Health and Human Services
Office of Interdisciplinary Degree Programs
College of Arts and Sciences
203 Clemens Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4670
Phone: 716.645.2245
Fax: 716.645.3640
Web: cas.buffalo.edu/programs/idp/ugrad/
Lee Dryden
Director
dryden@buffalo.edu
About the Department
The Health and Human Services concentration of the Social Sciences Interdisciplinary major is an academic program exploring health care and human services from an interdisciplinary perspective. It includes extensive course work in psychology, sociology and other social science departments, as well as specialized courses on human service topics. Students may concentrate in early childhood, community mental health or social gerontology. Each specialization features an internship or practicum.
Social Gerontology:
The field of aging is rewarding and expanding rapidly. Coursework in this concentration and two semesters of fieldwork provide students with the foundation needed for a wide variety of career options working with the elderly in healthcare, residential and community settings. This concentration also offers solid preparation for advanced studies.
Community Mental Health:
Coursework in this concentration surveys the diverse needs of mental health clients and numerous issues in the mental health field. During two semesters of fieldwork, students intern in mental health agencies, interact with clients, and learn about resources available to help these clients improve the quality of their lives.
Early Childhood:
This concentration is an ideal choice for students who are preparing for careers working with children. Professional options include careers in such areas as social work, psychology and education. Social Sciences IDP’s concentration in Health and Human Services - Early Childhood is one of the approved majors for acceptance to UB’s Graduate School of Education for early childhood/childhood education.
Degrees Offered
Undergraduate: B.A.
Combined: B.A./M.S.W.
About Our Degrees
Acceptance Criteria
Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum grade of "C" in PSY 101 and SSC 103.
Acceptance Information for Health and Human Services
Deadlines: Rolling
Number of accepted majors 2003-2004:
Community Mental Health - 68
Early Childhood - 139
Social Gerontology - 18
Total number of majors currently enrolled:
Community Mental Health - 150
Early Childhood - 304
Social Gerontology – 25
Degree Requirements
Please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
Transfer Policy
Transfer students must first apply to the university and meet the university’s transfer admission GPA requirements. Applications for students are then forwarded to the Office of Interdisciplinary Degree Programs for review and course equivalency evaluation. Newly admitted transfer students who have completed the prerequisite requirements or have completed 60 or more credit hours at their transfer school are accepted to the major on a provisional basis, with full admission dependent upon completion of prerequisite requirements and attaining a minimum UB GPA of 2.0 within a specified time frame.
Courses from two-year colleges cannot be used toward fulfillment of the advanced-level course requirements in any of the interdisciplinary programs. At least 50 percent of coursework toward the major must be completed at UB.
About Our Courses
Each of the interdisciplinary degree programs offers a curriculum that allows students to combine coursework from three or more departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. In aulition, a number of interdisciplinary and special-interest courses are offered through the IDP. There are also options to incorporate courses from other areas of the university, allowing students to obtain a broad range of skills and education.
The typical class size for:
Freshman/introductory courses is: 40-200
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 40-50
Upper level/advanced courses is: 40-50
In the Health and Human Services concentration, what do student teaching assistants (TA's) do?
There are no teaching assistants in the IDP. Many courses in the social sciences interdisciplinary program's curricula originate in other departments, where teaching assistants may be assigned instructional or grading duties.
Suggested Introductory Courses
- APY 105 Introduction to Anthropology or SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology or PHI 107 Introduction to Ethics
- BIO 129 Perspectives in Human Biology
- PSY 101 Introductory Psychology
- SSC 103 Introduction to Health and Human Services
- A basic statistics course
For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
About Our Faculty
The IDP faculty, though limited in number, not only teach courses applicable to the program's degree tracks, but are also involved in the advisement of IDP majors, a function that is vitally important for students selecting courses from a number of different departments.
Special Academic Opportunities
The Interdisciplinary Degree Programs' concentrations offer an opportunity to focus studies on a particular topic whose brealih and diversity overlap several departments in the faculty. Students in the Health and Human Services concentration may choose to concentrate their studies in early childhood education, community mental health, or social gerontology.
Internships
The Interdisciplinary Degree Program in Health and Human Services includes an opportunity for practical fieldwork in an internship experience. The primary academic emphases of these internships notwithstanding, many graduates have found these experiences beneficial when seeking employment.
Extracurricular Activities
See the UB Student Association.
Complementary Programs and Courses
Majors that Complement Health and Human Services
- Anthropology
- Communication
- Nursing
- Psychology
- Sociology
Minors that Complement Health and Human Services
- Anthropology
- Sociology
- Speech and Hearing Science
Career Information
While the IDP degree tracks were not developed primarily to train students for specific careers, they are intended to provide an academic background relevant to a wide range of occupations and fields of graduate study.
Alumni in Health and Human Services reported being employed in the following ways:
Social Gerontology:
- Admissions representative at Beechwood Residence
- Assistant activity director at Grandville Senior Living Community
- Crime victims specialist at the Jewish Association for the Aging
- Director of the Adult Care Center at the Health Association of Niagara County
- Marketing representative at Healthcare Plan
- Social services director at Greenville Nursing Home
- Social worker at Autumnview Healthcare Facility
Community Mental Health:
- Cancer information specialist at Roswell Park Cancer Institute
- Case manager at Buffalo Adolescent Pregnancy Program
- Life skills trainer at Community Services for the Developmentally Disabled
- Mental health specialist at Baker Victory Services
- Outpatient representative at Catholic Health Services
- Resident counselor at Transitional Services, Inc.
- Teacher's aide at Wyndham Lawn Home for Children
Early Childhood:
- Assistant director at Huntington Learning Center
- Caseworker at Urban League of Rochester
- Head teacher at Brierwood Childcare Center
- Service coordinator at People, Inc.
- Teacher's assistant at BOCES
- Team coordinator at the United Cerebral Palsy Association
Alumni in Health and Human Services reported being accepted into graduate programs in the following fields:
Social Gerontology:
- School counseling at Purdue University
- Social work at Columbia University
- Social work at SUNY College/Brockport
Community Mental Health:
- Community health education at New York University
- Counselor education at Canisius College
- Health services administration at D’Youville College
- Law school at Queens College
- School counseling at Fordham University
- Social work at Case Western Reserve
- Social work at University at Buffalo
- Student personnel at SUNY College at Buffalo
Early Childhood:
- Counseling at Hofstra University
- Early childhood inclusive education at Nazareth College
- Elementary education at University at Buffalo
- Elementary education at Queens College
- Medicine at St. Georges University School of Medicine
- School psychology at University of Connecticut
- Social work at San Diego State University
- Social work at University at Buffalo
- Student personnel administration at SUNY College at Buffalo
What percentage of graduates goes on to graduate school?
35-40%
What percentage of graduates goes on find related employment?
55-60%