School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety (HWPS)
The Human Services degree is designed for students wanting to work in a variety of settings focused on helping others. Students may use the degree as entry-level education to begin work in these settings or transfer the Human Services associate degree to a bachelor’s level Social Work or Human Services program. CNM’s Human Services associate degree is articulated for transfer to most bachelor’s level Social Work programs in New Mexico.
See Recommended Sequence of Courses
Students have the option of embedding a certificate in Child Development , Infant Family Studies , Community Health Worker or Substance Abuse Counselor into the Human Services Degree by selecting the appropriate Program Approved Electives. These students are advised to fulfill their Program Approved electives for the degree by following the term-by-term information in their chosen certificate and degree. Students pursuing the Community Health Worker and Substance Abuse Counselor certificates must complete the certificate requirements before taking their field experience course.
Students pursuing the Human Services degree and Substance Abuse Counselor certificate are advised to carefully review the catalog certificate page for important information specific to New Mexico licensing requirements for the Licensed Substance Abuse Associate (LSAA) credential with the state.
Approximate Costs of this Educational Option
Financial Aid Considerations
Educational Opportunities
This educational option is an Associate of Arts degree.
This educational option is designed for immediate employment and transfer into a baccalaureate degree.
This educational option can be completed Part-time or Full-time.
A Full-time student can complete this program in 4 terms.
This educational option can be started any term.
Many of the courses in this program are transferable and some may be applied to four-year degree programs at other institutions. CNM currently has transfer agreements with many colleges and universities in New Mexico and elsewhere.
Related Certificates:
Child Development, Certificate of Achievement
Infant Family Studies, Certificate of Achievement
Community Health Worker, Certificate of Achievement
Substance Abuse Counselor, Certificate of Completion
The Human Services degree also allows students to use Approved Program Electives to explore their interests and take courses in substance abuse counseling, child development, family studies, sociology, psychology, and criminal justice.
Child Development Approved Electives *
Infant Family Studies Approved Electives* *
Community Health Worker Approved Electives * * *
Substance Abuse Counselor Electives * * * *
Career Opportunities
An associate degree in Human Services is often required to obtain entry level employment in human services. Students entering the workforce with a Human Services associate degree can be hired for a variety of positions. They might assist a credentialed provider, provide services such as life skills programs, complete intake applications, do outreach, help clients apply for social benefit programs like Medicaid, and assist with group treatment services, to name a few.
Human Services careers offer many opportunities for advancement and creativity based on the individual’s level of education and experience.
Ten Year Rule for CTE Courses
Career and technical education courses in this program will qualify for credit for a period of ten academic years. Due to changing technologies, trends, and professional demands, courses completed ten or more years in the past will satisfy program requirements only if they are approved by the instructional school in which they were offered. Cohorted programs may have additional restrictions.
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