Online Bachelor's Degrees in Human Services: Top Schools
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HealthcareNursingAdv NursingA bachelor’s degree in human services can help you build a successful and fulfilling career helping individuals, groups, and communities. This guide introduces the top online bachelor’s degree programs in human services today. Learn about admission requirements, costs and financial aid, course content and online delivery formats, and more.
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Program Spotlights: Online Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services
A bachelor’s degree in human services prepares graduates for a variety of professional roles — from social work and counseling to public service administration — all founded on helping people help themselves. And you can earn your degree conveniently and affordably through a quality, accredited online human services bachelor’s program.
As you explore your program options, it’s important to consider several factors, such as:
- Proper accreditation
- Program costs and availability of financial aid
- Fully- vs. partially-online content
- Synchronous vs. asynchronous online content delivery
We’ve profiled below three currently-available online bachelor’s of human services programs. These profiles will give you a good idea of just how online programs address each of the factors mentioned above.
ODU Global
ODU Global, the distance learning arm of Old Dominion University, offers more than 120 online degree and certificate programs on the undergraduate and graduate levels. ODU Global’s 100% online Bachelor of Science in Human Services Online program prepares students to aid their communities and its members through the study of such subjects as:
- Agency operation
- Grant writing and fundraising
- Human growth and development
- Human services professional roles
- Program evaluation and management
The “start to finish” curriculum requires completion of 120 credits of general education and major-specific coursework. However, students can transfer in up to 90 previously-earned college credits, providing the potential for significant time and costs savings.
Online course delivery is primarily asynchronous with some limited synchronous components depending on the specific course.
Mode: Fully online
Cost: $268/credit (Virginia residents); $444/credit (out-of-state residents); $250/credit (qualifying active military)
Admissions Requirements:
- High school diploma or equivalent (GED)
- Minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA
- Completion of prerequisite English course
Purdue Global
The 33-credit Online Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services program at Purdue Global features a fully-online format. Content delivery is primarily asynchronous, but most classes include a live synchronous component each week.
Additionally, students seeking real-world practice experience can take advantage of an optional 6-credit in-person internship.
Students choose from one of three concentrations:
- Child and Family Welfare
- Community Organization
- Human Services Administration
The average completion time for full-time students is 3 1/2 years. Part-time study is also available.
Graduates are eligible to sit for the exam for the Human Services – Board Certified Practitioner (HS-BCP) certification.
Mode: Fully online
Cost: $371/credit
Admissions Requirements:
- High school diploma or equivalent (GED)
- Complete an orientation session prior to starting classes
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
SNHU’s Bachelor of Arts in Human Services program teaches students how to “combine policy knowledge with the art of advocacy” to improve the lives of individuals, families, groups, and populations.
Three concentration tracks are offered:
- Child and Family Services
- Gerontology
- Substance Abuse
SNHU uses accelerated eight-week terms, with fully online and asynchronous class formats, allowing for self-paced study and making it easy to speed up your education progress.
Skills gained by students include:
- Analysis of social, political, and historical trends
- Cultural awareness and communication strategies
- Legal and ethical standards
- Human services policies
- Advocacy tactics in support of the underserved
Up to 90 credits can be transferred into the program, saving both time and money in meeting degree requirements.
Mode: Fully online
Cost: $342/credit; $250 (active duty military and their spouses)
Admissions requirements:
- High school diploma or equivalent (GED)
- Submittal of the free online application
- SAT/ACT scores are not required
Breakdown of Human Services Bachelor’s Degrees Online
As the profiles above demonstrate, each online human services bachelor’s program offers its own unique combination of program elements. Here’s a look at some of the most important of those elements to consider before your enroll in any program.
Tuition and Fees
Costs for online human services bachelor’s programs vary from program to program. The most impactful factors on cost are:
- Total credits required to earn the degree.
- Public vs. private school: Private colleges often charge higher tuition rates than public colleges.
- State residency: Public schools often charge higher tuition rates to out-of-state residents.
We’ve listed below the current tuition rates for three online bachelor’s in human services degree programs. Along with those listed in the program rankings at the end of this guide, these tuition rates offer a good idea of what you can expect to pay for your human services bachelor’s education.
Southern New Hampshire University
Total Credits: 120
$342/credit; $250 (military)
Admissions Requirements
Although there are variations, most online bachelor’s in human services programs feature much the same admissions requirements. They include:
- High school diploma or equivalent (like a GED)
- Minimum stated GPA
- Official transcripts for high school and any previously-completed college coursework
You may also need to meet some or all of these additional requirements:
- Standardized test scores (SAT or ACT)
- Letters of recommendation
- Statement of goals or personal essay
- Resume
- Prerequisite coursework (often in subjects such as English composition, psychology, and sociology)
- Pass a criminal background check
Program Content
Students in online human services bachelor’s programs will encounter a wide range of course subjects in their studies. And while they’ll be able to tailor those studies to focus on one or more areas with the larger human services field, students will also complete coursework in a number of core subjects.
Here is a look as some of the most common core topics covered in online human services bachelor’s curriculums:
Case Management
Case management courses introduce students to entry-level case management fundamentals, including management theory and practice, relationship development, and the role of the case manager.
This course is particularly important for those exploring social work careers, but the skills gained are also widely applicable to many human services areas of practice.
Example course titles: Case Management in Social Work; Counseling and Case Management
Skills: Goal-based care planning, assessing client needs, and professional best practices
Ethics in Human Services
Students in ethics courses learn about the common conflicts and ethical issues that human services professionals regularly face. They may also learn about human services law and how it can work with and against services ethics.
Example course titles: Law and Ethics in Human Service; Practical Ethics in Human Services
Skills: Informed ethical decision-making
Developmental Psychology
In this subject, students explore the psychological developments that occur throughout a person’s life as well as major theories and research methodologies in developmental psychology. Students develop a solid understanding of the mental and emotional issues clients face in the different stages of their lives.
Example course titles: Developmental Psychology Through the Life Span
Skills: Recognize and assess developmental markers for different life stages
Policy
Human services policy courses address existing policies as well as legislative and organizational policy development processes. Students learn about policy practices for specific areas within human services, (welfare, social work, criminal justice, etc.) and the role of advocacy in policy development.
Example course titles: Public Policy and Advocacy; Social Policy
Skills: Critical analysis of human services policy, advocacy methods and tools, and policy development
Research Methods
These courses provide an overview of common research methods in human services and other social sciences. Specific topics include methods of collecting data, interpreting research, identifying design flaws, and developing critical analysis.
Example course titles: Social Science Research Methods; Research Methods in Human Services; Research Methods in the Social Sciences
Skills: Data collection, research design, and statistical analysis
Concentrations in an Online Bachelor’s in Human Services
Many online bachelor’s of human services programs offer students the choice of tailoring their studies to focus on a particular area within the larger human services field through specialization or concentration tracks. Choosing a specific concentration is a great way to gain knowledge and skills relevant to your unique career goals.
Below are descriptions of some of the most popular concentration areas for human services bachelor’s students:
Addictions Counseling
A concentration in addictions or substance abuse counseling focuses on the underlying causes of addiction and how to best help clients in dealing with them. Common topics covered in this concentration include:
- Assessment and treatment planning
- Co-occurring disorders
- Counseling techniques and clinical skills
- Ethics, law, and diversity
- Foundations of addiction
- Pharmacology
Most all online human services bachelor’s programs require their addictions counseling concentration students to complete a given number of in-person internship or fieldwork experience hours.
Graduates with this concentration are typically eligible to sit for the exams for professional certifications such as:
- Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
- Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS)
- National Certified Addiction Counselor (NCAC)
Leadership and Administration
Students pursuing leadership roles in human services organizations may consider focusing their studies through a leadership and administration concentration. Coursework covers a broad range of topics, including:
- Budgeting and financial management
- Communication and community relations
- Leadership theory and practice
- Organizational administration and management
- Program evaluation and planning
- Personnel supervision
While a capstone project is often completed as a culminating activity, most leadership and administration concentration tracks do not include an internship or any other in-person components.
Professional certifications available include:
- Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP)
- Certified Social and Human Services Professional (CSHSP)
- Human Services-Board Certified Practitioner (HS-BCP)
Child and Family Services
Students choosing a child and family services concentration gain knowledge and skills in managing cases and effectively advocating for children and families. Typical course topics include:
- Child development across the lifespan
- Child welfare and protective services
- Family systems and dynamics
- Parenting education and family support interventions
- Trauma-informed care and crisis intervention
While didactic coursework is typically completed online, students opting for this concentration should expect to participate in some in-person activities, such as internships, practicums, workshops, or observational hours.
Examples of professional certifications for graduates with this concentration include:
- Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE)
- Child Welfare Specialist (CWS)
- Human Services-Board Certified Practitioner (HS-BCP)
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Human Services Bachelor’s Degree FAQs
If you’ve read to this point, you’ve likely come up with a few questions of your own about the details of how online human services bachelor’s programs work. To help in that regard, here are answers to six questions commonly asked by prospective online bachelor’s in human services students.
What financial aid resources are available for online human services bachelor’s programs?
The full range of financial aid types are available to qualifying online human services bachelor’s students, including:
- Scholarships and grants
- Student loans
- Employer tuition reimbursement
- Work-study
- Tuition deferment and installment plans
Be sure to contact the financial aid offices at each of the schools you’re considering to find out about potential funding help.
Can I transfer credits from my bachelor’s toward a master’s in human services?
It’s highly unlikely. Generally speaking, credits earned in an undergraduate program are not transferable upward into a graduate degree program.
There may be exceptions, though. For example, some human services master’s programs may grant “advanced standing” to a student whose bachelor’s coursework is highly specialized and meets graduate-level standards.
If you have any questions on this matter, be sure to speak with a program representative in the early stages of your program search.
How fast can I complete an accelerated bachelor’s in human services online?
Program lengths of human services online bachelor’s programs also vary from program to program. Typical completion times, however, are four years full-time and five to six years part-time.
For students able to focus intently on just their studies, there are a few accelerated program options that can be completed in substantially less time. This is accomplished primarily through the use of shorter terms (five to eight weeks each) and year-round study (including summer sessions.)
Examples of accelerated programs include:
- Online Bachelor’s in Human Services at Colorado State University Global: Can be completed in two to three years.
- Bachelor of Arts in Human Services at Southern New Hampshire University: Not designated as an accelerated program, but can be completed in as little as little as 2 1/2 to three years by requesting to take three or four classes per term.
Is an online bachelor’s in human services equivalent to an in-person degree?
Absolutely. Today’s online degree programs offer the same academic quality as their campus-based counterparts, and employers understand this. So, you can rest assured that you’re job opportunities will not be limited due to earning your degree online.
What is important is that you earn your online degree from a properly-accredited school and program. So, be sure to confirm these two types of accreditation:
- Institutional accreditation of U.S. colleges and universities is handled by several U.S. Department of Education recognized independent accrediting agencies.
- Programmatic accreditation of human services degree programs is administered by the Council for Standards in Human Services Education (CSHSE).
You’ll likely find current accreditation information on school and program websites. You can also check accreditation status using this DOE accreditation search engine.
What kind of career support is available to online students?
An often overlooked but important factor to consider in choosing an online human services master’s program is access to quality academic and career support services.
Commonly-offered services include:
- Academic advising
- Career guidance and job search support
- Financial counseling
- Healthcare services
- Mentoring and tutoring
- Online library resources
- Tech support
- Writing assistance
While practically all programs offer some combination of such services, some schools do it better than others. So, be sure to do a bit research on exactly what services are offered at each school you consider.
Top Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Human Services
Colleges and universities are constantly adding online bachelor’s in human services degrees to their program offerings. And while that means more options for you, it also means more programs to review in your search.
To help get you started, we’ve surveyed the current crop of of online bachelor’s in human services programs and identified the very best, which we’ve ranked and listed below. Using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and schools themselves, we’ve selected programs considering such elements as:
- Accreditation
- Costs and availability of financial aid
- Academic quality
- Student/instructor ratio
- Access to useful student support services
Click the “About the Ranking” button for details on our selection process.
