psychology. The program also offers specialized areas in substance abuse, disabilities, or family and youth. These are coordinated with practicum placements to give a student first-hand experience in his/her desired specialty.

An important part of the program is Human Services advising. Prospective students should contact an academic counselor before entering the program. Entrance into the Human Services Practicum requires admission to the degree, successful completion of specified courses and recommendation of the Human Services Department. Contact the Human Services Department at 745-9757 for an appointment with faculty.

Both the Human Services AAS and BHS are accredited by the Council for Standards in Human Services Education.

OCCUPATIONAL ENDORSEMENT CERTIFICATE, Conflict Resolution
The Human Services Occupational Endorsement Certificate in Conflict Resolution provides students the opportunity to acquire skills used in various conflict resolution methods used in human service agencies. The
18 credit program provides a balanced education in the study of Family Mediation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Paraprofessional Counseling and Group Facilitation. Instruction is delivered through classroom lectures, demonstrations, case studies and role plays.

Outcomes
Students completing this certificate are prepared to:
• Understand the nature of conflict through theory and collaborative practices.
• Demonstrate enhanced communication skills and interpersonal skills to include negotiation.
• Incorporate conflict management skills in Human Service practice.
• Integrate concepts of diversity into various collaborative practices.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
1. Satisfy the admission requirements for Occupational Endorsements
found in Chapter 6.

CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
1. Complete the General University Requirements for Occupational
Endorsement Certificates found at the beginning of this chapter.
2. Complete the following required courses:
HUMS A223 Introduction to Paraprofessional Counseling I (3)
HUMS A224 Conflict and Collaborative Sys (3)
HUMS A324 Introduction to Paraprofessional Counseling II (3)
HUMS A333 Alternative Dispute Resolution (3)
HUMS A334 Family Mediation (3)
HUMS A434 Group Facilitation/Hum Serv Professional (3)
3. A total of 18 credits are required for the Occupational Endorsement
Certificate.

ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Demonstrate skills and knowledge that makes them eligible to work in community based agencies and settings. Skills will include such areas as interviewing and assessment, problem solving, client service planning and delivery, as well as core counseling competencies.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of multiple human services delivery systems and community resources.
3. Will be qualified to obtain entry-level employment in a variety of community settings.
4. Develop, integrate and apply their acquired skills in assessment, interviewing, treatment planning and delivery, and counseling in an agency based, supervised, field practicum experience, demonstrating professional behavior.

ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE, Human Services

Graduates of this program are able to:
• Analyze and navigate community based human services agencies, service delivery systems and secure a variety of community resources.
• Utilize a strengths-based approach to working with people and their problems in living.
• Effectively use intervention, and core paraprofessional counseling skills.
• Apply their acquired human services skills in a service agency, to include assessment, interviewing, treatment planning, service delivery, and paraprofessional counseling.
• Demonstrate consolidation of knowledge through three areas of learning including:
     ▪ understanding of an agency, its target population and services delivered, and interaction
        with their community partners
     ▪ development of their professional selves and identities with appropriate use of
         supervision
     ▪ application of client/community intervention skills
• Qualify for employment in the human services workforce.
• Build on their human services degrees as a foundation for further education.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
See Admission to Undergraduate Programs on page 38.

GENERAL UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS
1. Complete the General University Requirements for the Associate Degrees listed on page 70 of the current MSC Bulletin
2. Complete the Associate of Applied Science General Degree Requirements (15 credits).

Oral Communication Skills (3 credits):
COMM A111 Fund of Oral Communication (3)
COMM A235 Small Group Communication (3)
COMM A237 Interpersonal Comm (3)
COMM A241 Public Speaking (3)

Written Communication Skills (6 credits):
ENGL A111 Methods of Written Comm (3)
and one of the following:
CIOS A260A Business Communications (3)
ENGL A211 Academic Writing About Lit (3)
ENGL A212 Technical Writing (3)
ENGL A213 Writing in the Social/Natural Sci (3)
ENGL A214 Persuasive Writing (3)

General Requirements (6 credits)
Choose one or a combination of Humanities*, Math, Natural Sciences, or Social Sciences courses. (See Associate Degree Course Classifications list on page 80.) Courses chosen must be at the 100-level or above.

* Any English course used to satisfy the Humanities general requirement must be different from the written communications requirement and have a course number higher than ENGL A111.

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
1. Complete the following required courses (27 credits):
ANTH A200 Natives of Alaska (3)
or ANTH A202 Cultural Anthropology (3)
HUMS A101 Introduction to Human Services (3)
HUMS/SWK A106 Introduction to Social Welfare (3)
HUMS A223 Intro to Parapro Couns I (3)
HUMS A295A Human Services Practicum I (3)
HUMS A295B Human Services Practicum II (3)
HUMS A324 Intro to Paraprofess Couns II (3)
PSY A111 General Psychology (3)
PSY A150 Life Span Development (3)

2. Complete 6 credits from one of the emphasis areas.
Note: Each Human Services degree requires a 6 credit emphasis area.
Selected courses may only be used in one emphasis area.

General Human Services Emphasis
Complete 6 credits from the following:
HUMS/PSY A153 Human Relations (3)
HUMS A256 Groups and Organizations (3)
HUMS A350 Men and Masculinity (3)
PSY A245 Child Development (3)
PSY A261 Research Methods in Psy (4)
PSY A345 Abnormal Psychology (3)
SOC A202 Social Organization of Society (3)
SOC A242 Intro Marriage/Family/Intmt Rel (3)
SOC A246 Adolescence (3)
SOC/PSY A453 Appl of Stats to Soc Sciences (3)

Substance Abuse Emphasis
Complete 6 credits from the following:
HUMS A122 Substance Abuse/Contemporary Problem (3)
HUMS A123 Public Educ & Prevention in Substance Abuse (3)
HUMS A124 Intro to Physiology/Pharmacology of Substance
Abuse (3)
HUMS A226 Intervention Continuum/Substance Abuse
Counseling (3)
HUMS A416 Substance Abuse and the Older Adult (3)
HS A350 Drugs & Drug-Taking Behavior (3)
HS A381 Substance Abuse Treatment (3)
SWK A471 Addictions and Social Work (3)

Family and Youth Emphasis
Complete 6 credits from the following:
HUMS A350 Men and Masculinity (3)
HUMS A416 Substance Abuse and the Older Adult (3)
PSY A245 Child Development (3)
SOC A242 Intro Marriage/Family/Intmt Rel (3)
SOC A246 Adolescence (3)

Disabilities Emphasis
Complete 6 credits from the following:
ASL A101 Elem American Sign Language I (3)
ASL A102 Elem American Sign Lang. II (3)
ASL A201 Int American Sign Language I (3)
PSY A445 Strategies of Behavior Change (3)
PSY A455 Mental Health Services in Alaska. (3)

3. Choose 12 credits of electives in consultation with faculty advisor or academic counselor.

4. A total of 60 credits is required for the degree.

2007-2008 MSC Bulletin