2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin

Human Services and Community Justice, Bachelor of Science

The Human Services and Community Justice (HSCJ) major examines issues of social, racial, and economic injustice, and the challenges encountered by diverse and underserved 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 and Community Justice Major 45-49
General Education 42
Electives 29-33
Total Credits Required for B.S. Degree 120


Coordinator and advisor.
 Professor Katherine Stavrianopoulos, Department of Counseling & Human Services (kstavrianopoulos@jjay.cuny.edu)

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

Advising informationMajor Advising Resources including a Sample Four Year Degree Map..

Foundation Courses

Choose one
ANT 101Introduction to Anthropology

3

OR

PSY 101Introduction to Psychology

3

OR

SOC 101Introduction to Sociology

3

*Advisors recommendation:  ANT 101 can fulfill the Flexible Core: World Cultures and Global Issues, PSY 101 and SOC 101 can fulfill the Flexible Core: Individual & Society areas of the General Education Program.

May be required depending on Math placement
MAT 108Social Science Math

3

OR

STA 250Principles and Methods of Statistics

3

OR

MAT 141Pre-Calculus

3

OR

MAT 151Calculus I

4

OR

MAT 152Calculus II

4

OR

MAT 301Probability & Mathematical Statistics I

3

Please note: Students who place above MAT 108 or transfer in a higher level math course may not need to take MAT 108.  Higher level courses that are commonly used to satisfy this requirement are: STA 250 Principles and Methods of Statistics, MAT 141 Pre-Calculus, MAT 151 Calculus I (was MAT 241), MAT 152 Calculus II (was MAT 242), or MAT 301 Probability and Mathematical Statistics I . For questions, see the Major Coordinator or advisor.

MAT 241 Calculus I and MAT 242 Calculus II are part of the old, four-course calculus sequence that has been superseded by the new, three-course sequence that includes MAT 151 Calculus I, and MAT 152 Calculus II.  If student have taken a calculus course from the old sequence, it can still satisfy the Math Foundations area of this major. 

*Advisors recommendation:  MAT 108 or higher can fulfill the Required Core: Math & Qiuantitative Reasoning areas of the General Education Program. 

Subtotal: 3-7

Part One. Required Core

CHS 150/CSL 150Foundations of Human Services Counseling

3

AFR 145Introduction to Community Justice in Human Systems

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

CHS 310/CSL 210Advanced Interpersonal Counseling Skills

3

Subtotal: 18

Note: In Part One, 50 hours of field experience is included, 10 hrs. per course except AFR 227

Part Two. Research Methods and Evaluation

Required

AFR 325Research Methods in Human Services and Community Justice

3

CHS 320Program Planning and Development

3

Subtotal: 6

Part Three. Electives

Select three - one from each category

Category A. Human Systems and Interventions

Select one

AFR 204Religion, Terrorism and Violence in the Africana World

3

AFR 215Police and Urban Communities

3

AFR 237Institutional Racism

3

AFR 248Men: Masculinities in the United States

3

AFR 250Political Economy of Racism

3

AFR 347/PSY 347Psychology of Oppression

3

ANT 332Race, Ethnicity, Class and Gender in Anthropological Perspective

3

CSL 130Effective Parenting

3

CSL 227Families: Stress, Resiliency and Support Systems

3

CSL 233Multicultural Issues in Human Services

3

CSL 280Selected Topics in Counseling and Human Services

3

CSL 342/PSY 342Introduction to Counseling Psychology

3

LLS 241Latinx Populations and the City

3

PSY 231Developmental Psychology

3

SOC 202Sociology of Families

3

SOC 213Sociology of Race and Ethnic Relations

3

SOC 227Sociology of Mental Health

3

CHS 261Human Systems and Interventions Elective

3

Category B. Justice in Human Services

Select one
AFR 229Restoring Justice: Making Peace and Resolving Conflict

3

AFR 255Community Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship

3

AFR 317Environmental Racism

3

AFR 319Self, Identity & Justice: Global Perspectives

3

AFR 320Perspectives on Justice in the Africana World

3

ANT 330American Cultural Pluralism, Justice and the Law

3

CSL 363Vocational Development and Social Justice in Human Services

3

LLS 322Latinx Struggles for Civil Rights & Social Justice

3

LLS 325Latinx Experience of Criminal Justice

3

SOC 216Probation and Parole: Theoretical and Practical Approaches

3

SOC 314Theories of Social Order

3

CHS 262Justice in Human Services Elective

3

Category C. Advocacy, Policy and Administration

Select one
AFR 232/LLS 232Comparative Perspectives on Crime in the Caribbean

3

AFR 315Community-based Justice in the Africana World

3

AFR 322Inequality and Wealth

3

ANT 208Urban Anthropology

3

ANT 324Anthropology of Work

3

CSL 220Leadership Skills

3

CSL 260Gender & Work Life

3

GEN 205Gender and Justice

3

PAD 380Selected Topics in Public Administration

3

SOC 201Urban Sociology: The Study of City Life

3

SOC 209Sociology of Work, Occupations, and Organizations

3

SOC 302Social Problems

3

CHS 263Advocacy, Policy and Administration Elective

3

Subtotal: 9

Note: CHS 261, CHS 262, and CHS 263 are not offered at John Jay College.  These course numbers are used to facilitate transfer credit between programs at other colleges with which John Jay College has formal articulation agreements.

Part Four. Field Experience

Field Experience I

Select one
AFR 377Field Education in Community Organizing and Practice

3

CHS 381Field Education in Human Services I

3

CSL 311Field Education in College Community Outreach

3

UGR 390
Practicum in Youth Justice (Pinkerton Fellowship)

6

Students who take UGR 390 the Pinkerton Fellowship (6 cr.) can satisfy their Part Four field experience in one semester. For other types of field experience courses please consult with the Major Coordinator.

Field Experience II

Select one

AFR 378Field Education in Community Organizing and Practice II

3

CHS 382Field Education in Human Services II

3

Subtotal: 6

Note: at least 300 hours of field experience is required for Part Four.

Part Five. Senior Seminar/Capstone

Required

CHS 415Senior Seminar in Human Services & Community Justice

3

Subtotal: 3

Total Credit Hours: 45-49