Master of Science in Addiction Counseling
Overview
Examine the Origins of Addiction and Treatment
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences offers the Master of Science in Addiction Counseling degree for students who wish to pursue a career as an addiction counseling professional. Addiction counselors treat individuals with substance abuse and dependency disorders. With a master's in addiction counseling from Grand Canyon University (GCU), you may be prepared to own and operate your own counseling clinic or work in a variety of settings, including a private practice, substance abuse clinic, group practice or hospital setting. A master's degree is a required step for individuals seeking the highest level of licensing or certification in many states.
A pre-practicum or supervised field work experience concludes the masters in addiction counseling program, under the supervision of a faculty member. Following the pre-practicum, you take part in a supervised practicum or internship experience to develop your counseling skills and to perform all the activities that a regularly employed professional counselor would be expected to perform in a supervised setting.
Additionally, program graduates will be academically prepared to begin the process of seeking certification or licensure in their home state. Licensing and certification requirements may vary from state to state. It is your responsibility to check the licensing and certification requirements in your respective state.
Degree Outcomes
Master Addiction Counseling Skills
The Master of Science in Addiction Counseling degree focuses on addiction related issues, including theories of addiction, drug classification, assessment and treatment; professional counseling orientation and ethics; counseling theories; group counseling theory and practice; social and cultural diversity issues in counseling; psychiatric disorders in combination with an alcohol and/or drug abuse disorder; diagnostics, assessment and treatment; and counseling chemically dependent adolescents.
In addition to coursework that focuses on the causes and treatment of addiction, you examine current techniques related to counseling, as well as group dynamics in counseling and the role of family during recovery.
What You Will Learn
Understand How to Treat Addictions
Additional topics of study include:
- Issues and trends related to addiction in a multicultural and diverse society
- The impact of addiction or use disorders on family structure
- Psychopharmacology theories of drug abuse, addiction and treatment
- A broad understanding of counseling ethics, legal standards and more
Career Outcomes
Prepare to Become a Professional Counselor
Graduates from GCU's Master of Science in Addiction Counseling program are prepared to meet the academic requirements for licensure in Arizona as a Licensed Associate Substance Abuse Counselor (LASAC) or a Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor (LISAC).
Course List
Program Core Courses
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare students for the graduate learning experience at Grand Canyon University. Students have opportunities to develop and strengthen the skills necessary to succeed as graduate students in the health sciences. Emphasis is placed on utilizing the tools for graduate success.
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of counseling ethics, legal standards, and responsibilities, including professional identity, report writing, record keeping, and service reimbursement for professional and substance-use-disorder counselors. Also covered are the history of and current trends in counseling. Important goals of this course are to help students develop a strong personal and professional ethic, as well as an appreciation for the value of professional collaboration and identity.
Course Description
This course provides a comprehensive survey of the major counseling theories and principles. Coursework includes the following theories: psychoanalytic, Adlerian, existential psychotherapy, behavioral, cognitive behavioral, person-centered, reality therapy/choice theory, and rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT).
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of the stages, processes, and effects of substance use disorders, social and psychological dynamics of substance use disorders, and the professional's role in prevention, intervention, and aftercare, including recovery and relapse prevention. This course also explores theories and models of treatment of substance use disorders, drug classification, and assessment. It also continues building foundational knowledge, utilization of professional resources, and exploration of standards to help students prepare for licensure/certification within the counseling industry.
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of group development, group dynamics, group counseling theories, and ethical standards with reference to professional and substance use disorders counseling. The course also addresses group process components, appropriate selection criteria, developmental stage theories, group members? roles and behaviors, and group leadership styles and approaches.
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society. Studies in this area include the following: attitudes and behaviors based on such factors as age, race, religious preference, physical disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity and culture, family patterns, gender, socioeconomic status and intellectual ability; individual, family, group, and community strategies for working with diverse populations; theories of multicultural counseling and identity development; and multicultural competencies. Students examine a variety of cultural populations in multiple regions of the United States, exploring issues and trends that are associated with each population. Cultural considerations for immigrants, refugees, and undocumented immigrants are also addressed.
Course Description
This course introduces students to the basic principles of psychopharmacology and the effects of psychoactive substances. Students examine the behavioral, psychological, physiological and social effects of psychoactive substance use, and learn to recognize symptoms of intoxication, withdrawal, and toxicity. The class covers various screening options, limitations, legal implications, and the utilization of pharmacotherapy as part of substance addiction treatment.
Course Description
This course introduces students to co-occurring disorders. Students examine screening and assessment tools to reveal and evaluate the presence and severity of co-occurring disorders. This course also explores the treatment needs of persons with co-occurring disorders. Strategies for risk management associated with treating individuals with co-occurring disorders are presented.
Course Description
This course examines the impact of substance use disorders in family systems. Various treatment interventions are discussed. The treatment roles and responsibilities of addicted individuals and their families are also examined.
Course Description
This course provides a conceptual framework for the use of assessment and diagnostic tools for the development of appropriate treatment interventions for a variety of behavioral health and substance use disorders. Included is an introduction to the use of the diagnostic tools, including the DSM, and the integration of diagnostic and assessment information, in the development of treatment plans.
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to adolescent substance use disorders prevention and treatment techniques and interventions. Signs, symptoms, and patterns of adolescent substance use are examined. Students also explore adolescent screening methods and assessment tools.
Course Description
This is a supervised fieldwork experience under the supervision of a faculty member and an on-site clinical supervisor approved by the college or university. Documentation of a minimum requirement of 100 hours of counseling-related activities, which include 40 direct contact hours, is submitted to Typhon and monitored by the office of field experience. Students may not progress to PCN-662A without the required amount of hours submitted to Typhon and proper approval. State licensure requirements may mandate additional hours. Students must review and adhere to their state board's additional requirements. Practicum/field experience hours: 100. Prerequisites: Completion of all didactic coursework in the program; a GPA of 3.0 or better; and maintenance of student professional liability insurance in the amount of $1 million, $3 million.
Course Description
Students use this supervised practicum/internship experience to develop their counseling skills and to perform all the activities that a regularly employed professional counselor would be expected to perform in a supervised setting. The practicum/internship is performed under the supervision of a faculty member and an on-site clinical supervisor approved by the college or university. Documentation of 150 hours of counseling-related activities, which include 50 direct contact hours, is submitted directly to the college’s office of field experience for verification and tracking. Practicum hours: Addiction Counseling students, 150 total hours; Professional Counseling students, 600 total hours. State licensure requirements may mandate additional hours. Students must review and adhere to their state board's additional requirements. Prerequisites: PCN-622; a GPA of 3.0 or better; maintenance of student professional liability insurance in the amount of $1 million, $3 million; and college approval.
Faculty Bios
Program Locations
Online
Evening
* The Department of Education defines how an institution must calculate a program's On-Time Completion rate for federal disclosure purposes. The On-Time Completion rate is based on a program’s published required number of months to complete all degree requirements as provided in the institution’s catalog. Completion statistics are updated every January and are based on the cohort of students who graduated between 7/1 – 6/30 of the preceding year. The On-Time Completion rate is determined by the number of students in the cohort who completed the program within the published program length divided by the number of students in the cohort who graduated.
Online and Evening program disclosures* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.