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Substance Abuse Counseling Program Services of excellence in treatment and prevention.
The purpose of the educational program is the formation of high quality health professionals to provide services of excellence in substance abuse treatment and prevention in response to need in the community.
Programs offered
2graduate credentials
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling · Master of Health Sciences in Substance Abuse Counseling
Admissions application fee: $50.00 (non-refundable).
Program overview
Preparing counselors for our community
The purpose of the educational program is the formation of high quality health professionals to provide services of excellence in substance abuse treatment and prevention in response to need in the community. The Substance Abuse Counseling Program confers a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling degree aiming to impart the knowledge, skills and competences to provide substance abuse counseling services to individual clients, their families, groups, and others in the community. In addition the program offers a Masters in Health Science in Substance Abuse Counseling with the goal of imparting the knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable Counselors to provide and supervise services and to plan, manage, and evaluate substance abuse programs for prevention and treatment in public and private organizations.
Choose your program
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling
An accelerated program of studies
Master of Health Sciences in Substance Abuse Counseling
Counseling, supervision and program management
The Certificate
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling
The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling is designed for you through an accelerated program of studies to develop specialized competencies to serve people with substance use disorders, their families, groups and others in the community; both in the preventive phase and in treatment.
The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Substance Abuse will train professionals to provide addictions counseling services to individual clients, their families, groups, and others in the community. The program will enable students to:
- Acquire competencies in knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for effective substance abuse counseling of individuals, groups and families.
- Understand and apply theoretical foundations necessary for substance abuse counseling of individuals, groups, and families.
- Perform effectively the professional functions of an addiction counselor.
- Apply knowledge and strategies for primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of substance abuse.
- Practice effective counseling within a bio-psychosocial approach in all public and private settings.
- Perform as member of a professional interdisciplinary team.
- Understand various perspectives in issues related to substance abuse counseling; considering the social, political, economic, and cultural context within which substance abuse exits.
Graduate profile
The graduate of the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Substance Abuse will:
- Demonstrate knowledge, skills and attitudes of the professional functions of an addiction counselor.
- Access and apply state of the art knowledge and skills in substance abuse counseling throughout their career.
- Perform effectively as member of an interdisciplinary team.
- Adhere to professional and ethical standard for addiction counselors.
- Provide effective and holistic services to substance abuse clients, their families and other in the community.
The Graduate Program
Master of Health Sciences in Substance Abuse Counseling
The Master of Health Sciences in Substance Abuse Counseling will train you to provide excellent services in the field of counseling for people with substance use disorders. In addition, it will provide academic experiences to counselors to develop competencies to plan, monitor, administer and evaluate treatment and prevention services programs in the field of substance use by public and private organizations.
The Master in Health Science in Substance Abuse Counseling will impart the knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable Counselors to provide and supervise services and to plan, manage, and evaluate substance abuse programs for prevention and treatment in public and private organizations. The Program will enable students to:
- Develop competencies to provide effective substance abuse counseling to individuals, groups, and families according to their needs and resources.
- Develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes in management of Substance Abuse Programs.
The UCC has funds to grant scholarships and stipends for professionals interested in enrolling in the Master of Health Sciences in Substance Abuse Counseling for the next academic year 2016-17. The funds come from Grant # G02HP27970 of the Health Resourses and Services Administration (HRSA), Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training for Professionals and Paraprofessionals Program.
Graduate profile
Graduates of the Master in Health Science in Substance Abuse Counseling will:
- Demonstrate competent provision of substance abuse counseling services to individuals, families, and groups.
- Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enhance the effectiveness of interdisciplinary team, working in substance abuse programs.
- Demonstrate ethical behavior and professional commitment as substance abuse counselors as well as in their roles in the management of substance abuse programs.
- Foster the delivery of effective and humane services to substance abuse clients, their families, and others in the community.
- Demonstrate competencies in the supervision of substance abuse counseling services and management of substance abuse programs.
- Access and apply findings of current scientific studies to their field of specialization.
For the Graduate Program in Substance Abuse Counseling
Admission requirements
General requirements for the Certificate and the Master’s degree.
- Online applicationOnline Application
- Photo Optional2×2 Photo (optional).
- Bachelor’s degreeBachelor’s degree from a duly accredited university, with a minimum 2.50 GPA, including the following:9 credits in Behavioral Science including 3 credits in Psychology3 credits in Biology3 credits in Mathematics
- Official transcriptsOfficial University transcripts from undergraduate or graduate institution.
- Letters of recommendationThree Letters of recommendation, two from Professors or specialization area supervisor, one from a Professor or supervisor outside of your area of specialization.
- EssayEssay of at least 200 words concerning the reason(s) why you wish to pursue studies in the matter.
- Curriculum VitaeCurrent Curriculum Vitae (resume) which includes professional experience.
- Application feeAdmissions application fee of $50.00* (non-refundable). All payments are to be made by debit card, money order or in cash in person at the Office of Financial Services.For your convenience, PayPal is now available
- Good Conduct certificateOriginal Good Conduct certificate issued less than six months prior to application submittal.
- LanguageFluent in English and Spanish, with full speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension skills.
Tuition and fees: see the 2025 fee structure (PDF). General UCC requirements are on the General Admission Requirements page.
Make a difference in your community
Review the admission requirements and apply online.