Behavioral Health
Herzing University

A behavioral health degree from Herzing helps prepare you to work with people across many settings and life circumstances. This includes families, older adults, people experiencing substance use disorders or mental illness, former inmates, immigrants and more. The path depends on the program you choose. Health and Human Services and Psychology build a broad foundation for entry-level roles and further study, while Social Work prepares you for the practice of social work at the bachelor's or master's level. At the doctoral level, the DBH is built for advanced roles in leadership and integrated care. This includes positions such as behavioral health director, clinical director, program director or quality manager. What you qualify for depends on your background, licensure and professional experience. Across all programs, you'll develop the knowledge and skills to make a real, substantive impact on individuals and their communities.

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is an undergraduate degree that prepares you to enter the social work profession, while the Master of Social Work (MSW) is a graduate degree for more advanced practice. If you already hold a bachelor's degree in social work, Herzing's Advanced Standing MSW offers a path designed for BSW graduates. Herzing's MSW lets you choose electives from three areas of practice: Mental Health, Medical Social Work, and Children, Families and Aging Services. Both degrees are offered online with the personalized support Herzing is known for. Which one is right for you depends on your goals and how far you want to take your social work career.

Yes. Herzing offers the Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH), a 54-credit applied doctorate delivered 100% online. Most students can finish in about 18 months studying full time, within an overall completion window of 18 to 36 months.

You choose one of two specializations: Clinical, for advanced practitioners working directly in behavioral health, or Management, for those moving into leadership and administration. Admission requires a master’s or doctoral degree and a minimum 3.0 GPA; professional licensure is not required to apply. Instead of a research dissertation, the program finishes with a capstone project that applies your coursework to a real behavioral health challenge in your own workplace.

Getting started is simple: request information and a Herzing admissions team member will reach out to talk through your goals and the program that fits. Herzing has made its admissions process as straightforward as possible to help you take the next step, and behavioral health programs are enrolling now with a waived enrollment fee. When you're ready, you can also look into tuition and financial aid to plan for your education. 

If you're working while going back to school, Herzing offers several online behavioral health programs designed for busy adult students. The online Psychology bachelor's degree is 100% online so you can fit coursework around a job and family. Herzing's online Social Work programs, including the Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work, are also offered online, as are Health and Human Services degrees. At the doctoral level, the Doctor of Behavioral Health is built specifically for people already working in the field; coursework is 100% online and largely asynchronous, and most students earn the degree in about 18 months without stepping away from their careers. Every online student gets the same personalized attention and support Herzing is known for, from experienced faculty to a dedicated support team. Learning through Herzing's online campus means you choose when and where you study while you work toward your degree. To find the program that fits your goals, get in touch and we'll help you take the step.

Yes. Herzing University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a recognized institutional accreditor. That means Herzing meets rigorous standards for academic quality across its programs, whether you study online or on campus. If a specific program you're considering holds specialized accreditation, you'll find those details on our accreditation page as well.

Herzing University offers behavioral health programs across three disciplines: Health and Human Services, Psychology and Social Work, plus an Interdisciplinary Studies option you can tailor to your own career path. Programs run from the diploma and associate level to the Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH), Herzing’s terminal degree in the field.

Whichever path fits where you are in life, Herzing's priority is people: helping you develop the skills to support individuals, families and communities.

Health and Human Services at Herzing is available at four levels — a diploma, an associate degree, a bachelor's degree, a master's degree and a Doctor of Behavioral Health. The diploma and associate options help you build foundational skills to enter the field, the bachelor's degree deepens your knowledge for broader roles, and the master's is the MS in Health and Human Services Leadership for those ready to move toward leadership. Herzing’s Doctor of Behavioral Health is open to master’s-prepared professionals, including graduates of the MS in Health and Human Services Leadership. That range means you can start where you are and continue as your goals grow.