Course details

Summary

Human Services is referred to as the study of the professions. Human Services (HSRV) programmes and courses are now being taught at universities in New Zealand and internationally, with human services among the fastest growing fields of employment.

Studying Human Services gives you the opportunity to learn research skills and choose courses in particular areas of study, maximising your ability to develop more focused career directions within your degree.

Students majoring in subjects such as Psychology, Law, Education, Management and Sociology also have the opportunity to strengthen the human service component of their studies by including HSRV courses.

The Certificate in Arts (CertArts) is designed for you if you want to study at university level without having to commit to several years of study. It is also an option if you want to take a few courses for interest or study part-time.

At UC, courses include a focus on professional contexts and issues such as workplace bullying, management and supervision, and the dynamics of the worker-client relationship.

There are five broad pathways within the Human Services program at UC:

• Health and Family Systems – for those interested in health and well-being
• Work and Organizational Systems – gain knowledge to implement change in organizational systems, to consider critical debates within policy, as well as to develop skills in organizational communication
• Youth Development – looks at youth culture, youth work and relevant development organizations
• Local and Global Community Development – an area of growing popularity in New Zealand and overseas
• Violence and Criminal Justice Systems – many Human Services courses make use of UC staff specialization in the areas of violence and provision of services across different contexts. Most of these courses consider violence as a contemporary and historical issue.

Qualification structure and duration

The Certificate in Arts is made up of five courses (a minimum of 75 points) at 100 and/or 200-level.

It can be completed full-time, or over one to two years of part-time study.

You can transfer the credits you gain during the Certificate in Arts to the Bachelor of Arts (and some other degrees), as long as you have not graduated with the certificate.

Further study

The Certificate in Arts can be used as a stepping stone to a Bachelor of Arts.

Career opportunities

Human Services courses are designed for students wanting to pursue careers within fields such as education, law enforcement, health, community and other social service/support organisations including international organisations.

Graduates may find roles in policy analysis, research, administration, management, supervision, community development, youth work, and various types of support work.

Entry criteria

Admission to UC with University Entrance, or equivalent, is required to enrol for a Certificate in Arts. Applicants must have completed New Zealand University Entrance through NCEA; or Cambridge International Examinations (CIE); or International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) or any other equivalent overseas qualification.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 550 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum C+ grade; CAE or CPE minimum score of 169 with at least 162 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 57 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50.