Master of Arts in Human Services

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In a broad range of public and private organizations that span social services, education, behavioral health, and health care, human services specialists help needy or struggling people move toward stability and health.

Human service agencies often work together to help people in difficulties improve their lives. A day treatment program for the elderly, for example, may partner with Meals on Wheels. A domestic abuse shelter may help place children in alternative school settings, while connecting their mother with a career counseling agency or with a church's clothing drive that can supply her with business attire for a job interview. As a Christian, you bring to such partnerships a powerful asset: your integrity as a person of faith. And as a Christian university, Southeastern helps you learn to use that asset well. Our 36-credit-hour Master of Arts in Human Services prepares you to take a significant role in this helping field, offering you a chance to specialize in human services administration and leadership.

A Versatile and Thriving Profession
Like many students pursuing our graduate degree in human services, you may have majored in this field as an undergraduate or may already be working in a service organization. Or perhaps you hold a bachelor's degree in a compatible area-psychology, social work, history, ministry, education-and want to pursue a career-enhancing new specialty. If you like to help people, to work with people, and also to plan, organize, communicate, and manage, consider this rewarding program. Our program offers a course of advanced study to help you move up into administration and leadership in the vast network of human services professions.

In every setting-urban, suburban, rural-both the needs and the job opportunities in human services continue to grow. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that in the next few years, the employment of social service professionals will rise at a rate much faster than the average for all occupations. With a master's degree (which many administrative positions require), you can become a new leader in this field, perhaps working as an administrator, case manager, day treatment specialist, program director, or vocational counselor. The M.A. in Human Services teaches you how to assess an organization's needs, to plan programs and services that will meet them, and to manage both people and programs in ways that build on the organization's strengths.

Specializations in Gerontology, Children & Families, Emergency Management, and Administration
Southeastern's M.A. in Human Services begins with core courses (24 credit hours), the foundation of your program. They give you a comprehensive view of the human services profession, along with specific skills: how to design a human services program that meets the needs of a community, for example, and how to communicate sensitively in relation to cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity. Your courses include active assignments such as on-site observation and interviews. Course topics range from legal and ethical issues in human services and professional ethics, to interviewing and assessment skills, the role of the human services professional in the community, and the integration of psychology and your faith. 12 additional credit hours will be dedicated to the specialization of your choice.

Practicum and Internship
As part of our program, you will work with a local human services agency during two three-credit internships.You can choose from faith-based or non-faith-based agencies, and you’ll work for 350 hours, the equivalent of more than 40 full-time work days.

Professors with Widespread Experience
Southeastern professors teach from their extensive experience as professional counselors, staff development specialists, coordinators, and administrators. Their experience represents an array of settings: private practice, hospitals, community mental health centers, schools and universities, special education programs, skilled nursing facilities, and churches.

Details and Eligibility
For students enrolled full-time (the optimal plan), the program requires only four semesters: fall, spring, summer, and fall. Part-time enrollment is also possible, but degree completion will be lengthened with this option.

Southeastern’s graduate, human services program is an online program, providing students the opportunity and flexibility to complete their degree without coming to the classroom. Each semester comprises two eight-week blocks (two courses per block).

We require these prerequisites: Introduction to Human Services and Program Planning and Evaluation. If your undergraduate work did not include these or comparable courses, you can take them online through Southeastern University. All your prerequisites must be completed by the time you have taken 12 hours (four courses) in our graduate program.

A Higher Degree of Serving
As you prepare yourself for advancement and leadership in the field of human services, we hope that you will become, indeed, a master of the arts practiced by Jesus Christ: the arts of loving people, listening to them, treating them with compassion and respect, and holding them-as well as yourself-accountable to the high standards of Christ that inspire your own.

Interested in looking more closely at our Master of Arts in Human Services? Click here to request more information or contact our admission counselor.

Catalog Description and Course Requirements