The Human Services Associate program trains students to provide information, support, care, and advocacy in a human service setting. Students acquire the skills needed to work with individuals, groups, and communities. They learn to work with people of diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. General education courses included in the program teach students to better understand social problems. During the second year of the program, students receive fieldwork placement in a human service setting.
- Overview
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Is This Program for You?
Do you have an interest in working with people in need, have effective communication and interpersonal skills, and an appreciation of cultural diversity? Human Services may be a rewarding career choice.
Students entering the Human Services Associate program should:
- Have a genuine interest to work with people in need.
- Have effective communication and interpersonal skills.
- Be psychologically and emotionally healthy.
- Be able to think critically.
- Be tolerant of different lifestyles, beliefs, and values.
- Be able to maintain confidentiality.
Program Basics
- Associate degree, requiring a minimum of two years to complete.
Students must achieve a "C" grade or better in all courses within the curriculum to be eligible to progress.
- Curriculum & Costs
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Cost of Attendance (COA) 24-25
Cost of Attendance (COA) is a total of all the usual expenses of being a student. The COA sets the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive.
Category Amount Tuition and Fees $4,820 Living Expenses (Housing and Food) $9,148 Books and Supplies $1,466 Personal Expenses $3,608 Transportation $4,018 Charger Tech 360 Fee $600 Loan Fees $84 Yearly Total (Living Away from Home) $23,744 1 Semester Total (Living Away from Home) $11,872 Based on Wisconsin Residents.
Approximate school costs are for a full-time (12 credit) student over a semester span of 17 weeks.
Fees are legislated by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board.
These costs are estimates and are subject to change without notice.
- Requirements
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Admission and Program Requirements
- Submit Application
- To make sure your classes are the right fit, we consider any previous college credit you've earned, Accuplacer or ACT scores, high school GPA, or an assessment at your registration session. Submit High School Transcripts, College Transcripts, and Test Scores to: Southwest Tech, Attn: Admissions, 1800 Bronson Blvd, Fennimore, WI 53809
- Admissions Meeting: After applying and submitting transcripts, work with your advisor to begin or continue your student success plan to talk about your career interests and goals, develop a plan for paying for college, learn about various funding options, create an academic map, and discuss supports and services. Schedule an admissions meeting by clicking "Make an appointment" with your program advisor.
Additional Requirements
- Background Information Disclosure: Complete in MySWTC listed in "My Documents"
Helpful Academic Background
- Previous coursework in social science, communication, and human relations.
Program Fees
- This program is eligible for Financial Aid.
- Estimated cost for each semester can be found under the Curriculum tab. Please note that costs are approximate and are based on the current academic year.
- Please discuss additional fee questions with the program advisor or instructor.
- Outcomes
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Program Outcomes
At the completion of the program, students are expected to be able to:
- Model a commitment to cultural competence
- Uphold the Ethical Standards and Values for Human Service Professionals
- Demonstrate professionalism
- Utilize community and agency resources
- Apply human services interventions and best practices
- Cultivate professional relationships
Technical Skill Attainment (TSA)
This TSA scoring guide will be used to document your attainment of technical program outcomes for the Human Services Degree. To meet the requirements on the scoring guide, you will be asked to draw upon the skills and concepts that have been developed throughout the program and are necessary for successful employment in your field. Results will be used to inspire continual improvement of teaching and learning in Wisconsin Technical College System. In addition, this assessment will provide feedback to you about your performance.
If you are unable to access documents here, please contact Technical Skill Attainment Team (tsa@swtc.edu, 608.822.2464) - Career Opportunities
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Graduates from the Human Services Associate program are employed in county human service agencies, community-based organizations, residential treatment programs, schools, inpatient facilities, and other settings that assist people in need. Depending on their area of interest, graduates work with elders, teens, families, people with disabilities, people in the criminal justice system, domestic/family violence, community development, and prevention.
Southwest Tech's Career Connections Center offers Services to assist students looking for job placement.
- Transfers
- Prior Learning
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Credit for Prior Learning
Experience Pays! You've Been There... You've Done That... Let's See If You Can Get Credit For It!
Credit for prior learning gives you opportunities to earn credit for college-level knowledge that you have already acquired. This may be the result of work or volunteer experiences, certifications, apprenticeships, military training, extensive self-instruction, or professional development. Credit for Prior Learning affords you the opportunity to accelerate the completion of your educational goals.
For more information on Credit for Prior Learning see our Credit for Prior Learning page.
At any time, you may Request Credit for Prior Learning.
Human Services Associate Courses that may have Credit for Prior Learning options:
Course # Course Title Challenge Exam
(Demonstration)Challenge Exam
(Standard)CLEPCredentialPortfolio10-520-101 Introduction to Human Services 10-520-102 Ethics for the Profession 10-520-103 Issues In ATODA Wisconsin AODA Certificate or Portfolio 10-520-104 Community Resources and Services 10-520-105 Interviewing and Counseling Techniques 10-520-106 Issues of Gerontology 10-520-107 Disability Studies 10-520-108 Methods of Social Casework 10-520-109 Professional Documentation in Human Services 10-520-112 Children, Youth, & Family 10-801-136 English Composition 1 CLEP Test - College Composition 10-804-123 Math with Business Applications 10-809-172 Introduction to Diversity Studies 10-809-188 Developmental Psychology CLEP Test - Human Growth and Development 10-809-196 Introduction to Sociology 10-809-198 Introduction to Psychology CLEP Test - Introduction to Psychology