Human Services Corrections
The concentration in human services/corrections (53 credits) is a combination of subjects designed to give students a conceptual and practical understanding of how to directly provide social services for adult and juvenile offenders in community and institutional correctional settings. The subjects specified in this individualized degree emphasize general helping skills, assessment, intervention strategies, behavior modification, case management and rehabilitation techniques. In addition, students with experience in court services, adult and juvenile corrections have the option to use prior volunteer or work experience to satisfy some of the core subjects.
Courses in corrections are appropriate for students interested in community and institutional corrections. Students concerned about the correctional system as a social or community problem can explore these concerns through studies of juvenile delinquency, criminology and the criminal justice system. Students who wish to become corrections professionals in the public and private sectors should develop knowledge and skills in the humanities, communications, political science, counseling and intervention, human services, law, management, human resource management, and psychology as well as in corrections studies. There is a great diversity in the degree of knowledge necessary for the many different careers associated with corrections.
Acceptance to the Program
To be eligible for acceptance to the Human Services BHS major, students must submit a College of Health, Community and Professional Services Undergraduate Program Declaration Form. Consult with an advisor before submitting declaration form or enrolling in courses toward the major.
Prerequisites
- PSYC 100 General Psychology (or two psychology courses) and
- SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology (or two sociology courses)
- In addition to the human services major requirements, students must complete the university's General education and liberal studies requirements
Required Core Courses (20 credits)
- HSER 355 Introduction to Human Service: History and Trends
- HSER 353 Social Casework Methods
- HSER 346 Counseling and Interviewing Skills
- HSER 395 Human Services and Diversity
- HSER 455 Capstone Seminars in Human Services
Practica (5 credits)
Experiential (practica) experience is a vital component of the human services degree program. Every student is required to complete a practicum experience.
- HSER 320 Human Services Pre-Practicum Group Seminar
- HSER 331 Human Services Group Practicum and Seminar
Human Services Degree Requirements
The degree programs consist of a minimum of 120 credits with at least 48 credits in human services, of which 40 credits must be upper division Metropolitan State University course work or competency demonstration. The degree programs have the following components:
- General education and liberal studies (including general psychology and introduction to sociology as prerequisites for program admission)
- Required core courses (20 credits)
- Other required human services coursework, depending upon the concentration
- Practica in human services organization(s)
- Minor course (if desired); and
- Other electives
Human Services Corrections Requirements (28 credits)
In addition to the prerequisites, core courses and practica, this concentration requires the following.
- HSCO 321 Juvenile Delinquency: Prevention and Intervention
- HSCO 325 Institutional Corrections: History and Future Trends
- HSCO 326 Community Corrections
- HSCO 327 Women Offenders in Correctional Facilities
- HSCO 332 Rehabilitation of the Public Offender
- CJS 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice
- HSER 301 Violence: Individual, Community and Global Responses
Recommended Elective Courses
- HSA 369 Program Evaluation
- HSCD 300 Chemical Dependency Concepts
- HSFS 338 The Family: Racial, Gender and Class Dimensions
- PSYC 300 Abnormal Psychology
- HSER 303 Disability Awareness
- HSER 358 Cross-Cultural Counseling
