An education in social and human services can lead you in many interesting directions — from alcohol and chemical dependency counseling to senior services and activities specialist. The job opportunities are endless, helping people of all ages with emotional, mental, physical, and economic difficulties in a wide variety of settings and facilities. The degree programs include supervised work experience at community chemical dependency or human service agencies.

TCC's Human Services Professional program prepares students to work as practitioners in social, mental health, and addiction service agencies; and non-profit organizations, schools, and prisons. You’ll learn about human behavior and social problems, and how individuals interact with systems to address these issues. Students will use these skills to help people meet their physical, mental, and emotional needs.

Imagine a career where you help people live their best lives, no matter their age or challenges. That’s occupational therapy! Whether its helping kids succeed in school, supporting adults in their recovery, or empowering individuals to adapt and thrive, occupational therapy is all about using everyday activities to make a difference.

The Homeland Security Emergency Management (HSEM) associate degree program is designed to prepare the next generation of emergency management and policy leaders with the knowledge and skills they need to improve outcomes in disasters of all types. This online degree program includes instruction in policy as well as planning and operational components of emergency management and homeland security, including opportunities to gain practical experience and work with current incident management technologies. The curriculum provides policy foundations and advances students through core competencies in hazard identification; risk and vulnerability assessment; planning; terrorism; mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery; and planning for diverse populations.

Since September 11, 2001, the security industry has expanded rapidly. The United States Department of Homeland Security employs more than 180,000 individuals. Coupled with that, the private security industry employs nearly 1.5 million security personnel. The homeland security degree program is focused on providing students with a foundation of private and homeland security knowledge to build upon as a transfer to a specialty degree. The objectives of the homeland security associate degree program are to upgrade personnel employed in the security industry and to prepare students for full-time employment in this field.

To meet the need for graduates who are able to function effectively in an interconnected society, the Global Studies program offers a liberal arts education, focused on international relations, area studies, and/or the environment, with a choice of cultural experiences and languages. The program will serve students who wish to transfer to a four-year institution as well as students who wish to work in local businesses with a global reach, or government agencies and non-profit organizations serving diverse populations from other countries.

Anthropology students examine the cultural and social systems of both simple and complex societies. Through the study of anthropology, students gain important insights into the world around them and develop skills relevant in fields including the social sciences, the humanities, and education. Topics in the field can vary from the study of human origins and the culture and social organization of preliterate peoples to the investigation of contemporary civilizations. Anthropology students also focus on issues like technology, aesthetics, race, language, religion, family and kinship ties, and associational life that help us to understand the emergence of different cultures over time. Basic theories and research methods relevant to those topics are introduced in introductory anthropology courses at Prairie State College, including the major areas of physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, ethnology, and archaeology.

The social and human services field focuses on improving the lives of others. Under the supervision of social workers, psychologists, sociologists, and other professionals, social and human service providers work to ease and prevent problems caused by poverty, inadequate housing, unemployment, and illness. These professionals work with people in family settings, group settings, and as individuals, primarily providing counseling and life skill lessons.

The criminal justice courses provide a working knowledge of the criminal justice system in the curriculum. The psychology and sociology courses explain human behaviour, and the government courses provide knowledge of bureaucratic structure.

The Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Service Education is designed to prepare students for a funeral service career. All aspects of funeral service will be taught within the scope of this program. Academic and technical skills will be taught in general business areas, industry regulations and laws, embalming and restorative art skills, funeral service applications, funeral home management, grief counselling, etc.

Students will study behavioural health concepts related to addiction and substance abuse, counselling, group dynamics, and human development during the program. The Behavior health program will also cover current trends, best practices, and up-to-date research findings.

The Administration of Justice program is for students anticipating a career in the justice system and persons already employed in the justice system who want to enhance their professional standing and update their skills.

It has often been said that “it takes a village to raise a child”. If you have a passion for working with young children and an interest in improving the quality of their education and caring for the Child Development Program at Alvin Community College may be a good fit for you.

Human Services professionals help people meet their needs, focusing on preventing or lessening problems and maintaining a commitment to improving the quality of life.

This program examines the theory and practice of government and the powerful personalities that affect governmental decisions. This interplay of individual citizens, public leaders, elections, and world events make political inquiry relevant today.