The human services field isn't discussed as much as it should be, but that's changing because more professionals than ever are searching for a way to get their Ph.D. in Human Services. A broad field, the term refers to public outreach organizations and fields, such as social work, substance abuse rehab centers, community centers, and more. All of these organizations and even the government need educated and prepared professionals to help ensure that the organizations are working to help the populations they were built to serve.
Many professionals are already working in the field, but more are needed to meet the demands of the diverse populations that make up America. From early childhood to mental health services to social services, there is a demand for every type of human services professional imaginable. This ranking serves to help these professionals find the degrees and programs that best fit their needs.
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Most Affordable Doctorate in Human Services Online
PhD in Human Services Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Career Options for an Online Doctorate in Human Services?
There are so many career options available at the doctorate level of human services that it would be fruitless to name each and every single one of them. The field is an umbrella for several different careers and so it is best to try to categorize career options by type of sector. It is important to remember that there are a variety of fields that are available in these sectors, so students should do extra research to see what career options are available to them.
The government has a great need for human services professionals. This ranges from social workers to case managers to probation officers and more. Professionals can also work their way up in the Department of Health and Human Services, working first as a specialist and moving up to the rank of manager. In any subfield of human services, you can find the government in demand of those professionals.
The private sector includes charities and nonprofit organizations, as well as businesses, who need professionals in human services. Many of these positions are the same as what's available in the public sector, although it comes with far more responsibilities in most cases. Therapists, counselors, public administrators, nonprofit leaders, health educators, and specialists in mental health and drug rehabilitation are all positions available in this sector.
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How Much Can You Earn in this Field?
Because of the wide range of career options that can be found under the umbrella of human services, the exact range of salary one can expect is difficult to pinpoint. However, most professionals in this field make between $35,000 to $85,000, with entry-level salaries being around $20,000 to $50,000 less than a mid-level or senior-level salary. Salaries also depend on a professional's workplace environment. Federal employees tend to make between $45,000 to $60,000; this salary also comes with benefits, including additional compensation when required.
In the private sector, salaries can be higher. This, of course, also depends on a professional's position. Entry-level manager or analyst positions have starting salaries that are lower than government employees, while managers can make salaries in excess of $100,000. Jobs in the private sector can be well-paying, but they are also incredibly competitive. Working in the public sector, such as a community center leader or a manager at a nonprofit organization, has variable salaries. These depend on the size of the organization and how integral the position is to operations. Some national and international charities are known to pay well; however, many human services professionals choose to work in local settings where the salaries are reflective of the cost-of-living in the area.
What are the Various Disciplines of Human Services?
Human services is an emerging field, but one that requires some knowledge on a variety of different disciplines. This is true for every profession contained within human services. All must have a base understanding of the fundamental disciplines: psychology, sociology, public administration, and family studies.
These are not the only important disciplines within the framework of human services. Other disciplines include education, gerontology, business, childhood development, developmental science, and more. The true range of disciplines that a professional would need to have knowledge of actually depends on what subfield they go into and so it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what disciplines all human services managers would need to have for their career.
Why Choose a Degree in Human Services Over a Specialized Degree?
Many students wonder why a seemingly general degree such as human services would be a better choice than a specialized degree in one area. The answer is simple: this is a multidisciplinary field that requires a student to have advanced knowledge of several different disciplines.
What this means is that human services is a field that is always affected by another field; public administration, policy, law, business, psychology and sociology are all factors that play a role in human services. In America alone, there are over a dozen fields that can be linked back to human services and the field in action.
By choosing a specialized degree, a student is limiting their career choices and impact in human services. For example, a social worker can work with citizens of all ages and in a variety of different settings, but rarely do these professionals go on to work for nonprofit organizations or in government, creating the change they see as necessary in the field. The same could be said about nonprofit managers; they work in community services but have little impact on actual governmental departments, such as Child Protective Services or the justice system.
It's also true that a human services professional do have their specialties, most of which are indicated by their work experience and prior educational background. It is difficult to find an undergraduate in the field, so many students find themselves in a specialized field prior to moving into the general field of human services. Even at the doctoral level, specializations are widely available, as demonstrated above in this ranking.
How Does Earning an Online Degree Aid in the Search for Employment?
This is a good question because many students are still under the impression that earning an online doctorate in any field will be a hindrance to them during the employment search. While this idea is slowly fading away, it is still a hurdle most students need to get over. The truth is that most schools do not distinguish online degrees from traditional degrees. This is because most programs are taught by the same faculty, with the same curriculum, as traditional programs, so there isn't a need to distinguish between the two. Also, removing the distinction has helped pave the way for online degrees to become more accepted in the workplace, as employers would have to specifically ask a potential employee how they earned their degree.
Something else to consider is that employers understand that in order to get qualified employees with a doctorate in their field currently requires the use of online courses and degrees. Most professionals work full-time and cannot afford to take years away from their career in order to complete their degree, so an online degrees make sense. A cheap online human services Ph.D. is a degree that is obtainable to most, while the expensive traditional version is just out of the question for many professionals.
It is also important to note that many employers, including the government, will help a professional pay for their online degree. This is possible because the employer knows the employee will continue to be an asset to them in the workplace while earning a degree so they can move up in that organization. In fact, many professionals only earn postgraduate degrees because of this option.
Conclusion
The need for properly educated human services managers and specialists is growing as more public outreach organizations rise in order to take care of specific populations and their needs. It's never been a better time to contribute to human services, and that is evident by the number of students who are actively looking for online Ph.D. in Human Services degrees. Now all a student has to do is pick a few schools to compare before making their final decision about an online PhD in Human Services.
