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Human Services is a broad term describing a whole range of fields invested in improving life for people at many different levels. Human services degrees tend to be interdisciplinary and include aspects of health care, education, social work, criminal justice, counseling, management of non-profit agencies, public policy, and family life. The one thing all these fields have in common, and the reason they all come under the category of “human services” is that they are committed to meeting human needs – whatever that looks like in the context at hand. The National Organization for Human Services states their vision as “individuals and communities transformed through human services.” If you are interested in being part of the transformation of people’s lives in this way, then an online PhD program in Human Services might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Online PhD in Human Services Requirements

Each school offering an online PhD in Human Services will have its own set of requirements, but in general, you can expect to be asked for some of the following before you are admitted into a doctoral program.

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree, preferably in some Human Services area: typical ones include social work, sociology, psychology, health management, nursing, and business management, especially with a concentration on non-profits. Sometimes any bachelor’s or master’s degree will suffice, if it’s balanced by life and work experience.
• Life or work experience in an area of Human Services.
• Letters of recommendation from coworkers, clients, or former teachers.
• An essay expressing why a course of study or career in Human Services is important to you.

Many students in Human Services doctoral programs come from working in social work, nursing, community activism, education, and health care. A course of study in Human Services is a natural outgrowth of all these interests and skills.

Online PhD in Human Services Education

Online PhD programs in human services is designed to take about 3 years to complete. Some people will take longer if they prefer to take fewer classes each semester. Some programs also require occasional sessions of real-time learning, where you actually go to the campus and spend a few days there with your faculty and classmates. Make sure to check your school’s requirements so you know when and if you have to travel.

Information on Human Services Courses

Human Services covers a broad range of topics and courses, but some of the ones you can probably expect to take in your online PhD program include:

• Advanced Research in Adult Human Development and Behavior. This class teaches research methods that will help students understand and analyze individual and social behavior. It’s important to understand why people act as they do before you can be part of a system that helps them.
• Psychopathology: Assessment and Treatment. This class explores what goes wrong in human minds, relationships, and cultures. It prepares students for the challenges of a career in Human Services.
• Theories of Psychotherapy. For those hoping to enter into counseling, or those who will be in a position to refer others to counseling, it’s important to understand what counseling offers, and how it accomplishes its goals.
• Life Planning and Career Development. Many people find themselves in positions of need because they never received guidance in making good choices and plans for their own lives. This class will teach students how to work with youth, families, and schools to help people plan for success in their own careers and relationships.
• Fundamentals of Social Science Research. Research is a major component of any doctoral work. If you’re hoping your online PhD in Human Services will help you help others, it’s essential that you know and understand the issues at hand. This research course will help you gain those skills, plus prepare you for the intensive writing work your future courses will require.
• The Family in the Social Context. Much of the work involved in Human Services centers around the family. This course helps students analyze the family in its cultural context so that they know what help and support is required.
• Contemporary Issues in Counseling Studies. As culture changes, so do the issues people bring to the counseling relationship. A good Human Services students needs to anticipate what these will be. This course is designed to help students understand and analyze these issues, the better to help their clients.
• Decision Making and Ethics. Every area of service that involves working with human need will have a significant ethics component. There are some ways of acting and treating others which are better than others, and it’s imperative that the PhD student is familiar with them. Your online PhD will qualify you to make decisions that affect lives, and you need to have to deepest knowledge possible of the ethics involved.

Specializations and Concentrations

Different online schools might offer different concentrations in their online doctorate programs, but the following are some of the most sought after.

• Self-Directed. Many schools let you choose the concentration of your degree and put together plan of study to fulfill that concentration.
• Community health education and advocacy
• Social work
• Clinical social work
• Social and community services
• Social policy analysis and planning
• Human services administration
• Disaster, crisis and intervention
• Family studies
• Counseling
• Conflict resolution and mediation
• Public safety

Careers in Human Services

The majority of jobs in the human services sector are paraprofessional, meaning assistants and aids, such as home care workers, child care workers, etc. Though these are valuable jobs, they are typically low-paying, low advancement positions. Jobs with higher pay and higher advancement potential are harder to come by, so there is a great deal of competition for them. An online PhD in human services can give you the competitive edge you need to get these better jobs while still working to meet human need.

Some of the careers students with human services online PhD can find employment in are:

• University faculty. You can teach others what they need to know to meet the needs of their communities. A PhD in Human services qualifies you to teach social work, administration, counseling, and dozens of other important classes that future human services professionals need to know.
• Advanced research positions. With the research techniques and contacts you will acquire in your online PhD studies, you will be perfectly positioned to explore and analyze any area of human need that is served by human services. Your research can lead to increased efficiently in both the public and private sector in meeting the needs of the community.
• Consulting with private or government agencies. Non -profit organizations as well as government entities rely on the expertise of those with training…and if you’ve earned an online PhD in Human services, that means you. They need to know what policies are necessary, how money is best spent, and what paradigm shifts are needed to ensure future success. Those are thing you will know, and can offer for a reasonable fee.
• Counselor or therapist. An online PhD will qualify you to meet with and guide families and individuals into making healthy, long-term decisions for their lives.
• Director of service agencies. If there’s a type of non-profit or service agency work that you’re passionate about, your online doctorate will qualify you to take charge of it. You can lead your organization or field in effectiveness, efficiency, and public image—thereby improving the lives of those you are serving.
• Hospital executive, consultant or liaison. Hospitals are centers of community action and have influence far beyond their physical boundaries. You can work in a hospital as an advocate for community health, or you can simply be the connecting point between hospitals and the communities they serve.
• Government policy maker or policy consultant. You can run for office and actually know what you’re talking about! Or, if you’d prefer to stay out of the limelight, you can make sure politicians and lawmakers know what’s needed when policies are being formed. They might even listen to you, since you’ll be an acknowledged expert in your field.
• Technology consultant or manager. Human services, like every other area of contemporary life, is increasingly influenced by and dependent upon new technology. You can help guide these agencies into greater levels of effectiveness by understanding both the technology and the human services aspects of the work.
• Conflict resolution manager or mediator. Due to an overcrowded court system, more and more judges are ordering out-of-court mediation among families or community members. Your online PhD training will qualify you to help people in conflict reach resolutions without over burdening the court system.

Those with an online PhD in Human Services increase their earning potential dramatically.  The PhD in Human services may require a commitment of time, money, and energy, but it will more than pay for itself in your increased earning, promotion, and service potential.