Generally, the Admissions Committee considers any direct service work with disadvantaged
or vulnerable populations as human service experience. Examples of such populations
include at-risk youth, children with special needs, immigrants, and the elderly. This
experience can be paid, voluntary, or educational.
“Human services” is broadly defined and includes direct service and clinical work
as well as macro work.
Direct service and clinical workers are at the front lines working with vulnerable
or marginalized individuals, families, and groups. Direct and clinical human service
experience might include activities such as:
Referral, screening, or intake
Case management
Counseling or therapy
Psychoeducation
Daily living assistance for persons with disabilities
Teaching, tutoring, providing education, or direct care for children, adults, or families
with diagnosed or undiagnosed physical, mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental
needs
Animal-assisted therapy
School social work
Residential treatment / group homes
Corrections / community corrections (please specify job duties in this setting)
Macro human service work is at the level of programs, policies, and research – these
services help individuals in an indirect way. Macro human service experience might
include activities such as:
Community organizing
Organizing fund-raising
Policy analysis
Research support or assistance (e.g., research assistant on human service-related
academic or program evaluation projects)
Program development or leadership (e.g., executive leadership or Board of Directors
of a non-profit organization; participation in program planning or evaluation)
Grant-writing
International service if direct contact with/work alongside of disadvantaged populations
Faith-based or non-profit social service delivery
Activities that do not count towards human service experience include, but are not limited to, the following:
Volunteering at an animal shelter
Nannying or baby-sitting school children (unless you are nannying with or for the
benefit of children with particular physical, mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental
needs)
General population school teaching (however, please specify activities in this role
because a portion of your activities might count toward human service experience)
Administrative assistant, receptionist, or office manager
Accountant, bookkeeper, or data entry
Parent-teacher associations
Church or religious involvement/volunteering for the benefit of the religious congregation
(i.e., faith-based non-profit work will count if the activities are with or for the
benefit of vulnerable or marginalized populations)
Participant (not an organizer) at community or fund-raising events
