Students trace the development of human services as a profession, identify employment options for human services professionals, and examine the various social problems to which human services professionals respond, including but not limited to child abuse, domestic violence, homelessness, immigration, mental illness, needs of the frail elderly, and substance abuse. Students complete 25 hours of service in an assigned local human services agency outside of class for the laboratory component of the course.

Offered fall semester.

Students practice and demonstrate skills for intentional attending, development of therapeutic rapport, culturally competent interviewing and assessment, and solution-focused intervention planning.

Offered spring semester. Prerequisite: HS111.

Students complete field work in approved human services programs related to individual interests; arranged with the assistance of the academic advisor.

Prerequisite: HS211.

Case management is a vital professional skill. In this course students apply informal and formal assessment strategies to family units, identify and document problems in daily living as experienced by various populations, practice decision-making regarding ethical dilemmas, and document generalist case management services using professional practice standards. This course is also appropriate for psychology or criminal justice/corrections track majors.

Offered spring semester. Prerequisite: HS211 or PY410.

This course is devoted to a thorough review, analysis and evaluation of public welfare policy and at least one other topic. These topics may include but are not limited to the following: health care, environmental regulations, energy; consolidation of federal programs; affirmative action, etc. Special emphasis is given to the formulation, adoption, implementation, impact, and evaluation of public policy.

Also offered as PS370.

In this course students apply quantitative and qualitative research methods in the assessment of community or program functioning, the development and evaluation of human services-related programs, and decision-making regarding the allocation of resources in response to social problems.

Prerequisite: PS342/S350.

Specialized courses are offered in areas of particular interest to students and faculty. Examples include adoption, career and vocational development, immigration, substance abuse, and welfare reform.

In this course a student begins work on the thesis requirement. The student is expected to select a relevant topic, review relevant scholarly literature and design a research project independently with mentoring by the academic advisor.

Prerequisites: completion of research core of the major and consent of the academic advisor.

In this course the student is expected to complete the research project designed in HS489. The student develops the project independently with mentoring by the academic advisor.

Prerequisite: HS489.

Taken the semester before the student completes an internship, students work individually and as a group to evaluate internship readiness; identify possible internship sites; initiate interviews with prospective internship supervisors; review the literature about the population to be served; and develop learning contracts for secured internship sites.

Students must meet university internship eligibility requirements. Graded pass/no credit. Prerequisites: completion of HS111, HS211 and HS306.

This off-campus experience provides qualified juniors or seniors with opportunities to participate as members of established human services site teams. The student's academic advisor, in conjunction with the University's Career Services office and on-site professionals, provide supervision and guidance during the internship.

Prerequisites: B200, B201, HS111, HS211, HS306, HS495, PY111, and PY211. Co-requisite: HS498.

Students engage in evidence-based self-assessment and peer review as they synthesize professional knowledge and skills during the internship. This course is offered with a distance-learning experience to accommodate students completing geographically-distant internships.

Co-requisite: HS496/497.