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.

PGCertArts students will be introduced to sophisticated subject matter and develop skills in the critical evaluation of academic literature in their discipline or area of specialisation. They will also foster high-level skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and communication.

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

To qualify for the Postgraduate Certificate in Arts, a student must complete at least 60 points from taught courses, as approved by the Head of Department and the Dean of Arts.

This certificate takes six months full-time or 12 months part-time to complete.

Further study

Subject to the approval of the Dean of Arts, a student may transfer courses passed with a B grade or higher for the Postgraduate Certificate in Arts to:

the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts

the Bachelor of Arts with Honours

the coursework section of a master's degree (there are a number of taught master's operated by the College 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

Candidates must have qualified for a Bachelor of Arts or an equivalent degree and satisfied the prerequisites for the subject concerned. Prerequisites vary between departments, but normally good grades in 300-level courses in that subject are required.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 575 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum B+ grade; CAE or CPE score of 176 with a minimum of 169 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 64 and no PTE communicative skills score below 58.