Concentration in Human Services
The Concentration in Human Services (CHS) is a comprehensive educational program through the Department of Sociology that prepares students for diverse generalist practice in the field of human services. Students are prepared to work with people throughout their life span and the focus is on people who face a variety of needs and issues, e.g., poverty, discrimination, crime, disability, interpersonal violence, and substance abuse. Students in the CHS also examine the intersection of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and ability as well as issues related to immigration and transnational families.
In addition, the CHS has a distinct focus on advocacy, international social welfare, social justice, and human rights. The main features of the Concentration in Human Services are three supervised field education internships, staying together as a group throughout the educational process, and an emphasis on arts and recreation. The CHS culminates with a senior thesis and the exploration of the intersection of professional and personal identities.
Students participate in three internships at various human services agencies. Examples of student placements include:
- Domestic violence shelters
- Residential treatment facilities
- Runaway shelters for youth
- Daycare and after school programs
- Probation departments
- Social services
- Homeless shelters
- Mental health support programs
- LGBTQ+ community centers
- Group homes for people with developmental disabilities
- Advocacy and policy support programs
- Nursing and rehabilitation homes for the elderly
- Prevention programs
- Substance abuse treatment programs
- And many more…
Through these placements, students have the opportunity to participate in advocacy events, arts and recreation activities, and animal-assisted therapies. With the guidance of faculty, students select their placements, ensuring they experience diverse environments to expand their professional understanding.
Each student completes three consecutive internships, each lasting 104 hours over a 13-week period, working approximately eight hours per week. These internships are complemented by intensive individual and group supervision, offering students vital real-world experience as they explore different career paths and determine their preferred work settings. The internship placements are identified though collaboration between the student and faculty.
The Concentration in Human Services is inspired by the social pedagogy/social education profession and practices and influenced by critical pedagogy with an emphasis on self-directed learning.
FAQ
Q: What is the cohort experience like in the CHS?
A: Students stay together as a cohort for 3 semesters, often meeting for 5 hours a week. This cohort model allows students to actively engage in group dynamics, learning to collaborate, build trust, have shared experiences, and work through conflicts together. It provides a unique opportunity to learn from and with each other in a close-knit environment.
Q: Can I begin the core CHS class in the Fall semester?
A: No, the prerequisite CHS classes in theory and internships are only offered in the Spring semester.
Q: What kind of learning experiences do CHS students have outside the classroom?
A: Students participate in field trips every semester. These include visits to residential programs, agencies serving people with developmental disabilities, and a trip to New York City to tour the United Nations. These experiences help students understand human rights and social justice in real-world settings, enriching the classroom learning experience.
Q: What are cognate courses, and why are they important in CHS?
A: Cognate courses are courses that relate to human services but are not part of the Sociology Department. Since human services is an interdisciplinary profession, students are required to take courses in department such as Anthropology, Black Studies, Communication Disorders, Education, Political Science and International Relations, Psychology, and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
Q: Why do I need to take Arts and Recreation classes?
A: The requirement to build knowledge and skills in the area of arts and recreation is an integral part of the CHS. “Doing with” people, whether that be art, cooking, sports, or any other activity, is an amazing opportunity to build relationships and it provides people with competence and skills. Students continuously do class exercises to demonstrate and learn about the use of the arts and recreation in their internship and with their cohort. Students are also encouraged to take expressive arts courses, which have been developed specifically for CHS students.
Q: How do I apply?
A: Students interested in majoring in Sociology with the Concentration in Human Services must submit this application by October 7.
- The CHS is available to students who have been accepted to or are currently attending SUNY New Paltz.
- Students must have completed at least 30 college-level credits and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Students should expect to be in the CHS program for three consecutive semesters, starting in the Spring semester. Anyone applying to the CHS should not expect to graduate sooner than three semester after they are accepted.
Q: If I don’t meet the minimum GPA requirement, can I still apply?
A: Yes, you can still apply. The GPA requirement is meant to ensure that students are capable of completing the advanced coursework the program requires. However, the CHS faculty are aware that a students’ GPA is not the sole indicator of academic skill or ability. If you do not meet the GPA minimum but feel you have the ability to meet the academic standards of the program you can still apply and are encouraged to share in your personal essay why your GPA might not reflect your academic potential.
Q: Where are the internships?
- Domestic violence shelters
- Residential treatment facilities
- Hospitals
- Schools
Criminal justice settings.
Q: Do I have to find my own internship?
A: No, students are not solely responsible for finding their own internship. The CHS faculty have an extensive network of contacts throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley and are familiar with the types of experience students can have as interns in these locations. Faculty work closely with students to identify a placement that is of interest to the student and will challenge them to build skills, expand their knowledge base, and develop professional values. Once the placement is decided, and the contact information given, it is up to the student to make contact and secure the internship.
Q: What kind of jobs do CHS alumni have?
A: Graduates work with children, youth, adults, and the elderly in settings such as children's homes, criminal justice agencies, schools, shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based residences.Graduates also pursue further education in fields like social work, counseling, public health, law, higher education, and human rights.
Q:Can I get paid for the internships?
A: Currently, almost all human services agencies do not have the financial capacity to pay undergraduate student interns. Additionally, while you are not earning money, you are earning college credit. However, since students are paying for those college credits, we know that internships can create a financial burden for students. For this reason, the college offers two scholarship opportunities for students required to complete internships. One is the Campus Auxiliary Services stipend and the other is the Applied Learning Travel grant. You can find out more about these opportunities from the Career Resource Center Internship Funding Opportunities.
Q: What scholarship opportunities are there for being part of the CHS?
A: There are multiple opportunities to apply for scholarships both in and outside of the CHS.
- Ida B Well CHS Scholarship: Thanks to the generous donation of a CHS alum, we can currently provide a $2,000 scholarship to one CHS student each year. The scholarship is targeted towards students who are underrepresented in the field of human services. Click here to find out more information.
- SUNY/OMH Scholarship Pipeline Program: While not specific to the CHS, students interested in entering the field of mental health treatment and who are underrepresented in the field are encouraged to apply to this scholarship which can pay for up to three years of undergraduate and/or graduate education with additional benefits. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply here.
- Career Resource Center Internship Funding Opportunities: If you are required to do internships for your major, such as the CHS, you can apply to receive the Campus Auxiliary Services stipend and the Applied Learning Travel grant. You can find out more about these opportunities from the Career Resource Center by clicking here.
Q: What are the academic requirements to complete the CHS?
A: Students must complete the following requirements to complete the CHS program:Required Sociology courses......................................16 credits
SOC100 Introduction to Sociology (3)
SOC220 Social Inequality (3)
SOC303 Sociological Theory (3)
SOC306 Research Methods (4)
SOC350 Introduction to Human Services (3)Sociology electives..................................................12 credits
Each student must complete, by advisement, four (4) Sociology (SOC) electives.Human Services Concentration Core...........................9 credits
SOC443 Human Services Theory & Practice I (3)
SOC444 Human Services Theory & Practice II (3)
SOC445 Human Services Theory & Practice III (3) - This is the Writing Intensive CHS capstone course in which students write a senior thesis.Field Education courses............................................12 credits SOC480 Fieldwork in Human Services I (4)
SOC481 Fieldwork in Human Services II (4)
SOC482 Fieldwork in Human Services III (4)Arts & Recreation courses.........................................5 credits
Each student must complete, by advisement, two (2) approved courses in Arts & Recreation. These are hands-on courses that will provide students with a variety of modalities.Cognate courses....................................................6 credits
Each student must complete, by advisement, two (2) courses in departments that offer courses related to human services. These courses complement the Sociology human services courses.
Q: Do I have to be a Sociology major to be part of the CHS?
A: Yes, the CHS is part of the Sociology Department. Students who complete the program are Sociology majors with a concentration in Human Services. However, you don’t have to have declared a Sociology major already to apply.
Q: What’s the difference between a BSW and the CHS?
A: The CHS is very purposefully not a bachelor’s in social work (BSW). While having much in common with BSW programs, including internships, an interdisciplinary approach, and a desire for social justice, the CHS studies social welfare and social care beyond just social work, and differs from BSW programs if a few key ways:
- The CHS curriculum is based in the international (mostly European and Latin American) model of social pedagogy and social education.
- The CHS offers a more critical perspective on social welfare and systems of social care in the United States, including the lack of a direct practice profession.
- The CHS puts an emphasis on critical pedagogy and self-directed learning.
While many students who complete the CHS do go on to get a master’s degree in social work, the focus is on understanding intersecting systems of social care, and students have gone on to work in public health, education, law, public administration, direct care, and many other fields outside of social work as well. There is a section of the CHS curriculum that is devoted to students understanding different career paths and what they entail, including, but not limited to social work.
Q: I would like to study abroad. Can I do that and still be part of the CHS?
A: YES!! We encourage and wholeheartedly support studying abroad. Cross cultural experience provides students with incredible knowledge and skills that benefit them immensely in the field of human services. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind about study abroad:
- When possible, try to plan your study abroad semester in the Spring of your sophomore year or fall of your junior year before you begin the CHS core courses including your first internship.
- If it’s too late to study abroad before you begin the CHS, we can work with you to meet your CHS requirements while studying abroad during the first semester you are in the CHS.
- Either way, please reach out to CHS faculty as soon as possible to create an academic plan that will incorporate both the CHS and a semester abroad.
- Additionally, CHS faculty lead a two week course on International Social Welfare in Cape Town South Africa every other summer. This is a 6-credit course and can fulfill a sociology elective and a cognate requirement.
- Link to the study abroad tab under CHS
