welcome!
The many disciplines that make up Southern's School of Health and Human Services share a mission of caring and compassion. In every department, students and faculty work in fields that empower people to improve their own health and psychological well-being and to extend that power to help those in need of professional care.
And because there are various professions within these fields, each discipline offers a lifetime of exciting career opportunities. A nurse, for example, who starts a career in direct patient care has the option to move into other positions and roles in healthcare, such as research, teaching, marketing, or management. With advanced education a nurse could also pursue an academic career and educate future nurses. With programs grounded in the liberal arts, the School of Health and Human Services prepares students for flexible, professional careers and for advanced graduate study in an array of disciplines.
Southern's School of Health and Human Services is the only school in Connecticut to gather these disciplines under a single umbrella, which means academic opportunities are highly interdisciplinary and much more efficient. Experience shows that clients are best served when the professionals who help them are collaborating. For example, a client of a daycare center gets better care when her nurse knows how to consult with a social worker or a speech therapist. Working on the same principle, Southern's clinics and classroom projects encourage students to collaborate with and learn from students in other departments.
The school's wide range of internships means that students can begin to participate in the community while earning their degrees. Public health students, for instance, work in local community health centers, helping a variety of professionals to assess patient health. Students in recreation and leisure studies assist physically challenged patients in rehabilitation facilities. Social work students are in area child welfare agencies and on-campus clinics, putting their classroom lessons into immediate practice. Nursing students complete clinical rotations in various acute care hospitals as well as community based agencies, such as schools and visiting nurse agencies. The marriage and family therapy program offers comprehensive training expected of prospective licensed marriage and family therapists. It offers students an array of clinical training experiences in settings such as, community mental health agencies, youth service agencies and hospital outpatient clinics.
Preparing for health and human services careers at Southern is demanding, intellectually and personally. It requires dedication and involves sophisticated research and intensive study. But after graduation, Southern alumni find exciting careers brimming with opportunity. These fields are undergoing great changes today, which means each offers vast opportunities for creativity and innovation. The people who will make those changes in Connecticut institutions are studying today in Southern's cutting-edge programs. In the sidebar to the right is a selection of some of the specialized study opportunities available to motivated students at Southern.
Dr. Gregory J. Paveza, Dean, SHHS
How to find us
The offices of the School of Health and Human Services are located in Lang House 103-105 on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University. Call (203) 392-8047 for directions, or find us on the campus map.
