Addiction Studies

MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN ADDICTION STUDIES

School of Arts and Sciences

Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

1200 N. University Drive, Mail Slot 4903

Pine Bluff, Arkansas 71601

Telephone: (870) 575-8714

Dr. Cynthia Troutman

Interim Director

troutmanc@uapb.edu

(870) 575-8716

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The purpose of the Graduate Addiction Studies Program (GASP) at The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is to increase the number and diversity of substance use prevention and treatment professionals in the Arkansas Delta. Four goals support the GASP purpose: 1) To prepare competent GASP students with skills and knowledge to utilize and conduct current alcohol, tobacco, other drug (ATOD) research; 2) To provide GASP students with ATOD theoretical constructs and applicable skills required to link theory to practice; 3) To incorporate the Addiction Counseling Competencies of The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Technical Assistance Publication 21 (TAP 21) entitled, “Addiction Counseling Competencies: The Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes of Professional Practice” (2014) throughout the GASP curriculum; and 4) To incorporate The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration’s Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) throughout the GASP curriculum.

Student Stipend Awards

GASP students in their first semester of study and continuing students who are in good academic standing (a final letter grade of B or higher in every GASP course completed) are eligible to receive a semester stipend award for which the student will devote a determined number of hours to work with GASP on assigned projects.

Eligible students may apply for the stipend by completing a brief application and submitting it to the GASP. If offered the stipend award, students are required to sign a stipend agreement, agreeing to the designated work hours and remaining in good academic standing. The stipend agreement also states the student may be required to return the amount of the stipend award if they do not meet the requirements stated in the agreement.

Deficiency Removal Plan (DRP)

Any student who fails to earn a final letter grade of “A” or “B” in all enrolled classes during all semesters in which he/she is enrolled in the program, including the first semester, will meet with his/her graduate advisor to design a plan to remedy the deficiency. The meeting is to occur prior to the student’s next semester of enrollment. The plan must be approved by the Graduate Admissions Committee and the Program Director. Students who decline to continue in the Program under the DRP or who fail to meet the standards established in the DRP during the next semester of enrollment, will be dismissed from the Program. Students who are enrolled in the Program under a DRP cannot receive any scholarships or stipends from the Addiction Studies Program.

Exit Requirements

All courses must have a minimum acceptable letter grade of B in each Addiction Studies course;
The candidate must be in residence for a minimum of 27 semester hours;
Completion of the requirements for the Master of Science degree in Addiction Studies within six consecutive calendar years from date of admission;
Completion of a total of 300 internship hours; 150 prevention hours and 150 treatment hours. Required documentation for all 300 hours should be submitted as requested by the Practicum instructor. It is the sole responsibility of the candidate to obtain signatures required for each practicum/internship document. Students may seek guidance from the Practicum instructor if difficulties arise in obtaining required signatures. Students must receive a score of 80% or higher on the Treatment Internship Supervisor Evaluation and the Practicum Internship Supervisor Evaluation;
Completion of an original Alcohol, Tobacco, Other Drug research project on which the student receives a score of 80% or higher;
Candidates must take and pass a Comprehensive Examination the semester in which they are enrolled in the GASP Practicum Seminar course. The Comprehensive Examination will cover course content studied throughout the candidates’ program of study. Candidates must pass the exam before they are allowed to graduate. This exam is scored Pass/Fail. A passing grade is considered 80% or higher.

Candidates who fail the first administration of the test will be required to retake the exam. If a candidate fails the second administration of the exam s/he will be required to complete an intervention designed by faculty prior to the third and last attempt at passing the exam. Failing the third attempt will result in dismissal from the program.

Transfer of Credit Requirements

A maximum of nine (9) semester hours may be transferred from another institution. Acceptance of transfer credit will not reduce the number of hours required for residency (27). An official transcript(s) must be on file with the Registrar.
All transfer courses must be approved by the Addiction Studies faculty. The course(s) must have been bona fide graduate course(s) taken at a regionally or internationally accredited institution. Graduate credit from foreign institutions cannot be transferred.
Course(s) must not have been used to satisfy requirements for any degree previously granted.
The student must have been enrolled as a graduate student in the institution offering the course(s).
The course(s) must appear on an official transcript as graduate credit. All grades must be a B or higher.
The courses must be recommended for transfer by the student’s academic advisor and be applicable to the Master’s degree in Addiction Studies. They must have content and requirements that are similar to those in the Addiction Studies courses which they might replace.
The course(s) must be acceptable to the Director of Addiction Studies, the Dean of Arts and Sciences, and the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Delay of Enrollment and Readmission Procedures

The official date of admission is indicated on the student’s letter of admission. However, a student may delay enrollment to a later semester, if the Program Director and Graduate Advisor consent to the delay. Consent to delay of enrollment does not obligate the Addiction Studies program to perpetuate beyond the original date any assistantship or scholarship offers that accompanied the original acceptance.

Students who are accepted but do not subsequently enroll, must request readmission to the Addiction Studies Program. Readmission will be contingent upon an evaluation of the application based on current admission standards and/or other factors. Students seeking readmission, must:

Complete a new application for admission which may be found on the Addiction Studies website;
Submit a letter of request to the Addiction Studies Program Director
Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended since previous admission.

Students who were enrolled but did not complete the Addiction Studies Program may request re-admission if the student’s program of study can be completed within six years of the official date of admission. Students who did not complete the Addiction Studies Program must:

Complete a new application for admission which may be found on the Addiction Studies website;
Submit a letter of request to the Addiction Studies Program Director
Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended since previous admission; and
Validate a graduate GPA of 3.00 or higher in the Addiction Studies program.

Readmission will be contingent upon an evaluation of the application based on current admission standards and/or other factors

Students who did not complete the Addiction Studies Program and cannot complete their programs of study within six years of the official date of admission must reapply to the program as a new graduate student.

Residency Requirements

Students enrolled in the Master of Science Degree in Addiction Studies program must complete twenty-seven (27) semester hours in residency at the University. The 27 hours may include a combination of face-to-face courses and online courses offered by the program. Online courses offered by other universities will not be accepted for residency purposes.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

If a graduate student has less than a 3.00 grade point average in any one semester of full-time course work or the equivalent thereof (e.g., two (2) terms of half-time work) taken in residence for graduate credit, the student will be placed on Academic Probation. The Addiction Studies faculty will work with students who are performing in an unsatisfactory manner through advisement, and Deficiency Removal Plans to assist the student in correcting his/her unsatisfactory performance.

The student will subsequently be dismissed from the Addiction Studies program if the grade point average is not raised to 3.00 or above with the next semester of full-time graduate course work or the equivalent thereof. In accordance with established procedures the graduate faculty of an academic program may recommend that the student be readmitted to the Graduate Program.