Addiction Studies Department

Department Chairperson and Graduate Program Director: Frank Zavadil, M.A., LAC
Program Advisor: Amy Orr, M.A., LAC, NCC

Department of Addiction Studies
Julian Hall, Room 304
Phone: 605-658-5350
Fax: 605-677-6591
ads@usd.edu
www.usd.edu/ads  

FACULTY

 Assistant Professors:

John Korkow, Ph.D., LAC, SAP, University of South Dakota.
Mary Merrigan, Ed.D., LPC, LAC, University of South Dakota.
Diane Sevening, Ed.D., LAC, University of South Dakota.
Frank Zavadil, M.A., LAC, University of South Dakota.

Online Faculty:

Melissa Dittberner, M.A., CPS, University of South Dakota.
Erin Nielsen, J.D., LAC, CSW, University of South Dakota.
Mary Rogers, Ph.D., LAC, University of North Dakota.
John Stoddard, M.A., LAC, University of South Dakota.
Iris Craver, Ed.D., LAC, University of Kansas-Lawrence.

DEGREE

Master of Arts  

SPECIALIZATION

Co-Occurring (standard track only)

CERTIFICATE

Addiction Studies   

Master of Arts in Addiction Studies Program Description

The ADS department is accredited through the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission (NASAC).

All courses required for state licensing are provided at the University of South Dakota by the Addiction Studies Department.

The online Master of Arts (M.A.) in Addiction Studies prepares substance abuse professionals for advanced levels of competency to address current and future addiction/prevention challenges in society. Practicing professionals need graduate-level knowledge to address the complexities of today’s client. Graduates of the degree will be eligible to the highest level of addiction/prevention credentialing through the South Dakota Board of Addiction and Prevention Professionals (BAPP). Participants should contact their State Chemical Dependency Certifying Body to assure courses meet certification. Requirements may differ from state to state. For details regarding South Dakota’s licensing standards, please refer to the Standards Manual of the South Dakota Board of Addiction and Prevention Professionals.

The M.A. can be completed in as little as 33 credit hours, or as many as 45, depending on addiction credentials and academic background.

MASTER OF ARTS ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

1. Completed Graduate Application form found at: https://apps.usd.edu/academic/gradapp/login.cfm and a non-refundable application fee of $35.
2. One official transcript verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit (in English or with translation) must accompany an application. The USD Graduate School and/or academic departments retain the right to require an Educational Credential Evaluators/World Education Services (ECE/WES) evaluation for a student if such an evaluation is deemed necessary.
3. Baccalaureate degree must be from an institution with full regional accreditation for that degree. A minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 on conferred degree and/or graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, based on a 4.0 scale, on all graduate coursework is required for full admission. Each graduate program may admit students on provisional status per university policy.
4. Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited American college or university are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score. For all other applicants, a minimum score of 79 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) or 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), a minimum IELTS score of 6.0, or a minimum PTE score of 53 is required for graduate admission. Applicants from or who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from these English-speaking countries (UK, Australia, Canada [except Quebec], Ireland, or New Zealand) are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score if their academic records indicate that English was the classroom language for the majority of their schoolwork.
5. Applicants are required to submit a statement of purpose or goal statement (250 word minimum).

Additional Program Admission Requirements:

6. Three (3) professional letters of recommendation are required.
7. One year professional experience and/or supervised clinical/volunteer experience preferred. Each applicant will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
8. Resume.
9. Applicants must provide a copy of a photo ID
10. Applicants must complete a face-to-face interview. If applicant is not from the region, the interview can be completed via Skype or Elluminate.
11. Applicants must complete a successful criminal background check prior to matriculation. Clearance can be completed by Verified Credentials, Inc. Please follow the instructions as directed on their website: Verified Credentials, Inc. You will be required to provide identifying information as well as a payment source. Results will be certified and returned to you as well as the ADS department.

Addiction Studies Graduate Certificate Program Description

The online certificate in Addiction Studies is an innovative 15 credit hour program that prepares addiction professionals to meet the increasingly complex needs of addiction patients, as well as the increasing educational and professional expectations of employers. Additionally, ADS courses are offered for graduate credit and may be used as supporting course credit or as electives.

The program focuses on evidence-based addiction education enabling professionals to provide the highest quality addiction counseling to individuals dealing with substance abuse or addiction. The completion of this certificate program prepares addiction professionals to meet fifteen (15) of the twenty-seven (27) credit hours required for South Dakota State Certified Addiction Counselor status. Participants should contact their state credentialing body to assure courses meet credentialing as requirements may differ from state to state.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

1. Completed Graduate Application form found at: https://apps.usd.edu/academic/gradapp/login.cfm and a non-refundable application fee of $35.
2. One official transcript verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit (in English or with translation) must accompany an application. The USD Graduate School and/or academic departments retain the right to require an Educational Credential Evaluators/World Education Services (ECE/WES) evaluation for a student if such an evaluation is deemed necessary.
3. Baccalaureate degree must be from an institution with full regional accreditation for that degree. A minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.7 on conferred degree and/or graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, based on a 4.0 scale, on all graduate coursework is required for full admission. Each graduate program may admit students on provisional status per university policy.
4. Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited American college or university are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score. For all other applicants, a minimum score of 79 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) or 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), a minimum IELTS score of 6.0, or a minimum PTE score of 53 is required for graduate admission. Applicants from or who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from these English-speaking countries (UK, Australia, Canada [except Quebec], Ireland, or New Zealand) are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score if their academic records indicate that English was the classroom language for the majority of their schoolwork.
5. Applicants are required to submit a statement of purpose or goal statement.

Additional Program Admission Requirements:

6. Three (3) professional letters of recommendation are required.
7. Applicants must complete a successful criminal background check prior to matriculation. Clearance can be completed by Verified Credentials, Inc. Please follow the instructions as directed on their website: Verified Credentials, Inc. You will be required to provide identifying information as well as a payment source. Results will be certified and returned to you as well as the ADS department.

Programs

• Addiction Studies (M.A.)
• Addiction Studies Graduate Certificate