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 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 and Community Justice Major |
45-48 |
| General Education |
42 |
| Electives |
30-33 |
| 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 including a Sample Four Year Advising Plan.
Foundation Courses
Choose one
| ANT 101 | Introduction to Anthropology | 3 |
| or | |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| or | |
| SOC 101 | Introduction 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.
Required (depending on Math placement)
Please note: MAT 108 or higher may not be needed depending on student's mathematics placement score. Higher level courses that can be used to satisfy this requirement are: MAT 141 Pre-calculus, MAT 241 Calculus I, MAT 242 Calculus II, or STA 250 Principles and Methods of Statistics.
*Advisors recommendation: MAT 108 or higher can fulfill the Required Core: Math & Quantitative Reasoning areas of the General Education Program.
Total Credit Hours: 3-6
Part One. Required Core
| CHS 150/CSL 150 | Foundations of Human Services Counseling | 3 |
| AFR 145 | Introduction to Community Justice in Human Systems | 3 |
| AFR 227 | Community-based Approaches to Justice | 3 |
| CHS 230 | Culture, Direct Service and Community Practice | 3 |
| CHS 235 | Theories of Assessment and Intervention in Human Services | 3 |
| CHS 310/CSL 210 | Advanced Interpersonal Counseling Skills | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 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 325 | Research Methods in Human Services and Community Justice | 3 |
| CHS 320 | Program Planning and Development | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 6
Part Three. Electives
Select three - one from each category
Category A. Human Systems and Interventions
Select one
| AFR 204 | Religion, Terrorism and Violence in the Africana World | 3 |
| AFR 215 | Police and Urban Communities | 3 |
| AFR 248 | Men: Masculinities in the United States | 3 |
| AFR 250 | Political Economy of Racism | 3 |
| AFR 347/PSY 347 | Psychology of Oppression | 3 |
| ANT 332 | Class, Race, Ethnicity and Gender in Anthropological Perspective | 3 |
| CSL 130 | Effective Parenting | 3 |
| CSL 227 | Families: Stress, Resiliency and Support Systems | 3 |
| CSL 233 | Multicultural Issues in Human Services | 3 |
| CSL 280 | Selected Topics in Counseling and Human Services | 3 |
| CSL 342/PSY 342 | Introduction to Counseling Psychology | 3 |
| LLS 241 | Latinx Populations and the City | 3 |
| PSY 231 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 202 | Sociology of Families | 3 |
| SOC 213 | Sociology of Race and Ethnic Relations | 3 |
| SOC 227 | Sociology of Mental Illness | 3 |
Category B. Justice in Human Services
Select one
| AFR 229 | Restoring Justice: Making Peace and Resolving Conflict | 3 |
| AFR 255 | Community Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| AFR 317 | Environmental Racism | 3 |
| AFR 319 | Self, Identity & Justice: Global Perspectives | 3 |
| AFR 320 | Perspectives on Justice in the Africana World | 3 |
| ANT 330 | American Cultural Pluralism and the Law | 3 |
| CSL 363 | Vocational Development and Social Justice in Human Services | 3 |
| LLS 322 | Latinx Struggles for Civil Rights & Social Justice | 3 |
| LLS 325 | Latinx Experience of Criminal Justice | 3 |
| SOC 216 | Probation and Parole: Theoretical and Practical Approaches | 3 |
| SOC 314 | Theories of Social Order | 3 |
Category C. Advocacy, Policy and Administration
Select one
| AFR 232/LLS 232 | Comparative Perspectives on Crime in the Caribbean | 3 |
| AFR 315 | Community-based Justice in Africana World | 3 |
| AFR 322 | Inequality and Wealth | 3 |
| ANT 208 | Urban Anthropology | 3 |
| ANT 324 | Anthropology of Work | 3 |
| CSL 220 | Leadership Skills | 3 |
| CSL 260 | Gender & Work Life (was Counseling in Gender & Work Life) | 3 |
| GEN 205 | Gender and Justice | 3 |
| PAD 380 | Selected Topics in Public Administration | 3 |
| SOC 201 | Urban Sociology: The Study of City Life | 3 |
| SOC 209 | Sociology of Work and Jobs | 3 |
| SOC 302 | Social Problems | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 9
Part Four. Field Experience
Field Experience I
Select one
AFR 3XX
| Field Education in Community Organizing and Community Practice I | 3 |
| CHS 381 | Field Education in Human Services I | 3 |
| CSL 311 | Field 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 3YY
| Field Education in Community Organizing and Community Practice II | 3 |
| CHS 382 | Field Education in Human Services II | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 6
Note: at least 300 hours of field experience is required for Part Four.
Part Five. Senior Seminar/Capstone
Required
| CHS 415 | Senior Seminar in Human Services & Community Justice | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 3
Total Credit Hours: 45-48