GRADUATE DEGREE AND PROGRAM INFORMATION
Administration of Human Services Graduate Program
Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Human Services.
Program Coordinator: Barbara Hogan, Ph.D. hoganb@chc.edu
OVERVIEW
The Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Administration of Human Services is designed for individuals seeking leadership roles as administrators/directors/ supervisors in the field of human services. Students who graduate from this program will have a solid grounding in the knowledge, values and skills appropriate for a broad range of human service organizations.
The degree differs from a counseling degree in that students are prepared for management in agencies rather than the delivery of therapeutic services to clients. This program especially encourages critical and creative thinking skills, which will enable the graduate to contribute to positive change in organizations. With an emphasis on social change, diversity, and self-understanding, this degree provides practical knowledge of organizations, their philosophies and structure, and the field of human services.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, social and human services are projected to be among the fastest growing professions with excellent job opportunities in residential and community-based programs for individuals with advanced education and training.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION
Chestnut Hill College is a member of the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE), the only national organization providing standards for human service training. In addition to an administrative component, the M.S. program in Administration of Human Services is a broad-based, practitioner-oriented degree, which includes the following standards: an interdisciplinary approach, skill development, and competency-based learning with an emphasis on self-understanding.
PROGRAM FORMAT
Courses are scheduled in the evenings and on weekends to accommodate the needs of the adult student. Classes meet once each week or on Saturdays during each eight-week session. The schedule for the master’s degree in Administration of Human Services follows an accelerated format adapted to the three-term schema (fall, spring, summer) of the School of Graduate Studies.
Fall 1 and 2 / Spring 1 and 2 sessions = Summer 1 and 2 sessions
To foster graduate-level work, since most students work and have other obligations, one course per session is the general norm. Registering for one course each session allows students to take six credits in the equivalent of an academic semester and so to qualify for financial aid as part-time students. Students taking one course each session should be able to complete the degree requirements in two years. The maximum time frame to fulfill the degree requirements is six years.