2021-44

Motion Introduced by:  Curriculum and Academic Programs Committee,

Date of First Reading:    March 29, 2021

Date of Second Reading: April 26, 2021

Title of Motion: Request from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Department of Psychology – for the establishment of a graduate degree – MS in Addiction Psychology

Action Requested: This curricular proposal has received all college, school, unit and university administrative approvals, and is being presented to the Senate for review and voting decision.   

Rationale: The Master of Science in Addiction Psychology provides the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to pursue state licensure and provide addiction treatment. Substance use and addiction constitute one of the largest preventable health problems facing the U.S. today, but less than 20% of those in need receive any substance use treatment, and only a small fraction of those in treatment receive evidence-based treatment. This gap between treatment research and current practices is due in large part to deficits in the education and training available in the field of addiction psychology. The program pairs state-of-the-art research from internationally recognized experts in addictions with clinical expertise from licensed psychologists and licensed addiction counselors with decades of experience providing addiction treatment. This combination of research and clinical expertise will distinguish our program from existing addictions programs and will help to establish our program as a leader in the addiction field.