Pre-Social Work

Human Services Assistant

Certificate

This 30-credit certificate program provides you with the theory, knowledge, skills, and techniques you’ll need to obtain entry-level employment in the human services profession. The curriculum helps you directly confront the realities of a career focused on helping others. You will explore attitudes, thoughts, and feelings that can affect your ability to work effectively with others as a human services generalist.

Direct experience with human service consumers and agencies through an internship as well as class experiences are essential features of this certificate program. You can specialize in areas such as mental illness, mental retardation, chemical dependency, child development, or aging by centering your internship and coursework in these areas.

As a student in this certificate program, you will complete the Human Services Assistant curriculum (22 credits) and electives (8 credits) for a credit total of 30.

Note: If you have been arrested, charged, or convicted of any criminal offense, you should investigate the impact that the arrest, charge, or conviction may have on your chances of employment in the field you intend to study or on your chances to obtain federal, state, and other higher education financial aid.

Some courses within this program require a criminal background study to successfully complete. Please see the course description section of the catalog for more details. Please refer to the Criminal Background section of the catalog for more information on the criminal background study.

2023-2024 Required Courses

Human Services Assistant Curriculum

Course # Course Name Credit(s)
  HSER 1100
Introduction to Social Work
3

Course Outline
Credits: 3
Provides an introduction to the field of Social Work and Social Welfare. Course describes history, worker roles, and current career trends in the field. Students are required to participate in hands-on experience through service learning. This course is appropriate for anyone who might be interested in the helping profession.

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites:

  • HSER 1106 Basic Counseling Skills

Future Offering:
  • Fall 2023
  • Spring 2024
  • Summer 2024
  • Fall 2024
  • Spring 2025

  HSER 1104
Multicultural Awareness in the Helping Profession
3

Course Outline
Credits: 3
Examines attitudes and enhances knowledge and skills that are necessary to work effectively with culturally diverse populations in the human services field. Students will explore their own and others' cultural indentities, values, attitudes, and behaviors. Emphasis is placed on how to adjust services to the multicultural needs of individuals who are served.

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering:

  • Spring 2024
  • Spring 2025

  HSER 1106
Basic Counseling Skills
3

Course Outline
Credits: 3
Introduces basic counseling and interviewing skills. Students will learn and apply skills that range from basic attending and listening skills to chart documentation and treatment planning.

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites:

  • HSER 1100 Introduction to Social Work

Future Offering:
  • Fall 2023
  • Fall 2024

  HSER 1107
Group Processes
3

Course Outline
Credits: 3
Focuses on the development of communication skills and self-awareness important in the roles of group membership and leadership. Provides an understanding of the evolution and function of therapeutic groups. Emphasizes the development of knowledge and skills. Prereq: HSER 1100 and HSER 1106.

Prerequisites:

  • HSER 1100 Introduction to Human Services
  • HSER 1100 Introduction to Social Work
  • HSER 1106 Helping Skills
  • HSER 1106 Basic Counseling Skills

Corequisites: None
Future Offering:
  • Spring 2024
  • Spring 2025

  HSER 1112
Crisis Assessment and Intervention
3

Course Outline
Credits: 3
Presents basic concepts of crisis assessment, intervention, and referral. The application of strategies and techniques with a discussion of intervention, assessment, and referral models is included. An overview of interventions for specific crisis will be reviewed. An assessment model for making appropriate referrals is presented. Pre-requisite: HSER 1106.

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering:

  • Spring 2024
  • Spring 2025

  HSER 1123
Family Functions and Interactions
3

Course Outline
Credits: 3
Studies the family with attention to its organization, function and dynamics. Emphasis is placed on the impact and effects of family on individual development. The course offers an introduction to family systems theory, normal and problematic family systems, and family functioning concepts. It also examines family violence including, social and psychological roots of violence. Chemical dependency and how it affects the family will also be discussed.

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering:

  • Fall 2023
  • Fall 2024

  HSER 1179
Human Services Seminar
1

Course Outline
Credits: 1
Provides an opportunity for human services students to create and implement projects for the development of personal knowledge and skill. Provides students the opportunity to receive support on internship progress. This course must be taken concurrently with HSER 1189 - Internship. The course may be repeated once.

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering:

  • Fall 2023
  • Spring 2024
  • Fall 2024
  • Spring 2025

  HSER 1189
Internship
3

Course Outline
Offers work experience in a human service agency, providing an opportunity to further develop skills. Through work experience, students will gain additional knowledge of human services practices and concepts. This course must be taken concurrently with HSER 1179 - Human Services Seminar. May be taken as two 3-credit courses or one 6-credit course.

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering:

  • Fall 2023
  • Spring 2024
  • Fall 2024
  • Spring 2025

Total Credits in Human Services Assistant Curriculum 22

Electives

Course # Course Name Credit(s)
 
 
 
 
 
 
  EDU 1138
 
 
 
  CJS 1154
  PSYC 1215
  PSYC 1220
  HLTH 1130
  INTS 1140
Human Services Elective(s)    OR

   OR

   OR

   OR

   OR

   OR

   OR

Introduction to Special Education    OR

   OR

   OR

   OR

Juvenile Justice    OR

Child and Adolescent Psychology    OR

Adulthood and Aging Psychology    OR

Drug Use and Abuse    OR

Human Sexuality
8

Human Services Elective(s)


Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering: None


Course Outline


Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
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Course Outline


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Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
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Course Outline


Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering: None

Introduction to Special Education
Course Outline
Credits: 3
Focuses on the knowledge and skills needed to create and maintain an integrated school learning environment for individuals with special needs. An introduction and exploration of disabilities commonly found in infants through school age children. This course meets the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) 8710.2000, Subp. 3, Standard 2D, Subp. 4, Standard 3B, I, O, Q, Subp. 11, Standard 10C 8710.5000, Subp. 2, Standard A1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, D1.

Prerequisites:

  • EDU 1109 Introduction to Education & Reflective Teaching

Corequisites: None
Future Offering:
  • Spring 2024
  • Spring 2025


Course Outline


Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering: None


Course Outline


Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering: None


Course Outline


Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering: None

Juvenile Justice
Course Outline
Credits: 3
Examines the historical foundations, current philosophies, procedures and characteristics of the juvenile justice system. This course explores theories of delinquency, evaluation methods to assess behaviors and develop strategies while working with juveniles, as well as, Minnesota statutes and community corrections systems that apply specifically to juveniles. This course promotes five (5) core values: Accountability, Compassion/Empathy, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness, and Interpersonal Communication. These core values serve as the foundation to prepare future public servant leaders.

Prerequisites:

  • CJS 1150 Introduction to Criminal Justice

Corequisites: None
Future Offering:
  • Fall 2023
  • Spring 2024
  • Fall 2024
  • Spring 2025

Child and Adolescent Psychology
Course Outline
Credits: 3
MNTC Goal Areas: 05, 07
Explores the basic development in the physical, cognitive and psychosocial areas from conception through adolescence. Pertinent theories, studies, and methodologies are addressed. This course and Adulthood and Aging Psychology (PSYC 1220) provide a comprehensive study of Lifespan Development. Prereq: Recommended PSYC 1101 or PSYC 1201.

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering:

  • Fall 2023
  • Spring 2024
  • Fall 2024
  • Spring 2025

Adulthood and Aging Psychology
Course Outline
Credits: 3
MNTC Goal Areas: 05, 07
Explores research and theory from the field of developmental psychology regarding the nature and processes of human development from early adulthood through old age and death. Implications and applications are addressed. This course and Child Adolescent Psychology (PSYC 1215) provide a comprehensive study of Lifespan Development. Prereq: Recommended PSYC 1101 or PSYC 1201.

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering: None

Drug Use and Abuse
Course Outline
Credits: 3
Provides an overview of the fundamental concepts in drug use and abuse. The course will focus on the drugs of abuse that are most commonly used in the United States and will emphasize the physiological, social, psychological, legal, and health aspects of drug use and abuse. Special attention will be focused on the motivations of drug use/abuse for college students. Critical thinking and communication skills will be emphasized to explain and reinforce personal health choices. This course is open to all students and meets the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) 8710.3200, Subp. 3, Standard K2 8710.2000, Subp. 11, Standard 10E.

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering:

  • Summer 2023
  • Fall 2023
  • Spring 2024
  • Summer 2024
  • Fall 2024
  • Spring 2025

Human Sexuality
Course Outline
Credits: 3
MNTC Goal Areas: 05, 09
Presents an interdisciplinary study of human sexuality in a pluralistic society.

Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Future Offering: None

Total Credits in Electives 8
Total Credits: 30