Human Services Major

Do you have a passion for assisting others? Do you want to help individuals reach their full potential? Have you always been concerned about the well-being of others? Then, the Human Services program is an excellent choice for you. A human services degree will give you a well-rounded education and include the skills and experience to successfully work with individuals and communities. You'll learn how to help people with varied backgrounds find services and programs they need to improve their lives and situations - the options are endless for you to make a positive impact.

Students in this major are compassionate and concerned about helping others and making a difference in their communities. To enhance your human services degree, you may want to add a minor or second major in psychology, apply to be a part of GV’s Human Services Honor Society, Tau Upsilon Alpha, or join the human services club.

Wondering whether you should pursue social work, psychology, or human services?

Explore the differences

Why Grand View?

You will gain experience conducting intake interviews and facilitating individual and group counseling.
You will learn about yourself while acquiring a good understanding of self as change agent.
Committed faculty will help you learn to communicate empathetically while demonstrating ethical and cultural competence.
Des Moines provides a wealth of internship opportunities in nonprofit and health and human service agencies.

Career Options

Your coursework will provide you a solid foundation for any career in public and private agencies working in areas of child welfare, youth development, elder care, rehabilitation, substance abuse, mental health and with victims of crime. You may choose to attend graduate school or work as a:

Resident Counselor
Program Supervisor
Child Care Worker
Mental Health Specialist
Family Development Specialist
Youth Development Professional
Home Health Aide
Hospice Worker
Group Home Aide
Case Manager
School Aide
Care Coordinator

What Can I Do With This Major?

Course Requirements

Download Degree Checklist

Tau Upsilon Alpha

What is Tau Upsilon Alpha (TAU)?

Tau Upsilon Alpha is a National Organization for Human Services Honor Society and is looking to recruit new members.

What are the purposes of Tau Upsilon Alpha?

The purposes of the Society are to honor academic excellence; to foster lifelong learning, leadership, and development; and to promote excellence in service to humanity.

Why TAU?

Recognition for Academic Excellence
Build Resume with Local Chapter Activities and More
Graduation Honors Cord
Membership Pin and Certificate
Scholarship Opportunities

Who is eligible

Majoring or minoring in Human Services or closely related field
Minimum GPA of 3.25 in Human Services/Psychology Courses
Completion of 3 semesters at GV (36 credits)
Abide by the NOHS Code of Ethics

How to Apply?

If you believe you meet these requirements and would like to join, please contact Dr. Jill Sudak-Allison or Dr. Kris Owens for an application. Applications due by September 30 and January 31.

GV Degree Combinations

You may also be interested in one or more of the following:

Awards and Accomplishments

Dr. Jill R. Sudak-Allison is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a licensed mental health counselor. She has a number of publications including: Child Access and visitation following divorce: A growth access for marriage and family therapy, in the American Journal of Family Therapy. She has presented at numerous conferences on Behavioral Health Integration in Primary Care Settings; Integrating Neurobiology and EMDR; Increasing Human Services Students' Sense of Employment Worth and Career Negotiation Skills; and Three Majors: Poster Symposium for Engaging All Learns of Psychology, Human Services and Education. She is also the Chair of the Psychology and Human Services Department.

Dr. Kris Owens is a licensed social worker with an expertise in disability services. She has facilitated numerous presentations related to academic support strategies and assistive technology. In July 2017 she co-facilitated a presentation titled "Engaging and Supporting English Language Learners" at the Iowa Teaching and Learning Conference. The session highlighted research that identified the needs of ELL and ways to provide a supportive learning environment. She has received several awards including Mercy College Student Spirit Award, which is extended to an individual whose spirit and values are focused on student success. In addition, Kris received a poster presentation award related to the Analysis of English Language Learner Needs and is a Blackboard Exemplary Course nominee.

Jim Hanson is a former Human Services department chair, is working toward his license to become a mental health counselor. He was also the former Social Sciences division head and the 2004 recipient of the Grand View Faculty Award.

Guy Cunningham appears on nostalgia in Hallmark Christmas movies, the role of the psychologically uncanny in ghost stories, and on the evolutionary psychology of the popularity of obnoxious celebrities and politicians at the annual conventions of the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association. He has also conducted workshops on addictions and working with persons transitioning from incarceration.

Dr. Josh Woods is the director of the Psychology research lab where students conduct faculty-driven research and present the lab's findings at professional research conferences. Research students have traveled to Chicago, Denver, Boston and Washington, D.C. to present their findings. Dr. Woods is also an expert witness for cases involving eyewitness memory and false confessions. He is the primary cognitive psychologist for the Innocence Project of Iowa.

Why Human Services?

With a career in the human services field, you help create a stronger future. Those in health and human services professions work to provide just that: they strive to offer the best in health and related services to individuals in their local area, region, state or nation.

In fact, human services is helpful to everyone, but is especially targeted to those in our society who need extra help in one form or another. From the social worker who makes sure a struggling family receives food stamps to the health educator who teaches communities about the importance of good nutrition; from the rehabilitation counselor who helps those who have suffered physical trauma to the counselors who help individuals and families who are struggling with a variety of issues, human services careers are a very important calling.

Is the human services field calling your name? If so, we'd love to have you join our program at Grand View!

Did You Know?

Careers Are On the Rise!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for social and human services assistants is projected to grow by about 8 percent from 2023 through 2033. The long-term outlook for job opportunities is excellent, especially for educated applicants as employers are increasingly in search of employees holding degrees in human services.

With constituents putting pressure on legislators to provide broader human services, governments have increased the number of human services staff members. Many human services professionals can expect a higher quality of life at work, with support for caseloads and additional resources to prevent case overload.