Program availability

Your Preferences

Update your Zip code, preferred campus, and preferred program

Herzing University

Human services vs. psychology: what’s the difference?

Psychology focuses on understanding individual human behavior and functioning, emphasizing an interpersonal skillset transferable to many different professions.

Human services focuses on the leadership and management of social service agencies designed to address social problems, emphasizing how to provide services.

In general, the difference is psychology more commonly regards individuals while human services more commonly regards communities. Our psychology and health and human services curriculums reflect this basic difference.

However, both fields are close neighbors in the field of behavioral health. Pursuing one major now does not necessarily mean you cannot advance in the other in the future!

How can I become a psychologist?

To become a psychologist, such as a clinical, counseling, school, or developmental psychologist, you’ll need to advance your education to the master’s or doctoral level.

Specific degree requirements can vary by specialty, licensing laws in your state, and certification requirements.

Earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology can be a good steppingstone towards the longer educational pathway to becoming a licensed psychologist.

Can I become a forensic psychologist?

A bachelor’s degree in psychology is not enough education on its own to become a forensic psychologist.

Our degree program does include an Introduction to Forensic Psychology course, which covers basic concepts in the field, but will not fully prepare you to get certified or work in the field immediately upon graduation.

For instance, in order to apply for Forensic Psychology certification from the American Board of Professional Psychology, you’ll need to first earn a doctoral degree, among additional training and experience requirements.

However, you do need to start somewhere. If you have yet to earn an undergraduate degree, earning a bachelor’s in psychology is a logical first step down the educational pathway to specialized future studies in forensic psychology.

What are the different types of psychology degrees?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most psychology degrees across all levels are named as a general “Psychology” major or concentration.

Some psychology degrees feature concentrations in:

  • Counseling Psychology
  • Miscellaneous Psychology
  • Industrial and Organizational Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology

Keep in mind many specialties in the psychology field may require a master’s degree education or higher.

Our psychology bachelor’s degree program offers a curriculum designed to teach a broad array of knowledge and skills. This can help you qualify for more types of jobs after graduation and position you for many different educational opportunities at the graduate level in the future.

BA vs. BS in psychology: what’s the difference?

Psychology coursework does not typically differ significantly for Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) programs.

As U.S. News and World Report describes, BA programs generally focus on liberal arts and humanities, while BS programs place greater emphasis on math and science.

Our program is a Bachelor of Science as our general education requirement includes Statistics and Science. Our career-focused curriculum emphasizes technical and vocational skills required to succeed in your work and advance in the future.

How much can I make with a degree in psychology?

Because you can take your career path in so many different directions after earning a psychology degree, there is no single answer to this question.

Here are estimated salary figures for some potential career possibilities based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:*

Job / CareerPer yearPer hour
Psychiatric Technicians (BLS)$43,650$20.99
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (BLS)$60,080$28.89
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists (BLS)$67,880$32.64
Training and Development Managers (BLS)$138,450$66.56
Human Resources Managers (BLS)$154,740$74.39
Compensation and Benefits Managers (BLS)$150,940$72.57

All salary data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Please keep in mind this is not a comprehensive list, and degree requirements for jobs in these categories can vary by employer.