Addiction Counseling and Prevention (B.S.)

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Addiction Counseling and Prevention Vermillion Campus and Online

The Addiction Counseling and Prevention (ACP) Department offers a Bachelor of Science Degree which is unique and innovative in that it is one of only a few four-year degrees of its kind in the region. This model program positively impacts one of the nation’s major health issues, alcohol and other drugs. Alcohol/other drugs appear to affect every culture, facet and discipline in life. Theoretical knowledge regarding the nature, etiology, prevention, and treatment of alcohol/other drug issues provides students with a multidisciplinary approach for career opportunities. Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills through practical applications of knowledge gained. Graduates of the degree will be eligible for addiction/prevention credentialing through the South Dakota Board of Addiction and Prevention Professionals (SDBAPP). Participants should contact their state addiction and prevention certification/licensure board to assure courses meet requirements for certification. Requirements may differ from state to state. For details regarding South Dakota’s certifying standards, please refer to the SDBAPP manual.

The ACP Department is accredited through the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission.

The Addiction Counseling and Prevention (ACP) curriculum is fully sanctioned by the South Dakota Board of Addiction and Prevention Professionals.

Admission: ACP majors of sophomore standing (a minimum of 32 total semester hours) must apply for formal admission to the major. Minimum admission requirements are: completion of ACP 116, ACP 117, ACP 220 and ACP 222 with at least the grade of “C” and a 2.5 overall grade point average. A successful criminal background check is also required for admission into the major and must be completed and approved by the Health Sciences Background Check Committee. Health Science majors need to have health insurance.

No credit hours may be awarded for “life experiences” toward the ACP major.

Please contact for the department for further details on the Admissions Process, 605-658-5950.

45 Major Hours, 120 Degree Hours

ACP core courses (30 credit hours)
Specialization (6 credit hours)
Electives (9 credit hours)

The ACP Department requires a grade of “C” or higher in all courses that are completed for the ACP Major.

Departmental Requirements (45 hours)

ACP Core (30 hours)

Specializations (6 hours)

Students must select at least one of the following Specializations: (Both may be selected to reach the 45 semester hours needed for a major in ACP.)

Treatment Specialization

Prevention Specialization

Elective Courses (9 hours)

The remaining credit hours will come from the following elective courses or from courses in unselected Specialization (Please choose from one of the following diversity courses ACP 320, 412, 415):

Four-Year Program Guides and Costs

USD encourages students to take 15 credits per semester or 30 credits within the year in order to graduate in 4 years. To help students complete their academic degree program in four years, we provide a sample academic plan. Please work with your academic advisor to confirm your plan.

Addiction Counseling and Prevention, B.S. 4-year plan guide

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will comprehensively explore issues, ideas, artifacts and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion, and combine or synthesize existing ideas, images or expertise in original ways reflecting a high degree of innovation, divergent thinking, and risk taking.
Students taking the 422L/522L ACP Treatment Continuum course will comprehensively explore issues, ideas, and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion, and combine or synthesize existing ideas, images or expertise in original ways reflecting a high degree of innovation, divergent thinking, and risk taking.
Students will recognize when there is a need for information and identify, locate, evaluate and effectively and responsibly use and convey that information to address the need or problem at hand.
Students will recognize when there is a need for information and identify, locate, evaluate and effectively and responsibly use and convey that information to address the need or problem at hand. The students taking ACP 426/526 will identify a community need and formulate a grant and service learning project to address this need. Various aspects of information literacy will be utilized in researching, evaluating and conveying the information.
Students will be able to assess their own ethical values and the social context of problems, recognize ethical issues in a variety of settings, think about how different ethical perspectives might be applied to ethical dilemmas and consider the ramifications of alternative actions.
Students taking the ACP 315 Legal and Ethical Issues in Substance Abuse will be able to assess their own ethical values and the social context of problems, recognize ethical issues in a variety of settings, think about how different ethical perspectives might be applied to ethical dilemmas and consider the ramifications of alternative actions.
Students will intentionally engage with diversity in ways that increase awareness, content knowledge, cognitive sophistication, and empathic understanding of the complex ways individuals interact within systems and institutions leading to opportunities for equal access to participation in educational and community programs for all members of society.
All students taking the ACP 412/512 Diverse Population course will intentionally engage with diversity in ways that increase awareness, content knowledge, cognitive sophistication, and empathic understanding of the complex ways individuals interact within systems and institutions leading to opportunities for equal access to participation in community programs for all members of society.
Students will connect ideas and experiences in order to synthesize and transfer learning to new, complex situations within and beyond the campus.
Students will connect ideas and experiences in order to synthesize and transfer learning to new, complex situations within and beyond the campus. All senior ACP majors are required to complete 3 credit hours of Individual Addiction Counseling Laboratory taught by ACP Faculty.

Courses or Programs Leading to Professional Licensure or Certification

The University of South Dakota as of July 1, 2020, cannot confirm whether any particular course or program meets educational prerequisites for professional licensure or certification in states other than South Dakota. If you are planning to apply for licensure/certification in a state other than South Dakota after completion of your program, contact the academic department offering your major or CDE at 605.658.6152 or by email at cde@usd.edu. USD is working to comply with these requirements and will provide up-to-date information as it becomes available.

If your learning placement course (internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, etc.) or your online course will be taken outside South Dakota, please reference the State Authorization webpage below.

Information about State Authorization & Professional Licensure