Addiction and Substance Use

Undergraduate Certificate

9bdb0b4c-abb8-4fa1-9a0f-7b98c0e19311

Quick Facts

Credits Required: 12

Cost Per Credit: $525.00

Top 1%

of all Higher-Ed
Institutions

- Center for World University Rankings, 2024

In Best Value Among
Arizona's Public Universities

- Payscale, 2022

Zuckerman College of Public Health

Program Details

There is an ongoing public health crisis in substance use disorders nationally. As a result, job growth for substance abuse, behavioral health, and mental health counselors is growing faster than average. Behavioral health positions, including patient advocates, youth, and health education counselors, are also expected to grow in Arizona and nationally, with above-average wages.

The 12-unit Addiction and Substance Use Undergraduate Certificate provides a comprehensive overview of substance use epidemiology, treatments, and policy. The certificate program follows a public health approach to explore substance use epidemiology, treatments, and policy. The program’s bio-psycho-social framework emphasizes the intersection of environmental, social, psychological, biological, and pharmacological factors contributing to substance use and substance use disorder.

Courses take a public health approach, exploring this issue from a population perspective that examines disparities in prevention and treatment programs.

You are encouraged to apply to the program if you plan to work in health, public health, public safety, criminal justice, human resources, and social service settings. Working professionals seeking additional expertise are also encouraged to apply.

Delivered entirely online, this program can be completed in one academic year.

View detailed program information

*Residents of some U.S. Territories may not be eligible. Please see our Eligibility & State Authorization page for more information.

Courses

The core curriculum for this program includes:

This course explores theories of addiction and substances that can be used, misused, and contribute to substance use disorder. It reviews biological, psychological, and social perspectives contributing to various disciplines' views of addiction. These perspectives and theories are examined, compared, and shown to connect in the biopsychosocial model of addiction. You will also learn about licit and illicit substances, their psychological effects, potential health consequences, and demographic groups more likely to use them.

This course overviews personal drug use in contemporary society, including historical perspectives, drug metabolism, drug action and classification, legal issues, reasons for abuse, and prevention strategies.

This course provides an overview of substance use and policy efforts to intervene. It reviews the origin and evolution of different perspectives on substance use and addiction and presents a public health, social-ecological approach to preventing and treating substance use disorder.