2024-2025 Graduate Catalog
Addiction Counseling and Prevention Department
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Department Chairperson: Kelly Bass, D.S.W., M.S.W., CSW-PIP, ACS
Graduate Program Director: Brennan Thompson, MSW, CSW-PIP, LAC, QMHP
Program Advisor: Amy Orr, M.A., LAC, NCC
Department of Addiction Counseling and Prevention (ACP)
Center for Health Education, Room 205
Phone: 605-658-5950
Fax: 605-677-6591
acap@usd.edu
www.usd.edu/acp
FACULTY
Professor Emeritus:
Diane Sevening, Ed.D., LAC, University of South Dakota.
Mary O’Conner-Merrigan, Ed.D., LAC University of South Dakota
Assistant Professors:
John Korkow, Ph.D., LAC, SAP, University of South Dakota.
Lecturer:
Erin Nielsen, J.D., LAC, CSW, University of South Dakota.
Melissa Dittberner, Ph.D., CPS, University of South Dakota.
Instructors:
Amy Orr, M.A. NCC, LAC, University of South Dakota.
Kari Termansen, M.A., CAC, LAC, University of South Dakota
DEGREE
Co-Occurring (emphasis can be met by taking ACP 745 and ACP 757)
CERTIFICATE
Master of Arts in Addiction Counseling and Prevention Program Description
The ACP department is accredited through the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission (NASAC).
All courses required for South Dakota state licensing are provided at the University of South Dakota by the Addiction Counseling and Prevention Department.
The online Master of Arts (M.A.) in Addiction Counseling and Prevention 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 addiction and prevention certification/licensure board to assure courses meet their qualifications. 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.
WICHE Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) eligible program.
MASTER OF ARTS ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed Graduate Application form found at: https://www.usd.edu/grad/how-to-apply and a non-refundable application fee of $35.
- Official transcript(s) verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit (in English or with translation). Transcripts must be complete (e.g., if currently enrolled, work-in-progress coursework must be included, foreign transcripts must include a grading scale, and for countries that issue, copy of degree certificate/diploma i.e., India, Nepal, etc.). The USD Graduate School and/or academic units retain the right to require credential evaluations from organizations, such as Educational Credential Evaluators/World Education Services (ECE/WES), for a student if such an evaluation is deemed necessary.
- Baccalaureate degree must be from an institution with institutional 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.
- Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States who have obtained a high school diploma, undergraduate, or graduate degree from an institutionally accredited American college or university or from an accredited institution in the approved list of English-speaking countries are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score. For all other applicants with degrees from other countries, a minimum score of 79 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT), 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), 8.5 on the TOEFL Essentials, 6.0 on the IELTS Academic, 53 on the PTE, or 110 on Duolingo is required for graduate admission.
- Applicants are required to submit a statement of purpose.
Additional Program Admission Requirements:
- Three (3) professional letters of recommendation are required.
- One year professional experience and/or supervised clinical/volunteer experience preferred. Each applicant will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
- Resume.
- Applicants must complete a successful criminal background check from Verified Credentials, Inc. prior to matriculation. Verified Credentials, Inc. will require you to provide identifying information as well as a payment source. Results will be certified and returned to you as well as the ACP department.
Admitted students are required to show proof of comprehensive personal health insurance and comply with all immunization policies as required by USD Health Affairs.
Subject to faculty approval, those who do not meet all of the criteria above may be admitted on a provisional basis.
Application Deadline
- Five weeks before the start of the semester
- Summer 2024, Fall 2024, and Spring 2025
- Six sweeks before the start of the semester
- Summer 2025 and Fall 2025
- NEW: Fall only admission beginning Fall 2025
Addiction Counseling and Prevention Graduate Certificate Program Description
The online certificate in Addiction Counseling and Prevention 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, ACP 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 use disorders. 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 addiction and prevention certification/licensure board to assure courses meet their qualifications. Requirements may differ from state to state.
WICHE Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) eligible program.
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed Graduate Application form found at: https://www.usd.edu/grad/how-to-apply and a non-refundable application fee of $35.
- Official transcript(s) verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit (in English or with translation). Transcripts must be complete (e.g., if currently enrolled, work-in-progress coursework must be included, foreign transcripts must include a grading scale, and for countries that issue, copy of degree certificate/diploma i.e., India, Nepal, etc.). The USD Graduate School and/or academic units retain the right to require credential evaluations from organizations, such as Educational Credential Evaluators/World Education Services (ECE/WES), for a student if such an evaluation is deemed necessary.
- Baccalaureate degree must be from an institution with institutional 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.
- Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States who have obtained a high school diploma, undergraduate, or graduate degree from an institutionally accredited American college or university or from an accredited institution in the approved list of English-speaking countries are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score. For all other applicants with degrees from other countries, a minimum score of 79 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT), 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), 8.5 on the TOEFL Essentials, 6.0 on the IELTS Academic, 53 on the PTE, or 110 on Duolingo is required for graduate admission.
- Applicants are required to submit a statement of purpose.
Additional Program Admission Requirements:
- Three (3) professional letters of recommendation are required.
- Applicants must complete a successful criminal background check from Verified Credentials, Inc prior to matriculation. Verified Credentials, Inc will require you to provide identifying information as well as a payment source. Results will be certified and returned to you as well as the ACP department.
Upon acceptance students are required to show proof of personal health insurance.
Subject to faculty approval, those who do not meet all of the criteria above may be admitted on a provisional basis.
Application Deadline
- Five weeks before the start of the semester
- Summer 2024, all 2024, and Spring 2025
- Six sweeks before the start of the semester
- Summer 2025, Fall 2025, and Spring 2026
Student Learning Outcomes for Addiction Counseling and Prevention (M.A.)
- ACP MA students will demonstrate knowledge of the advanced core functions of a substance abuse professional.
- ACP MA student will demonstrate their ability to meet the clinical skill sets through a supervised field experience internship.
Programs
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