Online Human Services Degree Programs

Online human services degree programs include social work degree programs, degrees in psychology, behavioral science degree programs and counseling degree programs.

Are you intrigued by the ways people behave? Do you try to understand people's true motives and feelings? Do you care about people and have a strong desire to help them? If so, a degree in human services may be for you.

Accredited Human Services Degree Online Programs

Human services degree online programs and related degree courses are available by distance learning in these and more areas of study:

What can I expect from a human services degree program?

Human services degree programs polish and hone your existing people skills and introduce you to new ways to understand what motivates people and how to help them solve their personal problems. You will also learn about human behavior, psychology, the physiology and pathology of mental illness, counseling techniques, legal and ethical issues in human services, and more.

Earning a Human Services Degree Program Online

Many students pursue their human services degree through an online human services degree program. Accredited distance learning colleges focus on providing working people access to high-quality human services courses by offering a flexible learning schedule, while also enabling learners to earn some degrees in less time than is usually required for on-campus programs. You should be careful to make sure that the online human services degree program you attend is accredited to ensure that it will be accepted by employers and other colleges and universities, and to protect yourself against fraudulent degree programs and diploma mills.

Social work degree programs focus on providing you with knowledge about family dynamics, human behavior and psychology, childhood and human growth and development, addiction treatment, and the laws and regulations associated with social work. Degrees in social work are available at the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree, Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree, and Master of Social Work (MSW) degree levels. You can also choose to earn a Ph.D. in social work. Every state in the US require social workers to be licensed and pass rigorous background checks.

Psychology degree programs teach you about the study of human decision-making, childhood and adult growth and development, social psychology, personality, health psychology, abnormal psychology, and psychology research methods. Online associate degree in psychology, bachelor's degree in psychology, master of science degree in psychology and doctoral (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in psychology are available in areas such as general psychology, organizational psychology, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, industrial / organizational psychology, school psychology, sports psychology, marriage and family therapy, forensic psychology and related fields.

Psychology jobs require a minimum of a bachelor's degree. All states require psychologists to be licensed. Licensure usually requires a Ph.D. or Psy.D., but in some cases psychologists with a MS are eligible for state licensure to practice psychology.

A degree in behavioral science will train you in the methods and techniques of conducting scientific investigations into the behaviors of animals and people. You will take classes in behavior, psychology, behavior modification and training, statistics, and behavioral science methods. You will also learn about ethics and law in research. Behavioral scientists earn at least a bachelor's degree, but usually continue on to the Master's or Ph.D. degree.

Most online counseling degree programs are typically only offered at the master's and doctoral degree level. For example, after you have earned your bachelors degree in psychology, behavioral science, or social work, your master's degree in Mental Health Counseling will train you in counseling theory and techniques, diagnosis and mental health evaluation, family counseling, addiction, crisis intervention, and more. The online courses are focused on practical skills and offers interactive simulations where you apply your learning to real-world situation. Mental health counselors are required to be licensed in the state in which they practice.

Find online programs for human services, social work, counseling and psychology Degrees>>>

Career Occupations and Salaries with a Degree in Human Services

Your human services degree will open doors to you in a wide variety of careers. Hospitals, managed care facilities, prisons, government hospitals and mental health departments, colleges and universities, and major corporations and labor unions are among the many potential employers of human services graduates.

With an associate's degree, you can work as a life skills counselor, mental health aid, youth worker, gerontology aid, or case management aid. Jobs open to graduates with a bachelor's degree include counselor, case worker, clinical psychologist and many more. The MS and Ph.D. or Psy.D degrees open doors to you at the supervisory level in social work, or as a clinician or researcher.

Social work jobs require a minimum of a bachelor's degree, and frequently require a MSW. With a degree in social work, you may find employment working with children and families, as a social worker in the medical and public health sphere, or as a mental health and substance abuse social worker. You could teach social work in a college or university. Some jobs are open to holders of the associate's degree in social work. These include social work assistant, case management aid, community support worker, and client advocate. Schools, public health offices, prisons, medical facilities, and government social services departments hire social workers to provide services or develop social services policies.

Salaries for social workers range from the mid $20,000's for AAS degree level jobs. If you hold a BSW or MSW, you can expect to earn between $32,000 and $52,000. With a degree in psychology, you may find employment working with children and families, in the medical and public health sphere, as a mental health counselor or substance abuse counselor, forensic psychology, organizational psychology in industry or labor unions, or as a researcher. You could teach psychology in a college or university. Schools, public health offices, prisons, medical facilities, and government social services departments hire psychologists to provide services or develop psychology services policies. Psychologists do not prescribe medicine except in one or two states and only in a limited set of circumstances.

Salaries for psychologists range from over $48,000 to over $68,000. Industrial psychologists can earn up to $115,000. Counselors with a BS or MS degree can expect to earn between $35,000 and $55,000.

When you graduate from your behavioral science degree program, you may find employment as a counselor, social worker, or researcher. With a bachelor's degree you can expect to be a research assistant, counselor, or social worker. Master's degree holders have better likelihood of obtaining similar jobs at higher pay. Doctoral degree holders usually become scientists at a college or university, or they practice behavioral management.

With a bachelor's or master's degree in behavioral science, you can expect to earn between $32,000 and $52,000. If you earn a doctoral degree in behavioral science, starting salary at a college or university should exceed $50,000.