Study for a degree in Community and Human Services expands your understanding of the relationship between human needs and values and social conditions. You develop analytical and communication skills, as well as the knowledge and expertise to contribute to the development and maintenance of healthy communities, groups and individuals.

Degree programs in Community and Human Services offer students the opportunity to develop individualized degree plans based on their intellectual, professional, and personal interests. General program guidelines can be found on the “Program Details” tab, and students will work with an academic mentor to choose courses that meet the guidelines and address each student’s individual interests. Students can also work with their academic mentors to identify applicable transfer credit, prior college-level learning, and possible course equivalencies. Working with a mentor and using SUNY Empire’s educational planning process, students can develop a specialized concentration in Community and Human Services by following the general program guidelines as well as any applicable concentration guidelines. For sample degree programs and other degree planning resources, please visit the Department of Health and Human Services Degree Planning Resources web page. 

For more information about general undergraduate degree requirements, please visit Earning an Undergraduate Degree.

For more information about Health and Human Services, please visit the Health and Human Services webpage.

For more information about Child and Family Studies, please visit the Child and Family Studies webpage.

Community and Human Services

Degree Guidelines for Associate in Arts and Associate of Science 

Community and Human Services is a field of study that aims to prepare learners to improve the quality of life of individuals, families, groups, and communities; develop, enhance, and improve access to services for people in need; and promote equality and social justice.

Studies in Community and Human Services emphasize five foundations. For the associate degree, students are expected to meet a minimum of at least three foundations through courses and/or prior learning assessment and explain in the rationale essay how these foundations are met.

Foundation # 1: Human Behavior

• Learning outcome: The student will be able to explain human behavior within the context of various social, developmental, global, economic, political, biological, and/or environmental systems.

Foundation # 2: Service Delivery

• Learning outcome: The student will be able to identify institutions and policies that are relevant to the delivery of services in the proposed field of study.

Foundation # 3: Skills & Application

• Learning outcome: The student will be able to identify skills in assessment, intervention, and evaluation with individuals, families, groups, and/or communities.
• Learning outcome: The student will be able to apply knowledge, values, and skills related to the proposed field of study.

Foundation # 4: Ethics

• Learning outcome: The student will be able to articulate the code of ethics and/or the professional standards within the proposed field of study.
• Learning outcome: The student will be able to identify possible conflicts between one’s own values and professional expectations.

Foundation # 5: Diversity

• Learning outcome: The student will be able to articulate the range of human diversity, including but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, class, socioeconomic status, age, culture, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, sexual identify, geographic differences, and/or ability.
• Learning outcome: The student will be able to identify the impact of one’s own power, privilege, and oppression on work with individuals, families, groups, and communities.

Students pursuing degrees in Community and Human Services cannot use the terms “counseling” or “therapy” in their concentration titles. Students should consult with their mentors about concentration titles appropriate for their degree plans.

Degree Guidelines For Bachelor Of Arts, Bachelor Of Science, And Bachelor Of Professional Studies

For the bachelor degree, students are expected to meet all of the five foundations through courses and/or prior learning assessment.  Students will explain how they meet each of these foundations in the rationale essay.

Foundation # 1: Human Behavior

• Learning outcome: The student will be able to analyze human behavior within the context of various social, developmental, global, economic, political, biological, and/or environmental systems.

Foundation # 2: Service Delivery

• Learning outcome: The student will be able to evaluate institutions and policies that are relevant to the delivery of services in the proposed field of study.

Foundation # 3: Skills & Application

• Learning outcome: The student will be able to apply skills in assessment, intervention, and evaluation with individuals, families, groups, and/or communities.
• Learning outcome: The student will be able to integrate knowledge, values, and skills related to the proposed field of study.

Foundation # 4: Ethics

• Learning outcome: The student will be able to apply the code of ethics and/or the professional standards within the proposed field of study.
• Learning outcome: The student will be able to reconcile possible conflicts between one’s own values and professional expectations.

Foundation # 5: Diversity

• Learning outcome: The student will be able to analyze the impact and importance of human diversity on service delivery, including but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, class, socioeconomic status, age, culture, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, sexual identify, geographic differences, and/or ability.
• Learning outcome: The student will be able to examine the impact of one’s own power, privilege, and oppression on work with individuals, families, groups, and communities.  

Students pursuing degrees in Community and Human Services cannot use the terms “counseling” or “therapy” in their concentration titles. Students should consult with their mentors about concentration titles appropriate for their degree plans.

For more information about choosing courses that may meet these foundations, please visit the Department of Health and Human Services or Department of Child and Family Studies pages.