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Human Services

In the service of people: develop skills that can change lives
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Does Human Services suit me?

Studying Human Services

As a field of study, human services focuses on people with the aim of improving their quality of life and well-being, whether it be individuals, families and communities—for example, by working to prevent or provide support with challenging life circumstances.

Human services is a highly interdisciplinary field of study that combines content from areas such as social work, education, sociology and health sciences. You’ll learn to identify social problems, develop solutions, and provide services to help people in difficult situations.

Common topics include poverty, education, mental health, substance abuse and community development. If you’re interested in social structures and human behavior and want to actively help people, studying human services could be a good fit for you.

In this field of study, there are many opportunities for specialization, for example, in working with specific target groups (e.g., children, people with mental illnesses, or members of a minority group) or in different professional settings, such as direct contact with clients or social service management. Typical degree programs are called human services or public management.

Personal requirements | Human Services

  • Enjoy working with people
  • Social and intercultural competence
  • Physical and mental resilience
  • Empathy
  • Patience, sense of responsibility

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Typical course content | Human Services

  • Human development
  • Family and children's aid
  • Social psychology
  • Educational and school social work
  • Community work
  • Mental disorders
  • Counseling strategies and interventions
  • Interpersonal communication
  • Early childhood development
  • Support for older people

Career prospects | Human Services

With a degree in human services, you’ll have a range of career opportunities: for example, you might provide counseling or care services and work with children, families, the elderly, or people with mental health disorders and behavioral problems.

After your studies, you can find work in the healthcare sector (e.g., in hospitals or care facilities), in addiction support, in the education sector, and in social services. Non-profit organizations in the social sector and government agencies for social support also rely on the expertise you’ll acquire in this field.


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