Addictions and Recovery Minor

Addictions and Recovery Minor Overview

The multidisciplinary minor in Addictions and Recovery is designed to complement the educational goals of students across disciplines who seek advanced knowledge and skills to support individuals living with substance use disorders and those navigating recovery across the lifespan. The evolving landscape of addiction and recovery—including shifts in substance potency and administration, as well as the unique strengths and needs of diverse communities—calls for professionals who are informed, compassionate, and responsive.

Upon completion of the minor, students will be prepared to contribute to the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs that promote healing, resilience, and improved outcomes for individuals, families, and communities impacted by substance use and recovery experiences.

Curriculum and Pathways

Students completing the minor will engage in coursework across multiple disciplines to examine addiction and recovery from a range of perspectives. Courses are organized into recommended tracks, allowing students to select combinations that best complement their major field of study and align with their professional goals. One track offers a pathway toward certification as a drug and alcohol counselor for students who complete a bachelor’s degree in a behavioral science major in addition to the minor. Students pursuing this pathway are encouraged to select courses aligned with the learning domains required for Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) certification in the state of Pennsylvania.

Opportunities

The minor also provides opportunities for research and applied experiences, further strengthening students’ preparation for graduate education or professional roles supporting individuals and communities affected by substance use and recovery journeys.

Additional Note

Requirements for a minor may be completed at any campus location offering the specified courses. Students may not change from a campus that offers their major to one that does not offer their major solely for the purpose of completing a minor.

Program Requirements

18 credits are required for the Minor.

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10. In addition, at least six credits of the minor must be unique from the prescribed courses required by a student's major(s).

Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
BBH 143	Drugs, Behavior, and Health	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
Select 15 credits from the following:		15
BBH 301W	Values and Ethics in Biobehavioral Health Research and Practice
BBH 451	Pharmacological Influences on Health
CI 333	Education and the Student in Recovery
CNED 422	Foundations of Addictions Counseling
CRIM 424	Drugs, Crime, and Society
CRIM 451	Race, Crime, and Justice
CRIMJ 415	Drug Control Policy in Comparative Perspective
CRIMJ 469	Drugs and Drug Policy in the United States
EDTHP 420	Shaping Education: Policy Development and Impact
HDFS 301	Values and Ethics in Health and Human Development Professions
HDFS 311	Human Development and Family Studies Interventions
HDFS 411	The Helping Relationship
HIED 302	The Role of the Resident Assistant: Theory and Practice
HLHED 443
HM 208	Social, Cultural, and Health Influences of Alcohol
HPA 301W	Health Services Policy Issues
KINES 445	Alcohol and Drug Education
NURS 407	Drugs of Abuse and Mental Health Issues
RHS 300	Introduction to Rehabilitation and Human Services
RHS 301	Introduction to Counseling as a Profession
RHS 302	Client Assessment in Rehabilitation and Human Services
RHS 303	Group Work in Rehabilitation Practice and Human Services
RHS 400W	Case Management and Communication Skills
RHS 401	Community Mental Health Practice and Services
RHS 402	Children and Families in Rehabilitation Settings and Human Services
RHS 403	Medical Aspects of Disability
RHS 428	Rehabilitation in the Justice System
RHS 433	Trauma-informed care for school & human service professionals
SOC 468	Mood-Altering Substances in Society

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY