The Skills to Empower Others

Through our program, we empower students to provide rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities, impairments, addictions, as well as other medical and psychiatric conditions. With the creation and amendment of laws regarding independent living rehabilitation and disability, there is an ever-increasing need for trained professionals.

Our particular focus is to strengthen diverse representation in the industry by preparing underrepresented populations to work knowledgeably in various independent, private, and public rehabilitation settings. We encourage any interested students to reach out to a faculty advisor to learn more about the program.

Our Purpose

The faculty created this program to address several local and national healthcare needs. Through the curriculum we work to:

• Meet local and national needs for entry level rehabilitation personnel
• Provide a training program for underrepresented minorities to enhance and apply industry skills
• Prepare competent and professional rehabilitation professionals to work in a variety of settings including but not limited to independent living rehabilitation agencies, as well as nonprofit and private sector organizations

Program Requirements

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Services, students must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours split among General Education Requirements (GERs), core courses, as well as electives.

Required Core Courses (49 credits)

*PSYC 207 requires one of the following prerequisite courses: MATH 110 – College Algebra or MATH 125: Mathematics for Liberal Arts

**PSYC 343 requires PSYC 207 as a prerequisite

Fieldwork Requirement

The field work experience complements academic coursework and allows students to apply theory to practice by earning clinically supervised hours in therapeutic settings. This internship component consists of 6 credits across 2 courses:

• REHB 401, Field Work in Rehabilitation Services I
• REHB 402, Field Work in Rehabilitation Services II

Students must have earned at least 150 clock hours of supervised clinical experience in a rehabilitation setting to successfully complete each of the internship courses.

What You'll Learn

This 60-credit graduate program provides the academic preparation required to pursue licensure as a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) in Maryland and supports licensure portability in jurisdictions that recognize equivalent addiction counseling credentials. Graduates are prepared for employment across a wide range of treatment settings, including community agencies, residential and outpatient programs, hospitals, correctional systems, and integrated healthcare environments.

What distinguishes Coppin’s program is its integrated, practice-focused curriculum that combines theory, research, and supervised clinical training. Students are immersed in evidence-based and trauma-informed approaches designed to address the complexities of substance use disorders and co-occurring conditions with competence, cultural humility, and compassion. The curriculum is aligned with the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Standards for Addiction Counseling, ensuring rigorous professional preparation and national relevance.

Choose Coppin State University for a graduate education that offers academic rigor, clinical depth, and a clear professional identity in addictions counseling. Your future in recovery-focused practice begins here.

Program Overview: Roadmap to Degree Completion

The Master of Science in Addictions Counseling is designed with flexibility to support both full-time and part-time students while maintaining a structured pathway to degree completion.

Full-Time Enrollment

Full-time students typically enroll in up to four courses per semester and complete the program in approximately two years (six semesters). Supervised practicum experiences begin in the third semester, providing early exposure to addiction treatment settings and applied clinical skill development consistent with CACREP clinical training expectations.

Part-Time Enrollment

Part-time students may take up to two courses per semester and complete the program across ten semesters. Practicum experiences begin in the sixth semester, allowing students to build a strong academic foundation before entering clinical training. This option is well-suited for working professionals and career-advancing students.

Regardless of enrollment status, all students follow a carefully sequenced curriculum aligned with addiction counseling practice and CACREP training standards. Addiction counseling has never been more accessible. Choose the path that fits your life—and begin making a difference today.

Program Requirements

To graduate with a Master of Science in Addictions Counseling, students must complete 60 hours of coursework:

• Core course (15 credits)
• Measurement and Research (3 credits)
• Field Work and Internship Program (6 credits) 600 Supervised Hours
• Courses (36 credits)

Each chart in this section explains course offerings and requirements

Master of Science in Addictions Counseling Curriculum

The mission of the program is to prepare graduates to become competent, ethical, and culturally responsive addiction counselors. Through a rigorous curriculum grounded in evidence-based practice and CACREP Standards, students develop the clinical knowledge and applied skills necessary to support individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring conditions across the lifespan.

A defining feature of the program is its commitment to serving underserved, rural, and marginalized communities, where access to high-quality addiction treatment is often limited. Students learn to address systemic barriers to care while empowering clients to draw upon their strengths, resources, and resilience throughout the recovery process.

At Coppin State University, addiction counseling is more than a profession—it is a commitment to equity, healing, and community transformation.

Curriculum Overview

The Addiction Counseling Program includes specialized coursework designed to develop advanced competencies in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. The curriculum integrates theoretical foundations, clinical skill development, and supervised field experiences to prepare students for ethical, culturally responsive, and evidence-based practice in addiction counseling settings.

Core coursework includes:

• Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis
• Addiction Counseling Theory and Practice
• Pharmacology and Neurobiology of Substance Use
• Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery Models
• Abnormal Behavior
• Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment
• Ethics in Addiction Counseling
• Treatment Planning and Case Management
• Clinical Practicum and Internship

These courses are designed to provide students with comprehensive training in biopsychosocial assessment, evidence-based intervention strategies, ethical decision-making, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Through supervised practicum and internship experiences, students apply counseling theories and clinical skills in real-world settings while receiving structured supervision and professional feedback consistent with CACREP clinical training standards.

Core Courses (15 credits)

Measurement and Research (3 credits)

Fieldwork and Internship (6 credits)

600 supervised hours

Courses (36 credits)

Graduation Candidacy Requirements

Students advance to candidacy once completing all coursework. There are 2 options for candidacy:

• Option I: comprehensive examination and research paper
• Option II: Thesis I and II course work, along with a master’s thesis

Note: Any graduate student who has not completed a basic undergraduate or graduate statistics course with a B or better must take EDUC 581, Statistics in Behavioral and Social Sciences.

Faculty

The Master of Science in Addictions Counseling program is led by a dedicated team of full-time faculty with extensive clinical, supervisory, and instructional experience in addiction counseling. Faculty members are licensed addiction professionals who bring real-world expertise into the classroom, ensuring instruction reflects current practice standards, workforce needs, and CACREP expectations.

Faculty are actively engaged as educators, researchers, and practitioners and are deeply committed to student mentorship, professional identity development, and licensure preparation. Through a student-centered approach, faculty provide individualized guidance that supports academic success, clinical competence, and professional growth.

Apply

When you choose Coppin, you choose a program grounded in excellence, relevance, student success, and accreditation-aligned training.

• Flexible online learning
• Addiction-focused licensure preparation (LCADC)
• CACREP-aligned curriculum
• Faculty committed to your professional growth

Apply today and begin your journey toward transforming lives—starting with your own.

Learn how to:

• Demonstrate understanding of human behavior
• Apply psychological principles to real-world situations

Minor Requirements

To graduate with a minor in Psychology, students must complete 21 credit hours with a grade of “C’ or better in each minor course.

Applied Psychology at Coppin

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology must complete 120 credit hours to graduate. These credit hours split among General Education Requirements (GERs), course prerequisites, and required major courses. Regardless of concentration, students must take 47 credit hours within the Department.

The Applied Psychology major has 2 concentrations:

• Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counseling
• Psychological Services

Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Concentration

There is a relationship between substance abuse and mental health. This specialization focuses on learning about this relationship, and teaches students how to connect individuals struggling with substance abuse behaviors to help that can save lives. With roughly 20 million U.S. adults reporting struggling with substance abuse, addiction is a national problem that isn’t going away. Students graduate ready for immediate employment and with knowledge of community, state, and federal resources available to assist individuals with substance abuse disorders.

Graduates may also be eligible to apply course credits toward certification by the State of Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists.

What You'll Learn

Students specializing in Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counseling learn how to:

• Engage individuals struggling with substance abuse with sensitivity
• Demonstrate understanding of alcoholism and other addictions
• Apply knowledge of socioeconomic and environmental factors to understanding of alcohol abuse and other addictions
• Demonstrate specialized skills in counseling individuals struggling with substance abuse
• Apply knowledge of psychological development, interviewing, assessment and evaluation, behavior modification, abnormal psychology, and clinical psychology to help individuals struggling with substance abuse
• Analyze statistical data and prepare psychological reports

Required Courses for the Concentration

Please note: PSYC 201 is a prerequisite for all other PSYC courses.

*PSYC 207 requires one of the following prerequisite courses: MATH 110 – College Algebra or MATH 125: Mathematics for Liberal Arts

**PSYC 343 requires PSYC 207 as a prerequisite

Psychological Services Concentration

While there are some entry-level career opportunities for undergraduate psychology majors, more professional opportunities become available after pursuing graduate study. This concentration is both career-focused, and preparation for graduate research and study.

What You'll Learn

Students specializing in Psychological Services learn how to:

• Apply knowledge and training of interviewing, psychological assessment, abnormal psychology, and research methods to professional opportunities or graduate study
• Demonstrate understanding of human needs and issues
• Develop competencies for communicating and reporting psychological data and statistics

Required Courses for the Concentration

Please note: PSYC 201 is a prerequisite for all other PSYC courses.

*PSYC 207 requires one of the following prerequisite courses: MATH 110 – College Algebra or MATH 125 – Mathematics for Liberal Arts

**PSYC 343 requires PSYC 207 as a prerequisite

Coursework guides students through the scientific method of investigation. Through this process, students learn how to:

• Conduct civil and criminal investigations
• Demonstrate understanding of death investigation
• Apply basic skills around crime scene investigation
• Prepare and conduct forensic interviews of victims, witnesses, and suspects
• Testify in civil and criminal court proceedings
• Demonstrate compassion during sexual assault cases and incidents involving missing children

Who Should Apply

This program is for anyone currently employed in the criminal justice system who wants to advance your skills and career. Because this certificate enhances professional preparedness and speaks to increasing demands on people within these fields, we encourage prospective and current police officers, supervisors, commanders, and any other criminal justice professionals to apply.

Certificate Requirements

To graduate with an graduate Certificate in Investigative Sciences, students must complete 18 credit hours:

Core Courses (18 credits)

Two courses (6 credits) should be selected from the below:

Here's what you'll learn:

• Community relationship-building
• Communications
• Diversity and interpersonal skills
• Effective enforcement strategies
• Crime analysis
• Responsibilities related to terrorism and homeland security
• Recent developments in constitutional law and criminal procedure
• Leadership and management
• Strategic decision-making as well as data and intelligence analysis in administrative, operational, and tactical situations

Who Should Apply

This program is for anyone currently employed in the criminal justice system who wants to advance your skills and career. Because this certificate enhances professional preparedness and speaks to increasing demands on people within these fields, we encourage prospective and current police officers, supervisors, commanders, and any other criminal justice professionals to apply.

Certificate Requirements

To graduate with an graduate Certificate in Policing Strategies, students must complete 18 credit hours:

Core Courses (18 credits)