Department Information
Department of Counseling & Human Services
PO Box 70701
Phone: (423) 439-7692
Web Address: www.etsu.edu/coe/chs/humanservices/
Coordinator: Dr. Bill Garris; garrisb@etsu.edu
Human Service majors with more than 60 hours earned credit are advised by faculty members, depending upon the student’s last name.
Human Service majors with fewer than 60 hours are normally advised by the professional Advising Staff in Clemmer College Office of Student Services.
Counseling and Human Services offers programs that focus on the application of development, learning, and other psychological principles in a wide variety of settings including home, school, and community. Courses in the behavioral sciences are provided both for majors and students in other academic areas. Areas of emphasis include developmental, educational and applied psychology, assessment, human services, counseling, early child development, and special education.
The Department of Counseling and Human Services offers one undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. In addition, minors in human development and learning and family studies are available through our department. Also offered are programs leading to the master of arts degree in school counseling, couples and family therapy, clinical mental health counseling, and college counseling/student affairs.
Students failing to demonstrate ethical and/or professional behaviors, as required by the appropriate professional associations, upon review and substantiation (with due process), may be denied continuance in departmental programs.
Human Services (HSER)
The program in Human Services leads to the Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.) and is designed to provide a human and behavioral science background for persons interested in entering professions such as counseling, case management, teaching, program administration, and similar endeavors. Human service practitioners work in a variety of settings for a broad range of organizations dedicated to helping others transition through their developmental issues and processes.
Human service professionals compose the largest number and proportion of helping professionals, exceeding psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers combined. All these professions work together in providing the best of care for people as they grow and develop through life. The Bachelor of Science in Human Services program at East Tennessee State University has been accredited by the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE).
Many graduates of Human Services continue their education beyond the bachelor’s degree. Students often select the Human Services degree program in order to become licensed counselors, especially in school, marriage and family, community agency, or college/university settings. Students entering graduate programs in audiology and speech-language pathology, counseling, education, psychology, and related health professions regularly take Human Services coursework to prepare for their competencies.
Professional employment in Human Services is applied in treatment centers, hospitals, child and youth care facilities, community mental health centers, colleges/universities, schools, academies, governmental and non-governmental organizations, institutions, group homes, foster and transitional care, in-home counseling, homeless and runaway shelters, community action agencies, wilderness and adventure programming, or similar programs for social and personal development.
Admission and Continuance Policy
- Students who have earned admission to ETSU may declare their major as Human Services. Contact a Clemmer College professional advisor or your faculty advisor to declare your major.
- Success as a human service major and human service professional requires diligent study, personal maturity, and interpersonal skills.
- Reflecting diligent study, human service majors must have an ETSU GPA of 2.5 by the time they accumulate 90 hours. An ETSU GPA of 2.5 is required to enroll in HDAL 4710 and HDAL 4720.
- The human service profession requires interpersonal skills, ethical and personal maturity, and respect of others. Students who fall significantly below program expectations in these areas, who receive negative feedback from a field experience supervisor, or violate the ETSU Honor Code or Ethical Standards for Human Service professionalism, may be sanctioned by the program. An elaboration of “fit for the profession” and the remediation and sanction process is located in the student handbook and is linked from the program homepage.
Graduating with a Degree in Human Services from ETSU requires the following:
- Students majoring in HSER are required to complete the university’s general education core. In addition, students must complete a minor or second major. In all, students must complete 120 credits (see typical program of study).
- Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.50 in order to enroll in HDAL 4710 Practicum and HDAL 4720 Internship.
- A cumulative grade point average of 2.50 (or higher) is required for all ETSU academic work completed at the time of graduation.
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