Course Descriptions
Administration of Human Services
AHS 6600
Survey of Human Services
3 credits
This course reviews the historical foundations and development of human services and provides the context for how different human services emerged. The course will explore the various political, legislative and social influences on the development of human services.
AHS 6610
Administration of Human Service Organizations
3 credits
This course will provide basic knowledge, theory and skills in the administrative aspects of the human service delivery system. Issues of supervision, management and development of paid and volunteer staff will be addressed. Fiscal administration, including the creation of budgets, grant and contract negotiations and implementation of fiscal controls will be discussed. The concepts of coalition building, legislative advocacy and community organizing will also be introduced. The relationship between administrator and board of directors in a non-profit setting will also be reviewed.
AHS 6620
Legal and Ethical Issues in Human Service Administration
3 credits
This course will explore the legal/regulatory framework in which human service organizations exist. The concept of risk management in a non-corporate setting will be introduced. The state and federal laws which regulate client services and employment will be reviewed, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the legal prohibitions against gender, race and age discrimination. Students will be introduced to the ethical standards of the National Organization for Human Services and will develop an understanding of human services ethics and their application in practice.
AHS 6630
Research, Design and Evaluation of Programs in Human Services
3 credits
This course will focus on the analysis of human service needs and the selection and development of relevant and appropriate methods for program evaluation. This course will focus on the analysis of community needs and the selection and development of appropriate research tools to evaluate the effectiveness of human service programs. Students will learn to design evaluations using a variety of research methods that could later be applied in real-life scenarios while working in the field of human services. The concepts of short- and long-term outcomes planning and drafting SMART outcomes will be complemented with opportunities for students to develop research instruments and participate in a peer-review process. These skills are helpful to those working in a variety of settings, including non-profits, human services agencies, education, business consulting, and the government.
AHS 6640
Contemporary Issues in Administration of Human Services
3 credits
Human Services Administration is complex, multi-dimensional discipline which requires a deeper look from the macro perspective. This course will discuss the trends and challenges related to the Human Services profession as well as examine and analyze social policies, economics, politics, community issues and regulations. With an emphasis on recent research, students will focus on the impacts of service delivery, including practice techniques and theories, while developing a deeper understanding of the ecological context in addressing trends and challenges in the field of human services. Students will also examine approaches to social change, social movements, organizational policy, reform and the practicality of implementation.
AHS 7610
Structure and Dynamics of Relationships, Organizations, Communities and Societies
3 credits
Human service agencies must deal with a very complex environment. Many different organizations and stakeholders influence the operation of the organization. They have different agendas and rationales for behavior. To be effective in managing and developing such an organization, a clear understanding of the cybernetic process relative to the organization and its environment, internal and external. From a systems perspective, the focus is on seeing this as a dynamic process and exploring organizational functioning from a holistic frame of reference.
Organizational analysis and problem solving will be done from a systems approach and will introduce the idea of action research. This course engages the student as a consultant in an effort to analyze organizational needs and develop appropriate interventions.
AHS 7615
Topics: Administering Faith-based Human Services
3 credits
Faith-based human services organizations play an increasingly important role in providing health, educational, and social services. Faith-based organizations are transforming the social and economic landscape of communities in the U.S. and abroad. These organizations have historically served as catalysts for promoting civil and human rights, social and economic justice, freedom, and equality. Furthermore, these organizations have provided a dynamic framework to explore how faith and values influence social action.
The purpose of this course is to equip students with knowledge and understanding of the role of faith-based organizations in human services delivery. Students will gain a practical foundation for exploring the dynamics of faith as a basis for organizing, developing, and assessing programs to serve human needs. Students will also explore policy issues, funding considerations, and best practices in faith-based partnerships and collaborations with community-based organizations and government services providers.
This course will focus on the challenges of managing the delivery of human services within a faith-based organization. The impact of the religious mission, vision, values and beliefs, and organizational structure of faith-based groups as factors that will be also be studied.
AHS 7620
Technology and Information Management in Human Services
3 credits
This course provides a foundation for understanding the basics of technology and information management for human service providers. Information management is a vital component of organizations, and this course will address the appropriate integration and use of information such as client data, statistical information, record keeping, and information management skills. Students will also gain a fundamental understanding of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used as a collaborative tool to create a comprehensive technology plan.
AHS 7625
Administering Disability Services
3 credits
This course will focus on social policy and administrative issues in providing services to people with disabilities. Federal regulations, court rulings, and policy mandates, as well as the history of service provision for those with disabilities, will be reviewed. Issues of providing program services in accordance with laws, regulations, and policies will be discussed. Students will learn about the systems that support the full participation of people with disabilities in all facets of life. Students will also develop skills to evaluate programs for this client population.
AHS 7630
Communication in Human Services
3 credits
This course explores models and strategies of effective communication and their application for human services organizations. Participants will investigate organizational processes and systems that promote effective communication and individual skills that support effective communication. Students will engage in opportunities to develop interpersonal and leadership skills by applying communication techniques and strategies.
Effective communication is critical and complex function for leading a human services agency. Managers are challenged to resolve conflicts, provide feedback, manage information, promote ethical service delivery, attend to diversity, communicate change, inspire innovation, and influence the communication style of the organization and its ''members.'' The associated communication functions and responsibilities make it necessary for organization leaders to provide assessment and implementation of effective communication strategies.
AHS 7634
Leadership through Films
3 credits
The quest for understanding leadership on personal, organizational and global levels is both elusive and complex. This course is designed to stimulate thoughtful consideration into the nature of leadership as depicted in film. Film provides unique insight into the character, motives, and culture allowing the student to access meaning and significance through theoretical, analytic and dialogic inquiry.
AHS 7640
Social Policy, Advocacy and Human Services
3 credits
To effect social change through advocacy is a basic tenet of human services. This course will provide students with the theory, knowledge, and skills to analyze, interpret, and influence social policy and laws and engage in the necessary critical thinking processes that are involved.
AHS 7645
Financial Management in Human Services
3 credits
Financial management in Human Services provides an overview of financial management for human services administrators. This course will cover topics including fee-for-service, reading a financial statement, understanding the components of a financial statement, and understanding IRS rules that affect non-profits, including how to read and interpret IRS form 990. Students will also review budgeting, the importance of cash flow, how depreciation works, and basic financial ratios. In addition, this course will examine the uses of long-term, intermediate, and short-term financing, the time value of money, risk and reward, issues of agency, and financial ethics. This course assumes that students have no prior knowledge of finance.
AHS 7650
Managing Children and Family Services
3 credits
Children and family services has become a complex area of specialization in the human services field. A knowledge of the issues and resolution paths is essential for human services professionals. This course will address the social policy and legal contexts for providing services to children and their families. Skills to evaluate intervention outcomes will also be discussed.
AHS 7655
Principles of Creating a Human Service Organization
3 credits
Creating an effective human service organization is critical in addressing the ever-changing needs of society. This course will equip students with the necessary tools to develop and manage a service-focused organization. Participants will learn how to develop a vision and mission, formulate a business plan, and shape an effective marketing plan. In addition, participants will learn how to complete the federal 501(c)3 application process for tax exempt nonprofit human service organizations.
AHS 7660
Grant Management & Fundraising in Human Service Environment
3 credits
A critical skill for human service administrators is the ability to effectively raise funds to support programming. This course will teach the skills necessary for effective fundraising, including grant writing and managing grant-funded programs. Locating public and private sources of funds will be discussed.AHS 7670
Alcohol and Other Drugs Program Management
3 credits
This course will review the history of services provided to individuals with mental health and substance abuse disorders. In addition, it will acknowledge the changes in both how mental health and substance abuse disorders were viewed and treated over the past five decades. These changes have directly impacted the design of treatment programs and how such services are delivered today. This course and book are intended to provide an overview of common issues that arise during the design, implementation, and management of treatment services for those with co-occurring disorders and present strategies for dealing with them.
AHS 7675
Grant Writing & Grant Management
3 credits
A critical skill for human service administrators is the ability to effectively raise funds to support programming. This course will teach the skills necessary for effective fundraising, including grant writing and managing a fund development plan. A review of several development activities will occur to assist in future plans.
AHS 7680
Administering Programs for Senior Adults
3 credits
This course will explore what aging means for the individual and today's society, which includes the human services network and the changing nature of retirement. Students will develop an understanding of the critical needs of older adults and the services that are both currently available, and that must be developed in order to support this population. Consideration will be given to government policies and mandates, issues such as elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, and housing options. The course will provide students with an understanding of the aging community that will enable them to manage meaningful programming in a variety of settings.
AHS 7685
Fund Development & Fundraising in the Human Service Environment
3 credits
A critical skill for human service administrators is the ability to effectively raise funds to support program, operations and capital needs. This course will teach the skills necessary for an effective fund development plan in traditional and on line markets for direct mail/on line, special events, leadership gifts, federated appeals and planned giving, with a focus on collaborations and partnership opportunities with private and public organizations.
AHS 7690
Volunteer Management
3 credits
Volunteers are the backbone of many non-profit organizations. Volunteers operate in functions ranging from clerical support to the management of the agency as a member of the board of directors. This course will discuss the skills necessary to effectively manage volunteer operations in an organization, including recruitment, training, supervision and retention. Legal requirements and clearances for volunteers working with special populations will also be discussed.
AHS 8100
Guided Practicum in Administration of Human Services
3 credits
This course is designed to give new professionals the hands-on experience of human service administration in a supervised learning environment. Students will engage in a guided practicum of a minimum of 120 hours at a mutually agreed upon human service organization. The practicum will provide the student with supervised experience in a managerial position. Students may complete this requirement at their current workplace, provided that their practicum assignment will be in an administrative facet of the organization AND not directly related to their existing work assignment. Some students may choose to enroll in a second Guided Practicum as a free elective option.
Prerequisite(s): Faculty Approval
AHS 8200
Capstone Project in Human Services Administration
3 credits
Capstone projects provide students the opportunity to capture newfound knowledge gained in an academic program. In this course, the capstone project is intended to demonstrate how to conceptualize and design a project to address a problem. Students will identify and analyze a problem; establish the problem's long and short-term goals; determine the project's deliverables; conduct an in-depth analysis and identify and establish the risks, constraints, and assumptions; establish a budget; identify stakeholders and their levels of influence; determine project approval processes; analyze resource variables; and create a monitoring and evaluation plan. The end result of this course will be a well-developed project plan that the student can implement at some time in the future to address a problem or need to the student's choosing.
Prerequisite(s): Faculty Approval
AHS 8300
Thesis in Human Services
3 credits
The graduate thesis is a traditional form showing mastery of learning in graduate programs. This master's thesis in human services is a demonstration of critical thinking and scholarly writing as students explore theory, practice, thought, and policies that affect the field and the groups and individuals it serves. Thesis writing requires that students evaluate available information; analyze theories, policies, and practice; and synthesize ideas into a new coherent whole.Prerequisite(s): Faculty Approval