Human Services
Hilbert’s human services program positions you for success in one of the fastest growing professions in the nation: the delivery of services to people of all ages who experience a wide variety of social, emotional and economic difficulties.
Our program equips you with the skills, knowledge and values needed to work with a diverse group of people in need. It prepares you for career paths in a variety of areas, including family and children's services, mental health, substance abuse, elder care, social services and more.
It also provides a solid foundation for those who plan to pursue graduate studies in school or private counseling, social work rehabilitation, psychology, sociology and other related fields.
Our skills-oriented, interdisciplinary program provides a firm foundation in counseling, ethics, interpersonal communication, effective interviewing, and the treatment of problems affecting individuals, families and communities.
The program offers six concentrations, giving you the flexibility to pursue a career as a generalist or to focus on one of the following specialties:
- substance abuse/chemical dependency
- law and human services
- child and family practice
- family violence
- rehabilitation services
You’ll learn by doing through Hilbert’s extensive internship program, which lets you earn college credit while exploring what it’s like working with children, adolescents and other populations in various settings, from drug and alcohol rehabilitation units to schools, social services agencies, hospitals and other providers.
Our faculty has extensive experience in a variety of agencies and schools, and many are active in related volunteer roles in their communities. The National Association of Social Workers and the Erie County Coalition Against Domestic Violence have cited Hilbert professors for excellence.
Earn your bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years
Our innovative
BS/MPA 4+1 program lets you to earn your bachelor’s degree in human services and the Master of Public Administration: Health Administration in five years, saving you up to two semesters of graduate school. Students are admitted to the program after completing all undergraduate degree requirements, without the need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), and begin taking graduate courses in their senior year.
4+1 Policy
In addition to the four-year bachelor-level program and the combined 4+1 program, Hilbert offers a two-year associate degree in human services that prepares you for entry level positions or to continue studies in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree.
Why Study Human Service at Hilbert?
- a student/teacher ratio of 14-to-1
- day, evening and online courses to accommodate busy schedules
- job search guidance to help you start your career