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Students enrolled in the Human Services Technology Program are in the process of earning 75 hours worth of college credit toward an Associate in Applied Science degree (A.A.S.) in Human Services Technology with a concentration in Social Services.  Students take courses that are offered in traditional, hybrid, and online formats.  Approximately 50% of the contact hours required for this degree can be earned at a distance.

According to the National Organization for Human Services and the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (2006), Human Services is a broadly defined field that focuses on meeting human needs through an interdisciplinary knowledge base, prevention and remediation of problems, commitment to improving the overall quality of life of service populations, improving service delivery systems by addressing the quality of direct services, and improving accessibility, accountability, and coordination among professionals and agencies in service delivery.  In earning this degree, students undergo generalist training to assume a diverse range of entry-level professional positions within the social services arena. 

The program emphasizes the practical application of theory, skills training, and the development of a professional self within the context of broad theoretical exposure.  Although students are not earning a degree directly in “Social Work”, they will be able to perform several of the functions that Social Workers and other social services professionals typically perform. 

Students learn professional theory, skills, ethics, and values by taking coursework in counseling, interviewing, crisis intervention, group process, case management, community resources, abnormal psychology, developmental psychology, the sociology of the family, anatomy and physiology, critical thinking, public speaking, computers, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, psychopathology, diversity, and Social Work (including Social Work law and ethics)– among others.  Students are also required to participate in a one semester unpaid internship experience for which they earn college credit.  The internship experience is also meant to provide students with an opportunity to obtain work experience in applying their newly acquired professional knowledge and skills to practice in an actual social service setting.

The program’s students are of varied ages and backgrounds.  They generally come not only from the Asheville-area but also from throughout Western North Carolina.  Many have a successful history of previous work experience-- outside and/ or inside of the social services arena.  Some are bilingual.  They sincerely desire to help others with their problems.

Although the degree is not designed as a transfer degree, some will go on to pursue advanced academic degrees-- often in one of the following disciplines: Human Services, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, or Counseling.

Students have a wide range of professional interests, including, but not limited to, health, mental health, substance abuse, developmental delays and disabilities, public assistance/ welfare, case management, civil and criminal justice, domestic violence, homelessness/ housing, grief, death and dying, trauma, abuse and neglect, immigrant-based service delivery, religious-based service delivery, school-based service delivery, recreation-based service delivery, veteran’s issues, women’s issues, vocational training and placement, the elderly, children and families, teens, adults, entry-level counseling, social services management, and outpatient, residential, and inpatient service delivery.  Employment  in such areas of practice and potentially others is possible.  Although the program does not specifically train students to meet State standards for becoming a certified substance abuse counselor, students can qualify for  employment in organizations addressing substance abuse.

The settings for human services practice are diverse.  Potential  settings include offices, clinics, hospitals, residential care facilities, shelters, sheltered workshops, nursing homes, rehabilitation settings, day programs, educational settings, vocational settings, recreational settings, homes, nonprofit organizations, private organizations, public organizations, and etc.  Many human service organizations require prospective employees and student interns to pass a criminal background check, drug screening, and citizen status verification before they will be eligible to work in the organization. 

In North Carolina, the annual wage for an entry-level human services/ social services professional is estimated to be the following: $18,651 for a beginning worker, $26,852 for a moderately experienced worker, and $28,485 for an experienced worker.

Specific Entrance Requirements:

• Satisfy the College's general admission requirements.

• Submit three character/ employment references to the Department Chair by the end of the first semester of enrollment in the program.

• Satisfy applicable requirements of the handout titled "Guidelines for Students at Risk".

• Declare one's major formally as "Human Services Technology".

Program Contact Information:

Please call (828) 254-1921 x 465 for more information about the program.  We appreciate your interest!

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How to Log Onto an Online Course (BlackBoard)

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Tips for Studying & Academic Success for Human Service Technology Majors

Tips for Writing Papers for Human Service Technology Majors

APA Sample Paper for Human Service Technology Majors

Human Services Technology Department Student Internship Handbook

Internship/ COOP Forms

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