An Associate of Arts (AA) is a two-year undergraduate degree that can be earned at a community or junior college. Students earn 48 to 60 semester hours, maintaining an average grade point average of 2.0 or better to obtain a degree. An AA in Human Services Management focuses study on skills useful for work in fields of public service, such as community case management or substance abuse counseling.
This degree gives the student the proficiency to serve the public in diverse work settings. Graduates may work as first-liners behind other professionals, such as law enforcement workers, doctors and psychologists. The student will develop skills in counseling, technology, writing and communications, client assessment and community organizing.
Completion of an AA in Human Services Management degree will offer the graduate the choice of a variety jobs. These include human services worker, public policy advocate, case manager, life skills counselor, community outreach specialist, mental health worker, child welfare worker and elder services worker, among others.
There are both opportunities for continuing education and career advancement for the Human Services Management AA graduate. A bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree is offered in the same discipline in online and campus college settings. In addition, individuals who have gained a strong work experience in the human services field may be able to advance within their field to other positions, like program management or organization administration.
Available work for people with an education in human services is projected to increase by 34 percent over a decade; this is faster than the average for all other occupations. New jobs are expected to rise by 114,000 from 2006 to 2016.