Human Services Education in Utah

Located in the high desert of the West, the state of Utah has many universities, hospitals, a large school system, non-profit and government agencies that need human services workers. Whether you work as a child life specialist in a hospital in Provo or as a community outreach worker in Salt Lake City, there are tremendous opportunities for the well-educated human services worker in the State of Utah. Finding your career niche and giving back to your community will require you to have a solid educational plan.

There are not many decisions in life that will have as big an impact on your future as choosing your career. Making a choice of that gravity is one that deserves the appropriate due diligence. You have access to a great resource here at humanservicesedu.org, and you can use it to your advantage. By examining our database of career overviews you will learn about job traits such as: potential earning power, educational requirements, impact on the community, expected tasks and responsibilities, along with any required licensure for the job. With this information you will be able to make a wise educational decision that will greatly help you in your future career. Below you will find a list of various jobs in the human services sector and their required education.

Once you have earned your Bachelor’s degree from a Utah college or university human services program, you can apply for one of the following professions:

• Social Service Worker (Bachelor of Social Work from a CSWE accredited program)
  • Licensure in Social Work is often a complex process, however we have broken it down for you in our article on the matter here:
• Rehabilitation Case Worker (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
  • By far the largest employer of this occupation is the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation:
• Community Outreach Worker (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
  • There seems to be no end to the range of potential employers for Community Outreach Workers. One example is the Humane Society:
• Behavioral Management Aide (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
  • With just over 54 school districts, Utah has less school districts than many states, however they still have need of Behavioral Management Aide’s to help children learn once they have resolved their emotional and behavioral problems.
• Probation Officer (Bachelor of Sociology, Social Work, Psychology or Criminal Justice)
  • If you are interested in Criminal Justice related careers you will find that the Utah Department of Corrections is not only a great employer, but also holds a wealth of information on this sector:
• Case Management Aide (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
  • The Utah Department of Human Services employs a great number of Case and Eligibility Workers who need the help of Case Management Aides in order to function at peak efficiency. While you help the Case and Eligibility Workers you are receiving on the job training and with some effort on your part you can promote fairly quickly into either career path with the Department of Human Services:
• Juvenile Court Liaison (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology or Criminal
• Utah Substance Abuse Counselor (Bachelor of Sociology, Social Work or Psychology)
  Justice)
  • Utah has its own special rules and regulations around certification for Addiction Counselors which you can find here:

If you decide to continue your schooling until you graduate with a Master’s degree from a Utah college or university human services program, you will be eligible to begin a career as one of the following professions:

• Certified Social Worker (Master of Social Work from a CSWE accredited school )
• Child Welfare Case Manager (Masters in Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology or Sociology)
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Master of Social Work from a CSWE accredited school + field experience)
• Marriage and family therapist (Master’s in Counseling, Psychology or Marriage and Family Therapy)
• Social and Community Service Manager (Masters in Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology or Sociology)

You may wish to continue your studies until you have earned a doctorate in a human services discipline. If you do, you will open up a wide variety of employment opportunities for yourself. Whether you want to open your own psychology practice, go directly into a management position, or teach at one of Utah’s universities, a Ph.D. can give you the training you need to create the career of your choice. A difference between a doctorate and other levels of education is your recognized expert status in your discipline. Some will find that a career in academia or research is desirable and worth investing the considerable time and effort to earn a Ph.D. The rewards for that investment in time and effort are greatly enhanced career opportunities and a large increase in earning power.

To begin your journey towards the career you have always desired you will need to begin by amassing information to help you make an informed decision. We have created a resource here at Humanservicesedu.org with the goal of helping people like you understand their potential career and educational paths in the human services field. If you browse our section on job overviews, along with our sections on licensure requirements, you will be able to find clarity on which career fits your innate skills and interests. Once you have decided on a career and know what education is required, you can use our database of schools to find the right accredited Utah or online college or university that meets your needs. It is a good idea to contact your school to find out about your school’s unique application process. It is important to keep in mind that for many of the advanced licenses in human services there are not only educational requirements, but also post-graduate field experience. You will want to take this into consideration when planning out your future.