Human Services
17 courses · San Diego City College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026 · Spring 2027
HUMS 75 Working with Homeless and At-Risk Populations
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 32 - 36 hours lecture
This course prepares students to work with San Diego’s homeless and at-risk populations. Topics include an overview of populations and their unique needs. Emphasis is placed on community resources as well as skills needed for front line direct service work. This course is designed for anyone interested in working with homeless and at-risk populations in the areas of human services, social work, alcohol and other drug studies, community health work, gerontology, and psychology.
HUMS 95 Public Assistance and Benefits Program
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 16 - 18 hours lecture
This course is a practical study of current public assistance and benefits programs at the local, state, and federal levels. Emphasis is placed on assistance program structures, eligibility requirements, and scope and duration of benefits. This course is designed for human services students and anyone interested in public assistance and benefits programs.
HUMS 101 Introduction to Human Aging
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
- Advisory
- ENGL C1000 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This is an introduction to the field of social gerontology. A multidisciplinary approach is utilized to examine the basic biological, psychological, and social aspects of aging. Emphasis is placed on the special needs and problems impacting the aged population. Historical, social, and cross-cultural issues in aging are examined. This course is intended for students majoring in behavioral sciences and gerontology as well as all students interested in human aging.
HUMS 103 Introduction to Community Health Work
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is an introduction to Community Health Work (CHW). Emphasis is placed on the role of the Community Health Worker as a promoter of health and healthy living within the health care and public health systems. Topics include the fundamentals of public and preventive health in global and community perspective, community health challenges, and the role of education and advocacy in creating and maintaining healthy communities. This course is designed for Human Services students and anyone interested in Community and Public Health.
HUMS 105 Family Strengthening Models in Behavioral Health
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is a practical study of the family strengthening model as it applies to behavioral health challenges. Emphasis is placed on the various support programs available to individuals and families, how to access those resources, how to advocate for care, and how to implement care to promote health and well-being. This course is designed for human services students and individuals currently working in the behavioral health field or interested in entry-level positions in the field.
HUMS 110 Social Work Fields of Service
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is an introduction to the major fields of social work practice in institutions, public and private agencies, and other community settings. Students examine and differentiate between the predominant settings in which social work is practiced and the role of social work in contemporary society in relation to social injustice, diversity, cross-cultural issues, and economic factors.
HUMS 111 Introduction to Chronic Disease
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
Through interactive lectures, discussions of readings and case studies, the course covers the historical, practical, and theoretical aspects of chronic disease. In addition, students learn about chronic disease risk factors and chronic disease management interventions. This course is designed for Human Services students and anyone interested in community health work with chronic disease patients and their families and communities.
HUMS 112 Community Service Practicum
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
- Advisory
- Completion of or concurrent enrollment in: HUMS 103 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course is a practical application of the skills and tools required to work in the community. Emphasis is placed on creating needs assessments and focus groups in order to define an issue to be addressed through a community organization project. Students may develop and execute an individual project, take part in a group project, or complete an internship at a community organization. This course is designed for human services students and anyone interested in community organizing.
HUMS 114 Introduction to Restorative Justice: Concepts, Theory and Philosophy
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is a theoretical and practical study of restorative practices. Emphasis is placed on preparing students in the practice of Restorative Practices within alternative dispute resolution models. This course is intended for students interested in working with youth and adults in the areas of health, mental health, education, and/or corrections.
HUMS 118 Diversity and Cultural Competency
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is a practical study of the concepts of diversity, cultural competency and inclusion as they relate to human services organizations and delivery systems. Emphasis is placed on the identification of institutional racism and the application of the principles of organizational inclusion to facilitate increased organizational effectiveness in serving diverse communities. This course is for students majoring in human services and those working in the field.
HUMS 120 Introduction to Social Work
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is an introduction to the field of social work. It covers the historical development of social work as a profession. The core knowledge base, including theoretical perspectives underpinning the profession, are introduced. Emphasis is placed on social work roles, training, methods of intervention, and core social work values and ethics. Students are required to complete 40 hours of volunteer work with an instructor-approved social service setting. This course is intended for social work majors and those interested in the field.
HUMS 121 Practicum 1: Core Competencies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
- Advisory
- HUMS 103 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course is a practical application of the skills and tools required to work in the community. Emphasis is placed on in-class practice of Community Health Work (CHW) core competencies particularly regarding communication skills, leadership skills, group facilitation skills, health education skills, advocacy skills, individual and community assessment skills and self-care practices. Students may develop and execute an individual project and take part in a group project. This course is designed for Human Services students and anyone interested in community organizing.
HUMS 122 Practicum 2: Field Work
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 32 - 36 hours lecture
- Corequisite
- HUMS 270
- Advisory
- HUMS 121 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This course is designed to mentor students enrolled in a field placement course and provides the opportunity to discuss and analyze their experiences while performing their roles and responsibilities as Community Health Workers (CHWs) in the field. Emphasis is placed on application of knowledge especially in the areas of healthy lifestyles, preventive care, community development, team participation, and health behavior modification.
HUMS 125 Health Services Fields of Practice
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is an introduction to and overview of private, public and clinical community health settings and the health services field. Students gain a working knowledge of public and private community health care systems and delivery, with emphasis on services provided by public and social agencies. Issues relating to access to health care, vulnerable populations, ethical issues and policy development are examined. This course helps prepare for beginning positions and/or retraining in public and private agencies and for community volunteer work in health and human service settings.
HUMS 270 Work Experience
- Units
- 1-4
- Hours
- 54 - 216 hours other
This course provides on-the-job learning experiences for students employed in a Human Services-related job or internship. Students develop workplace competencies, critical thinking skills, and problem solving abilities through the creation and achievement of job-related behavioral learning objectives. This course may be taken up to four times. One unit of credit may be earned for every 54 hours of work experience. A maximum of fourteen credit hours for all work experience subject areas may be earned during one enrollment period. This course is intended for students majoring in Human Services or those interested in the Human Services field.
HUMS 276 Field Work in Gerontological Services
- Units
- 2-4
- Hours
- 16 - 18 hours lecture/48-162 hours other
- Corequisite
- Completion of or concurrent enrollment in: HUMS 101 with a Grade of "C" or better, or equivalent
This supervised field experience course allows students to be of service to older individuals in the community while observing the ways in which organizations deal with the various aspects of aging, policy, advocacy, and diversity. Emphasis is placed on providing students with practical experience in basic helping skills as well as the opportunity to explore varied career choices in the field of gerontological services. This course is designed for human services students specializing in gerontology.
HUMS 290 Independent Study
- Units
- 1-3
- Hours
- 48-162 hours other
This course is for students who wish to conduct additional research, a special project, or learning activities in a specific discipline/subject area and is not intended to replace an existing course in the discipline. In this course students will have a written contract with their instructor for activities such as: preparing problem analysis, engaging in primary research, preparing reports, and meeting with the instructor at specific intervals.