Substance Use & Recovery Graduate Certificate

The Department of Counseling and Human Services within the College of Education at UCCS offers students who have been accepted into the Master of Arts in Counseling and Human Services program and those with a Bachelor's degree the opportunity to seek certification as a Licensed Addictions Counselor (LAC) candidate. The university curriculum is designed to meet the core curriculum standards set forth by the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH). The UCCS Substance Use and Recovery Counseling program has maintained the status NAADAC Approved Provider since 2016. For further information regarding NAADAC's Approved Education Provider programming, see the NAADAC Approved Education Provider landing page at http://www.naadac.org/providers. Students may complete the Master of Arts in Counseling and Human Services and the addictions emphasis simultaneously. UCCS is one of the few Master of Arts degree programs in the state of Colorado that embeds the competencies to meet LAC credentialing. 

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs Substance Use and Recovery Counseling undergraduate and graduate programs maintain rigorous, high-quality coursework, that exceeds the requirements for the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) curriculum. The Substance Use and Recovery Counseling program is a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, and all courses attend to the requirements outlined by NAADAC, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (as outlined in the SAMHSA Practitioner Education Expansion grant). Our program recognizes that addiction counselors and the clients they serve are multicultural beings whose identities and lived experiences significantly impact the treatment process. Thus each class attends to the knowledge, skills, and awareness necessary to provide culturally responsive, clinically competent care to persons from all backgrounds. Students completing these courses will cultivate increased awareness, cultural humility, and cultural empathy through reflective practice. Additionally, students will engage in experiential activities and skills-focused role-play assignments; these activities enable the instructor to provide timely feedback regarding the use of clinical skills, and professional development. All Substance Use and Recovery Counseling courses train students in the use of trauma-informed evidence-based treatment modalities, with an emphasis on holistic and healing-centric care.

The Substance Use & Recovery Graduate Certificate Program requires 18 credit hours (8 courses).

For details on program coursework, please visit the Academic Catalog.

Term Admission: Fall Semester

Application Deadline: April 20

Financial Aid Priority Deadline: March 1

Program Admission Checklist

1. Complete an application with the UCCS Graduate School.
2. Submit one transcript from all institutions of higher education previously attended. Send these directly to the UCCS Admissions Office (see details below).
3. Prepare a Goals Statement (see details below).

Career Goal Statement

• What motivated you to seek the Substance Use and Recovery Counseling graduate certificate?
• How do you plan to utilize the skills, knowledge, and awareness gained through this program in your professional practice?

Official Transcripts

Domestic students: Have one official transcript of all higher education course work ever completed to date (undergraduate and graduate GPA must be included on transcripts), sent from the institution you attended directly to the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Office of Admissions (electronically or by postal services). 

• Postal Services: 
  UCCS Office of Admissions 
  1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway
  Colorado Springs CO 80918-3733
   
• Electronically:
  ugapp@uccs.edu

International Applicants

All English as Second Language (ESL) applicants are required to meet a minimum standard of English proficiency for admission. See the English Proficiency Requirement webpage for more information. 

Applicants with any post-secondary course work from an international higher education institution that is recognized by their country's Education Ministry must submit a course-by-course foreign degree evaluation by member of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services http://www.naces.org/members), AACRAO (https://www.aacrao.org/) or World Education Services/WES (https://www.wes.org).

To learn more about admission requirements and the application process, please visit the UCCS Admissions page.

Additional Resources:

• Tuition Rate
• Cost of Tuition Estimator
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships