Program Description

The Department of Social Work and Human Services is committed to educating culturally competent professionals to develop and deliver high-quality human services locally, regionally, and globally, to improve the quality of life of those they serve. This mission evolves from its core values that are derived from the values of the University, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS), and the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE). 

The Human Services (HS) major prepares professionals to engage, advocate, and innovate locally, regionally, and globally to improve the lives of people and communities. Majors must complete two required field experiences, i.e., internships. The foundation internship requires students to demonstrate knowledge, attitudes, and skills acquired in lower-level major courses by completing assignments and experiences in both micro and macro-level practice. Students then complete an advanced internship focusing on the competencies of their chosen concentration.

HS Majors must choose between three concentration pathways: 

• Advocacy, Relational Practice, and Social Work
• Nonprofit Leadership, Policy & Administration 
• Related Studies in Human Services 

Students in the Advocacy, Relational Practice, & Social Work concentration focus on integrating knowledge and skills related to direct practice with individuals, families, children, and groups. Additionally, they are prepared to work in crisis intervention settings and behavioral (mental) health. Students who select the Nonprofit Leadership, Policy & Administration concentration develop management, leadership, and administrative competencies to work in nonprofit organizations and community-based settings.  Students in the Related Studies in Human Services focus on integrating an approved set of courses (i.e., a minor, certificate, micro-credential) complementary to the study of Human Services.

All majors graduate with competencies in communication, assessment, advocacy, documentation, community networking, cultural competence, social policy, civic engagement, and professional/career development. These competencies are established by the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE). Graduates from the HS program may qualify to take the Human Service Board Certified Practitioner (HS-BCP) exam to become a Human Service Board Certified Practitioner (HS-BCP).  For additional information regarding the HS-BCP, please get in touch with the Program Director.

The Department of Social Work and Human Services also supports two certificates: The Nonprofit Management and Social Innovation Certificate in partnership with The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA) and the Child Advocacy Studies (CAST) Embedded Certificate in partnership with the Zero Abuse Project.

The Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Social Innovation (stand-alone and embedded) prepares students for employment, volunteer, and leadership experiences in the nonprofit sector.  The program requires students to demonstrate ten core management and leadership competency areas. Students also attend a national conference.  Students interested in this certificate may enroll by contacting the Program Director.  Completion of the certificate’s requirements prepares students for credentialing as a Certified Nonprofit Practitioner (CNP) by the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. 

Child Advocacy Studies focus on developing students’ understanding of the various factors that lead to child maltreatment, and of various existing responses to incidents of child maltreatment to enable them to work more effectively within various systems and institutions that respond to these incidents. Students completing the courses in this certificate will be competent to work within children-focused agencies and systems (health care, criminal justice, social services) while advocating for children who have survived neglect and abuse.  Students interested in this program can find more information and enroll by completing the online application available at https://wellstarcollege.kennesaw.edu/swhs/cast/index.php 

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program will be able to:

1. Explain the historical development of human services (CSHSE Standard 11).
2. Utilize the knowledge and theory of the interaction of human systems, including individual, interpersonal, group, family, organizational, community, and societal (CSHSE Standard 12).
3. Address the scope of conditions that promote or inhibit human functioning (CSHSE Standard 13).
4. Apply information management skills in a human service setting (CSHSE Standard 14).
5. Make use of knowledge and skills in the systematic analysis of service needs by planning appropriate strategies and services, and implementing and evaluating outcomes (CSHSE Standard 15)
6. Select appropriate interventions in service delivery (CSHSE Standard 16).
7. Use practical interpersonal skills when interacting with others (CSHSE Standard 17).
8. Utilize administrative, leadership, and management knowledge, theory, and skills to deliver human services and manage organizations (CSHSE Standard 18). 
9. Incorporate human service values and attitudes and promote understanding of human service ethics and their application to practice (CSHSE Standard 19).
10. Develop awareness of one’s values, personalities, reaction patterns, interpersonal styles, and limitations (CSHSE Standard 20).
11. Effectively apply human services core competencies in human service settings (through a field/internship experience) (CSHSE Standard 21).

This program is a part of the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services .

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Admissions, Enrollment, and Graduation Criteria

Admissions Criteria

Admission to this program is open to all students who meet Kennesaw State University’s general admission standards. Visit the Admissions  section of the Catalog for more details.

Enrollment Criteria

Human Services majors must have and maintain a minimum Institutional GPA of 2.00. Students must successfully complete all Human Service major courses with a grade of “C” or higher. It is highly suggested that students complete either STAT 1401  or DATA 1501  as part of their Mathematics & Quantitative Skills and Applied Math General Education Core.

Graduation Criteria

Each student is expected to meet the requirements outlined in Academic Policy 5.0 PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS & GRADUATION .

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Program Course Requirements