Best Online Master's Degrees in Human Services

Liberty University is one of the largest online colleges in the country, serving more than 96,000 students each year through online and campus-based programs. The private evangelical Christian school offers a broad range of online master's programs in human services, including degrees in human services counseling, pastoral counseling, clinical mental health counseling, and humanitarian action and human rights. Students can also choose from a range of specializations to tailor their degree to their career goals, including areas such as addiction and recovery, business, military resilience, Christian ministries, criminal justice, crisis response and trauma, and life coaching. The master's programs require between 30 and 60 credit hours and typically take between one to two and a half years to complete, depending on practicum requirements and the number of classes included in each degree.

Classes are offered completely online in eight-week sessions, and the university offers eight start dates throughout the year. Students can log in and complete classwork when they have time rather than logging in to meet with their class at a set time each day. Resources for online students include a virtual writing center and an online community to help students connect with their peers.

Capella University offers two online Master of Science in Human Services degrees, with specializations in Leadership and Organizational Management and Program Evaluation and Data Analytics. Both MS in human services programs require 48 credit hours to graduate and include a capstone course where students can apply what they've learned in a culminating project. The curriculum includes classes in social change and public policy, leadership skills, diversity and inclusion, and analytics for human services professionals. Social and community services majors will also need to complete a human services internship. These programs are designed to prepare students for advanced positions in human services by teaching skills in leadership, professional ethics and cultural competence, professional communication, and problem-solving. Students can also pursue a Master of Science in Multidisciplinary Human Services.

Capella is a private for-profit university that serves nearly 40,000 students each year. The university has an open admissions policy.

Purdue Global, the online branch of the Purdue University System, offers an online Master of Science in Human Services with concentrations in Organizational and Social Services or Family and Community Services. Students complete 45 credits in online classes such as professional ethics and personal values, skills and practice in human services, and multiculturalism in human services. Students also need to complete a master's internship in human services in order to graduate. Purdue's online master's in human services aims to give students a strong understanding of organizational roles and functions and methods of advocacy, as well as the ability to conduct research, assess things using a theoretical framework, understand the history of human services, and develop strong values, ethical practices, and self-care strategies necessary for careers in the field. The university also offers an online Master of Public Administration requiring 55 credits to complete. Both programs take an average of one and a half years to complete.

Purdue Global is a public four-year university serving more than 45,000 students each year. The university has an open admissions policy and only serves online learners.

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) offers a wide range of master's degrees in human services, including a Master of Human Services in Child Protection with concentrations in administration, juvenile justice, crisis management, emergency preparedness, public health, and other areas of study. The program requires 33 credits, including core classes in child protection law, family diversity and conflict resolution, child development, and program evaluation. Students interested in a career in criminal justice may be interested in the Master of Science in Criminal Justice - Child Protection and Juvenile Justice, requiring 30 credit hours. NSU's online Master of Science in Developmental Disabilities - Child Life Specialist program is designed for professionals who want to work with children in healthcare settings. The program requires 30 credits in classes such as working with hospitalized children and families, medical terminology, family-centered care, and nine credits of fieldwork. The university also offers an online Master of Science in Forensic Psychology - Forensic Psychology for Mental Health Workers, First Responders and Disaster Teams, requiring 36 credit hours in suicide prevention, crisis intervention, trauma-informed assessment, and substance abuse and mental illness. The program culminates in 90 hours of field experience through an internship.

NSU is a private four-year university in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with an admissions rate of 76%. Nearly 21,000 students enroll each year, with most enrolling in hybrid classes or attending on-campus.

The online branch of Regent University offers an online Master of Arts in Human Services with concentrations in human services counseling, trauma and crisis counseling, student affairs, life coaching, grief counseling, criminal justice and ministry, addictions counseling, biblical counseling, and other areas of study. Master's students at Regent complete 30 credit hours in core courses such as behavioral science, professional ethics, helping skills, and multicultural awareness. Students also need to complete a semester of internship experience to apply their new skills in real-world settings. This degree is designed to give students core skills in group work, research, professional ethics, practice, and evaluation, as well as prepare them to address legal, ethical, and liability issues that may arise in human services. Potential career opportunities for graduates include elder care coordination, medical management, nonprofit administration, life coaching, or pastoral counseling.

Regent is a private Christian university serving around 10,000 students each year. The university has a 32% acceptance rate and serves a majority of online learners.

The Master of Science in Human Services Administration at Saint Leo University teaches students core skills necessary to create and operate human services organizations, including how to develop a nonprofit, business skills for for-profit human services organizations, fundraising and budgeting, and assessing community needs. Students will be prepared to hold leadership positions at human service organizations or start their own, with career opportunities as social services and community managers, community outreach advocates, program managers, and other pathways. Students take core classes in management and leadership, law and ethics, program evaluation, marketing, advocacy and policy analysis, and other areas of study. They finish their program with a graduate project where they can apply their skills in a real-life scenario with a community organization. The program requires students to complete 36 credit hours and typically takes one to two years to complete.

Saint Leo is a private nonprofit university based in Tampa Bay, Florida and serves more than 10,000 students annually. The university has an 80% acceptance rate, and more than half of students are enrolled in online programs.

Wilmington University is a Delaware-based school serving around 14,000 students each year. The university offers an online Master of Science in Human Services with specializations in Administration of Human Services or Human Services Practice. The 33-credit program includes core classes in program design and evaluation, law and practice in human services, a capstone project class, and a supervised practicum where students complete 120 internship hours at a community organization. Students can also choose electives to customize their degree. The program is designed to prepare students for leadership roles at nonprofits, government agencies, and for-profit organizations in human services. Students will develop decision-making, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills necessary to ensure operations run smoothly, alongside an understanding of information technology and management in human services, budgeting and fundraising skills, the ability to manage people and teams, and legal and ethical issues in human services.

Wilmington offers start dates every eight weeks. The university is a private nonprofit school with an open admissions policy and serves a majority of online learners.

Bellevue University offers two online master's degrees for human services majors. The university's Master of Arts in Human Services degree is a 36-credit cohort program that emphasizes leadership development and hands-on learning. Core classes cover topics including communications, cultural diversity, ethics, community engagement, sustainable funding, career development, and nonprofit management. Students can gain experience through their capstone course, where they can complete fieldwork or an independent project. Bellevue also offers an online Master of Science in Child, Youth, and Family Studies that prepares students to work in social services with children and families. The 36-credit program offers an accelerated cohort option where students can take one class at a time with the same group of students. Core classes cover child development, contemporary issues, program design, administration and management, and a capstone course.

Bellevue University is a private nonprofit university in Nebraska that serves nearly 14,000 students, most of whom enroll online. The university has an open admissions policy

Webster University, a private nonprofit school in St. Louis, serves more than 6,000 students each year through online and campus-based programs. Webster's online Master of Arts in Human Services program is designed to prepare students for leadership roles in social and community services, including nonprofits, government agencies, healthcare facilities, education settings, and other organizations. Students should graduate with skills in policy analysis, research, human services ethics, and the ability to assess programs and improve outcomes. The master's program requires 33 credit hours in classes such as human development, social welfare policy, research and assessment, organizational behavior, and 200 hours of field experience.

Potential career opportunities include jobs in case management, community education, grant writing, community outreach and development, advocacy, and student support services. Webster is somewhat selective with a 55% acceptance rate.

The Saint Paul campus of Concordia University offers an online Master of Arts in Human Services - Forensic Behavioral Health designed for professionals who want to work in human services with a focus on criminal justice. Students will gain a deeper understanding of forensic behavioral health and the different factors that impact health and wellbeing for people in the criminal justice system, including trauma and substance use disorder. The program prepares students for careers such as courtroom advocates, child welfare and protection workers, correctional caseworkers, crisis intervention specialists, domestic violence counselors, probation officers, and juvenile justice specialists. The program includes 36 credit hours in core classes such as family violence and trauma, psychopathology, substance use and co-occurring disorders, sexual offending, and forensic behavioral health law. Students will finish their program with a capstone research paper.

Concordia is a private Christian university with locations across the country. The Saint Paul campus serves about 5,500 students each year through campus-based and online programs. The university has a 69% acceptance rate, and about one-third of students are enrolled completely online.