Addiction Counseling A.A.S.

School: Business and Professional Careers
Academic Dept: Professional Careers
HEGIS: 5506

Important Note about Program Requirements

The requirements listed below are for students entering into this program from Fall 2021 to Summer 2022. Students who entered the program during a prior semester will find their specific requirements listed in the Catalog under which they entered. Archived Catalogs are accessible through the dropdown menu above.

Program Description

The Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Addiction Counseling provides all the 350 alcohol and drug-specific class hours needed to apply to be a Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC). There are also 320 experience hours provided in this degree. For full credentialing by the New York State Office of Addiction Service and Supports (OASAS), a CASAC trainee will need additional experience. Experience hours are based on the applicants highest degree in addition to the CASAC education. The AAS also reduces the required number of experience hours by 1000. Some of these courses are applicable to the Certified Prevention Specialist and Certified Prevention Professional certificates.

The Addiction Counseling curriculum includes afternoon and evening in-person classes. Some classes are available on-line. Addiction Field Experience (Internship) is arranged in certified addiction treatment programs and supervised by AC professors. Current employment may be approved for field experience. Enrollment in Internship courses requires permission of the Curriculum Chairperson. Students in recovery from their own alcohol or other substance use disorder (AUD/SUD), or the effects of another family member’s AUD or SUD, may take classroom courses, but one (1) year of recovery is required to be eligible for an Internship placement.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, a student will:

Demonstrate the ability to apply the principles of ethical and effective addiction counseling using organized, clear and precise written and oral communication skills.
Demonstrate competency and broad foundational knowledge in the general education curriculum as required by Westchester Community College.

Program Map

The academic map below presents the recommended plan of study and will guide you through your program in a timely manner. Click the course abbreviations for full course descriptions. A course may be critical because it is a pre-requisite, requires a minimum grade, or because it is only offered once a year. Missing a critical course may push back your graduation date. Meet with an Academic Counselor or Faculty Advisor to ensure you are on track to complete your program.

Critical Courses should be taken in the order shown to stay on track and graduate on time.

Semester 1

Course (click for more information)	Critical Course	Pre-reqs or Co-reqs	Credits	Notes
AC 102	✔		3
AC 110	✔		3
AC 111	✔		3
AC 202	✔	✔	4
CHEM 145	✔		3
Semester Total Credits			16

Semester 2

Course (click for more information)	Critical Course	Pre-reqs or Co-reqs	Credits	Notes
AC 101	✔		3
AC 103	✔		3
AC 201	✔		3
AC 203	✔		3
AC 204	✔	✔	4
Semester Total Credits			16

Semester 3

Course (click for more information)	Critical Course	Pre-reqs or Co-reqs	Credits	Notes
HSERV 101	✔		3
ENG 101			3
PSYCH 101			3
SOC 101			3
The Arts, Foreign Language, or Other World Civilizations Gen Ed Elective			3
Semester Total Credits			15

Semester 4

Course (click for more information)	Critical Course	Pre-reqs or Co-reqs	Credits	Notes
HSERV 102	✔		3
HSERV 200	✔		3
ENG 102		✔	3
Mathematics Gen Ed Elective			3
American History or Western Civilization Gen Ed Elective			3
Semester Total Credits			15

Minimum Total Credits: 62

Transfer Opportunities

Westchester Community College is committed to facilitating a smooth transfer process to ensure that graduates of the college are prepared to transfer with junior status, and are able to complete a bachelor’s degree within two years of full-time study upon transfer. View 4-year institutions’ transfer agreement information by program here.

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