College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences
CHESS is a destination for strategic thinking and a launchpad for discovery. Our offerings include Addictions and Mental Health Treatment, Clinical Counseling, Communication and Digital Media, Criminal Justice, Education, Leadership, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Social Work and Theology.
Getting Started
水果派 CHESS
Read our mission and vision statements, and discover the Franciscan values that comprise the foundation of an Alvernia education.
Our Faculty
Our faculty take pride in creating a supportive home that fosters compassionate, socially responsible leaders prepared to solve the hardest of today鈥檚 societal challenges.
Education program earns top national ranking
Alvernia is one of three universities in PA to earn an 鈥淎鈥 in a recent report.
College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences Departments
Baccalaureate
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Addictions and Mental Health Treatment
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Addictions and Mental Health Treatment (Adult Education)
Adult Education Certificate
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Addictions and Mental Health Treatment
Minor
Baccalaureate
鈥 Film, Culture and the Creative Arts
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Journalism
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Media Design and Production
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Public Relations and Advertising
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Sports Media
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Strategic Communications
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Digital Media Marketing
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Digital Media Marketing (Adult Education)
Minors
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Cultural Studies
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Health Communication
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Sports Media
Baccalaureate
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Early Childhood Education (PK-4)
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Early Childhood Education (PK-4) (Adult Education)
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Early Childhood (PK-4) & Special Education
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Early Childhood PK-4 & Special Ed PK-12 (Adult Education)
Masters
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Master of Education programs
Certificates
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Principal Certification
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Special Education Certification
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Teaching English as a Second Language Certification
Graduate Certificate
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Disabilities and Inclusive Communities
鈥&苍产蝉辫;English as a Second Language Program Specialist
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Principal Certification
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Special Education (Grades Pre K-8 and 7-12) Certification
It鈥檚 a competitive world 鈥 set yourself apart! Participating in Alvernia鈥檚 Honors Program can make a big impression when applying for your first job or grad school by demonstrating superior academic abilities, commitment and motivation to take on challenging work, and desirable leadership skills.
Baccalaureate
鈥&苍产蝉辫;History
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Human Problems and Sustainable Solutions
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Philosophy
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Political Science
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Theology
Minors
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Community Engagement
鈥&苍产蝉辫;History
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Philosophy
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Political Science
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Spanish
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Theology
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Women's & Gender Studies
Doctorate
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Leadership
Masters
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Organizational Leadership
Graduate Certificates
鈥&苍产蝉辫;
Minors
Masters
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling (MACC)
Psychology
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Psychology
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Psychology (Adult Education)
Baccalaureate
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Bachelor of Social Work
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Bachelor of Social Work (Adult Education)
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Criminal Justice
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Criminal Justice (Adult Education)
Masters
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Master of Social Work
Minor
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Social Work - Gerontology
鈥&苍产蝉辫;Criminal Justice
Success Stories
Transfer student follows mother's footsteps to find community and a full-time job
The journey of transfer student Lilibet Perez '26 to Alvernia wasn鈥檛 exactly traditional. She originally thought she wanted to be an elementary school teacher, only to realize a year-and-a-half into her college journey that her heart wasn鈥檛 in it....
Criminal Justice grad and retired adjunct continues to serve with bereavement-focused books, support group
It鈥檚 hard to put Dominic Murgido 鈥79 in one descriptive box.What lead him to Alvernia, where he earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in criminal justice with a double concentration in sociology and psychology? It may have been the talks he had with his fa...
Psychology professor believes fun activities are fair play
Associate Professor of Psychology Erin Way has pretty much always been interested in gaining a better understanding of people 鈥 what makes them tick, so to speak. Especially children. Having a mother who was a kindergarten teacher certainly fueled...
Celebrated Philadelphia group taps Alvernia grad to be its first full-time medical social worker
As Daria Podell 鈥24, MSW 鈥25 was wrapping up her internship at the Black Doctors Consortium during her accelerated master鈥檚 in social work, she sought out recommendations for her job search.Podell, 25, was met with puzzlement from Dr. Ala Stanford...
Alvernia holds annual Earth Day of Service, ramps up sustainability efforts
Students, leadership, faculty and staff help to beautify the area, part of the university鈥檚 continued push to advance sustainability.
Alvernia students and faculty earn statewide recognition at SPSEA conference
水果派's Education students and faculty were recognized for their leadership, innovation, and commitment to the field at the Kindling Change 2026 Student Pennsylvania State Education Association (SPSEA) Conference & Convention.
Packapalooza fuels momentum as applications, visits and deposits climb
Signature admissions event turns interest into action as Alvernia鈥檚 recruitment reach expands
水果派 breaks ground on American House renovation at Reading CollegeTowne
Renovation will expand healthcare access, experiential learning and inclusive workforce development in downtown Reading
