This major offers students a scientific understanding of addiction and the process of recovery, along with ways to prevent, treat, and advocate for policy changes that will help address the epidemic that is affecting our community, nation, and world. Students will learn how individual, family, peer, school/work, and community factors may serve as both risk and protective factors in the development of addiction, and how these factors are essential to successful outcomes for prevention, treatment, and recovery. With this training, students will be prepared to enter the workforce in a variety of settings or to continue their education in graduate school, medical school, or law school. This program of study is ideal for students interesting in pursuing careers in counseling, family therapy, prevention, policy, community outreach, ministry, medicine, or law. This major has a one-semester internship requirement. Students who choose to gain additional hands-on experience (beyond the internship) at prevention agencies or treatment centers may apply for certification as prevention specialists or alcohol/drug counselors through Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (AADAA).
HDFS Department Requirements
All students with a major in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies must take the following courses as part of the University core requirements:
| Code and Title | Hours |
BSC 114
& BSC 115 or | Principles Of Biology I
and Laboratory Biology I | 4 |
| BSC 109 | Intro Biology Non Maj II |
| HD 101 | Life Span Human Development | 3 |
| PY 101 | Intro To Psychology | 3 |
| Total Hours | 10 |
Addiction and Recovery Studies Major Requirements
| Code and Title | Hours |
| HD 210 | Understanding Addiction | 3 |
| HD 302 | Child Dev-Adolescence | 3 |
| PY 358 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| HD 475 | Human Sexuality Sex Education | 3 |
| HD 405 | Policy Issues: Family, Crime and Addictions | 3 |
| HD 415 | Addiction Prevention | 3 |
| HD 375 | Found Addict Counsel | 3 |
| HD 450 | Addiction:Treat/Recover | 3 |
| HD 445 | Addiction and the Family | 3 |
| HD 472 | Program Evaluation | 3 |
| 3 |
| Probs Child/Adol | |
| Trauma & Stress | |
| 3 |
| Drugs, Society, & Human Behav | |
| Chemical Dependency | |
| 3 |
| Research & Critical Thinking | |
| Elem Statistical Methods | |
| Educational Statistics | |
| Family & Child Welfare | |
| Juvenile Delinquency | |
| Community Based Corrections | |
| Drugs, Booze, and Mexican Society | |
| HD 499 | Intern Addiction | 6 |
| Total Hours | 48 |
Each student completing the addiction and recovery studies major must have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher in both major and UA coursework before enrolling in HD 499 Intern Addiction. Students that do not meet the grade point average requirement for the internship may request special permission from the internship coordinator. Students should contact the department’s internship coordinator for further information.
Graduates will be prepared to work in entry-level positions at nonprofit substance abuse treatment centers and work toward their Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) Certification from AADAA, the Alabama Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association. Students who gain supervised experience at a prevention agency during their internship will be eligible to apply for their Associate Prevention Specialist (APS) credential upon graduation and then work toward their Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS) credential after accruing additional supervised hours of experience. These credentials are also offered by AADAA.
Graduates will be qualified to work in a variety of agencies that serve at-risk children and families.
