5 Degrees That Lead to Careers Helping People
You can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around you with a degree in a human services discipline. Gain the skills you need to start a career helping people in order to build strong communities and social equity.
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A college degree can open doors to high-paying, lifelong careers across a wide variety of industries and settings.
But for many, the prospect of an undergraduate education is about more than just landing a job; it’s about making a difference in the communities that matter to you.
Preparing yourself for a career helping others through a human services degree is a way to ensure that you can turn your passion for social justice into purpose.
The skills needed to begin a career that serves others and helps people meet their basic needs are at the core of many Pacific degree programs.
If you’re looking for a bachelor’s degree in a human services discipline that can help kickstart a career in social welfare and equity, here are five that we recommend.
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SOCIAL WORK Helps Others Overcome Adversity
Social justice champions in nearly everything they do, social workers are one of the first groups that come to mind when it comes to community service.
A career built on helping others access essential services, social work is versatile and rewarding, with opportunities to work with a wide variety of people in every age group.
Available at the undergraduate and graduate levels, a degree in social work equips you with the skills to impact the lives of those who need it most.
From helping disenfranchised populations navigate the medical landscape to supporting the victims of domestic violence, social workers play a vital role in countless settings.
With practicum opportunities in both the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and training in human behavior, counseling and conflict resolution, social workers graduate with the ability to make a difference and serve their communities.
PUBLIC HEALTH Connects People and Keeps them Safe
A degree in public health has the potential to kickstart a career helping others through education, advocacy and service.
Deeply invested in the social welfare of communities through accessible and thoughtful healthcare, public health workers do so much more than promote healthy habits.
Rather, a major in public health supplies you with the training to tackle everything from food insecurity to creating inclusive spaces for transgender veterans to studying the impacts of extreme heat.
Completing a bachelor's degree in human services discipline like public health establishes career opportunities in healthcare, public policy, food science and more, all spaces devoted to social justice.
Like many degree programs that focus on service, public health graduates go on to work alongside healthcare professionals, teachers and environmental scientists to help keep communities safe.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE Reforms Policies to Combat Inequality
Constantly evolving, criminal justice is about much more than simply the study of how we respond to crime.
Rather, majors in criminal justice are trained to look at the societal, cultural and political issues that surround crime, and graduate prepared to advocate for all those impacted.
For a career rooted in social justice, criminal justice majors seek new ways to not only prevent crime through equity, empathy and compassion, but help combat recidivism.
Helping both victims and the accused respond to the aftermath of crime not only promotes social welfare, but allows criminal justice majors to better understand the factors that go into how we prosecute crime.
Criminal justice majors are also uniquely suited for careers in law, with the potential to make changes to the criminal justice system at the highest level.
CULTURAL STUDIES Shine Light on Marginalized Populations
Creating inclusive spaces for underrepresented populations is the first step in ensuring that all people, regardless of background, can have a say in how their communities function.
Often paired alongside a bachelor’s degree, minors in cultural studies can help those pursuing a career helping others specialize and refine their interests.
From advocating for those with disabilities to helping to implement socially just policies for the queer community, cultural studies integrate justice into every aspect of their degree programs.
Likewise, programs that center Asia-Pacific, Latinx and general cultural awareness aim to give students the training to make an impact in settings where cultural depression can be addressed through thoughtful service.
Recontextualizing cultural histories is at the core of Pacific’s undergraduate curriculum, meaning that you can take what you learn into a career regardless of major and use it to help others.
HEALTHCARE Forms the Backbone of Thriving Communities
Expanding access to healthcare is one most tangible ways to promote social welfare and help communities succeed.
Available as undergraduate pre-pathways and graduate level degree programs, a degree in healthcare discipline can begin a lifelong career helping others in hands-on settings.
Essential services in dental hygiene, optometry, audiology, speech-language pathology and more all directly uplift communities — especially those often who are underserved.
Studies have shown that a more accessible healthcare presence in marginalized communities can lead to greater social welfare, a belief shared through the training healthcare professionals receive.
From pharmacists to occupational therapists, athletic trainers to psychologists, healthcare professionals can use their degree to make a difference almost immediately, helping others through a lifetime of service.
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