Online Bachelor's Degrees in Human Services: Top Schools

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.

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)

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.

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.

Lesley University

B.S. in Human Services

Total Credits: 120

$525/credit

Southern New Hampshire University

B.A. in Human Services

Total Credits: 120

$342/credit; $250 (military)

Walden University

B.S. in Human Services

Total Credits: 181

$360/credit

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:

Top Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Human Services