2021-2022 Undergraduate Bulletin

Human Services Dual Admission Program with LaGuardia Community College (AA/BS)

The Human Services and Community Justice (HSCJ) major examines issues of social, racial, and economic injustice, and the challenges encountered by diverse and undeserved populations in society.  Through its multi-disciplinary course work and experiential learning opportunities, students become self-reflective, competent and compassionate counselors, human services professionals, advocates, community leaders, and change makers.  The Major emphasizes cultivating strong interpersonal skills, ethical and cultural competencies, problem-solving analysis, and professional helping proficiencies essential for human services practice. Students will develop a rich appreciation for diverse human systems and interventions, community-based approaches to justice, as well as advocacy, policy, and administration. Students graduating with a BS in Human Services and Community Justice enter a wide variety of careers in private and nonprofit public human services and community-based organizations, and are ideally prepared for graduate school in social work, psychology, counseling, and related fields.

Learning Outcomes. Students will:

  • Demonstrate a working knowledge of key concepts in Human Services field and critically interpret, analyze and assess material using different methods of inquiry.
  • Demonstrate the historical development of human services and major trends from its origins to the present.
  • Critically analyze community-based approaches to justice and apply this critical thinking to advocacy, policy and social change on behalf of populations at risk.
  • Critically analyze conditions that promote or inhibit human functioning, collect data, develop and implement effective interventions, and evaluate results.
  • Organize and communicate information clearly and effectively to a variety of audiences through oral presentation, interpersonal communication, written documents, and reports.
  • Display awareness of personal values, attitudes, beliefs, biases, emotions and past experiences including ability to reflect on how these affect one’s thinking, behavior and relationships in all aspects of professional interactions.
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge and skills in the recognition and understanding of differences including those related to race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability, age, religion/spirituality and other expressions of culture and identity.
  • Complete a research project that includes formulating and justifying a research question, collecting and analyzing data, and articulating conclusions.
  • Demonstrate ability to integrate knowledge, skills, values, and ethics in Field Education experience as outlined by the Council for Standards in Human Service Education.

Credits Required.

Human Services AA/BS 48
General Education 42
Electives 30
Total Credits Required for B.S. Degree 120

Coordinator and advisor. Professor Nancy Velazquez-Torres, Department of Counseling & Human Services (212.237.8135, ntorres@jjay.cuny.edu)

Advisor. Betty Taylor Leacock, Department of Counseling & Human Services (212.237.8140, bltaylor@jjay.cuny.edu)

Advising information. Major Advising Resources.

Foundational Courses

Required
MAT 119 (at LCC)Statistics with Elementary Algebra

3

or

MAT 120 (at LCC)Elementary Statistics I

3

and

SOC 101 (at LCC)Introduction to Sociology

3

Total Credit Hours: 6

Part One. Required Core

HSS 101 (at LCC)Introduction to Human Services

3

HSS 295 (at LCC)Community Organizing

3

AFR 227Community-based Approaches to Justice

3

CHS 230Culture, Direct Service and Community Practice

3

CHS 235Theories of Assessment and Intervention in Human Services

3

HSS 218 (at LCC)Group Interviewing & Counseling

3

Note: This section includes 50 hours of field experience fulfilled by John Jay courses (30 hours), plus additional hours from LaGuardia coursework (20+ hours).

Total Credit Hours: 18

Part Two. Research Methods and Evaluation

Required
AFR 325Research Methods in Human Services and Community Justice

3

CHS 320Program Planning and Development

3

Total Credit Hours: 6

Part Three. Electives

Students choose three, one from each category. 

Category A. Human Systems and Interventions

Select one

HSS 214 (at LCC)Social Gerontology

3

or

HSS 208 (at LCC)Human Services & Disability

3

Category B. Justice in Human Services

Select one

SSJ 194 (at LCC)HIV/AIDS, Science & Society

3

 

Category C. Advocacy, Policy, and Administration

Select one

HSS 102 (at LCC)Social Policy & Welfare

3


Total Credit Hours: 9

Part Four. Field Experience (300 Hours Required)

 

Field Experience I - 150 Hours

Select one

AFR 3XXField Education in Community Organizing and Community Practice I

3

CHS 381Field Education in Human Services I

3

CSL 311Field Education in College Community Outreach

3

Field Experience II - 150 Hours

Select one

AFR 3YYField Education in Community Organizing and Community Practice II

3

CHS 382Field Education in Human Services II

3

 

Total Credit Hours: 9

Part Five. Senior Seminar

Required
CHS 415Senior Seminar in Human Services & Community Justice

3

Additional courses to receive Human Services Associate's degree from LaGuardia CC:

  • SCH 160 (Health and Wellness)
  • SCN 195 (Community Health)
  • SCN 196 (Community Health Research)
  • HSS 216 (Interviewing & Counseling) 
  • HSS 290 (Health & Human Services Internship)
  • One additional Heath and Human Service elective

Total Credit Hours: 42