Programs

If you want a career or if you have experience in one of the many health and human services fields, you’ll be able to design your first ever bachelor degree through University Without Walls (UWW) that will give you the necessary skills and knowledge. Whether you’re interested in developmental disabilities, mental health, health care administration, youth at risk, substance abuse counseling, health and wellness promotion, community health education, associated fields, or have your own idea, you will find the flexibility to design a degree program that is right for you.

Courses offered through this program will satisfy up to 60 credits toward the student’s degree.  In the first semester, all UWW students take the UWW Framework for Understanding course. The Frameworks' course establishes a foundation for returning to college and gives you the skills you’ll need to design your degree and create your prior learning portfolio. Most students also take one of the four UWW courses in the first semester. These courses focus on crucial aspects of organizational life, leadership, technology, and public policy, two of which must be taken prior to the UWW Writing About Experience course. Students in Health and Human Services are offered eight upper-division courses specifically designed to help them build an area of concentration. The courses are available in a blended format (each course has some live and some online aspects).

Concentrations:
Students must complete at least five upper-division courses in their area of concentration.

Health Related Topics:

•   Culture and Health
•   Public Health Practices
•   Non-Profit Management
•   Current Issues in Public Health

  Human Services Related Topics:

•   Sociology of Mental Health
•   Child Psychology
•   Human Development in Adulthood
•   Abnormal Psychology

In addition to your Health and Human Services courses, UWW will have courses in a blended format that will satisfy the UMass Amherst general education requirements, allowing those who have not yet completed their general education course work to enjoy the convenience of blended courses (each course has some live and some online components).

Students work closely with a UWW advisor on their course sequence, scheduling and specific degree plan. Courses in Health and Human Services are offered each semester in a sequential and structured format as they become available. All courses forming the UWW Health and Human Services concentration are made available to students in a schedule they can use to complete their degree using the blended course format.

• Earn up to 30 credits for learning from your life, work and training experiences  
• Customize your UMass degree by selecting five courses to form your area of concentration
• Award-winning faculty and advisors
• Transfer up to 75 credits no how long ago you earned them

Learn more about this program:
To receive more information and connect with the program manager, please click on inquire now to the right.

Sample a Course
For more information on the UWW Bachelor's Health & Human Services with Individualized Concentrations click here

Registration is administered through UMass Amherst Continuing & Professional Education. Payment is due upon registration.

Please see Fee Schedule below.

Type of Fee	Amount
Fee per credit	$350
Program Fee	$150 per semester
Prior Learning Placeholder Fee	$350
Prior Learning Assessment Fee	1-15 credits- $600, 16-20 credits- $900, 21-24 credits- $1200, 25-29 credits- $1500, 30-33 credits- $1800,
Registration Fee	$45

Click here to browse our course listings.

The University of Massachusetts is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

Did you know?

The University of Massachusetts was ranked 22nd Best University in North America and 45th Best in the World by the Times of London.

More Awards…

• Winner, United States Distance Learning Association, 21st Century Best Practices Award, 2005
• Winner, Sloan-C Excellence Awards - Excellence in Faculty Development, 2005 (UMassLowell)
• Winner, Sloan-C Excellence Awards – Excellence in Online Programming, 2005(UMass Lowell)
• Winner, Sloan-C Excellence Awards – Excellence in Online Teaching, 2005 (UMass Lowell)
• UMass Amherst Isenberg MBA, Top 10 national rankings, #4 Best Professors (2005, 2006, 2007 Princeton Review: Best Business Schools rankings)
• Med School, 4th in Primary Care Education, U.S. World Reports, 2005

Your past credits count no matter how long ago you took your courses. UMass Amherst allows up to 75 transfer credits from other accredited institutions toward graduation as long as the course grade is C- (2.0 grade point average) or better. All UMass Amherst general education requirements, except junior year writing, may be satisfied by courses from other institutions, and students can take courses at other schools and transfer those credits into UMass Amherst even after being admitted into UWW.

UWW students are accepted in both the fall and spring, with application deadlines for fall on May 15 and for spring, October 1.  Minimum admissions requirements are: 12 credits of college course work (a composition course is strongly recommended) and a 2.00 grade point average. Application forms are located at www.umass.edu/uww/admissions_aid/index.html and must include:

• Signed, dated and completed UMass Amherst application form.
• Official transcripts from any and all colleges ever attended.
• Résumé.
• A personal statement essay 2-3 pages. 
• Non-native English speakers proof of either TOEFL or two non-ESL composition courses graded B or better.
• Applicants raised in a non-English speaking country must also have official results of the TOEFL exam mailed to UWW by the application deadline. Applicants who have received a grade of “B” or better on two composition courses in an American college or university may be exempt from the TOEFL requirement. The exemption is not automatic, but based on a complete review of the academic history.

Click here to download all UWW application materials.
 

Availability of financial aid varies depending on matriculation and course status. Please check with your program manager or advisor to determine your eligibility. Generally, if you are matriculated in a degree program and are enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits each semester, you may qualify for financial aid. Please review our Financial Aid Checklist below.

1. www.fafsa.ed.gov.
2. University of Massachusetts Amherst school code number 002221.
3. For more information please click here.