Identify, Understand & Manage Addictive Behavior with an Online Addiction Studies Degree
The cycle of addiction takes the form of many behaviors - substance abuse, gambling, video games, shopping and exercise - all of which can take over personal lives. UMS's Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Addiction studies can help you understand how people's habits and activities, good and bad, can evolve into an addiction and how that cycle can be treated.
See Yourself Succeed in Addiction Studies
UMS’s addiction studies degree explores the theories and contemporary research of addictive behaviors, preparing students to both understand the compulsions themselves and the people they affect. The program pairs the fundamentals of addictions with a solid foundation in psychology to teach you the knowledge and skills you need to address a broad range of situations involving addictions.
Throughout the addictions studies program, you'll develop an understanding of biopsychology and how it affects behavior. You'll also look at the social causes of addictive actions and learn how to identify, prevent and approach treatments and situations as they relate to the people they affect, their families, community and society. The addictions concentration looks closely at current research and issues, giving you the foundation to examine the moral and ethical issues that go along with this hotly debated topic.
As a private, nonprofit university, UMS has one mission – to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of earning your bachelor's in psychology online at UMS include:
- Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation
- Convenience. Attend class when it’s convenient for you – online education means 24/7 access
- Efficiency and flexibility. Complete your undergraduate degree at your own pace, over six 8-week terms per year
- Expert instruction. Learn from instructors with relevant, real-world experience
- Honor societies. High-achieving students are invited to join the National Society of Leadership and Success
- Networking. All students are invited to join our online UMS Psychology Club and to tap into our nationwide network of alumni for internship and career opportunities
- Simple application process. Just fill out an online undergraduate application, and we’ll retrieve U.S. transcripts from your previous institutions and automatically complete an official credit evaluation. Plus, there’s no application fee
- Student support. Count on the ongoing support of dedicated academic and career advisors specialized in your area of study
- Transfer-friendly enrollment. Transfer up to 90 credits toward an undergraduate degree
Career Outlook
While some career options may require additional experience or training beyond the successful completion of this degree program, the addiction studies program builds skills and knowledge that can be applied in many professional settings. It will also prepare you for graduate school. Your study of addictive behavior can be channeled into careers like:
- Case manager
- Community relations officer
- Court liaison
- Health educator
- Law enforcement advocate
- Probation and parole officer
- Psychiatric assistant
- Researcher
- Treatment specialist
- Victims' advocate
Curriculum
Your online psychology degree can help you build a solid liberal arts foundation that provides a well-rounded education to support your study of psychology. Courses are taught by instructors with professional credentials and experience in related fields.
Courses To Prepare You For Your Career
UMS's bachelor's in addictions program includes:
- General education
- Degree-specific courses
General Education Program
Our programs are designed to equip you with the skills and insights you need to move forward. In recent years, employers have stressed the need for graduates with higher order skills - the skills that go beyond technical knowledge - such as:
- Writing
- Communication
- Analysis
- Problem solving
All bachelor's students are required to take general education classes. Through foundation, exploration and integration courses, students learn to think critically, creatively and collaboratively, giving you the edge employers are looking for.
Courses May Include
Program Outcomes
- Analyze the major concepts and theoretical perspectives related to various types of addictive behaviors
- Apply knowledge of research methods to understand treatment and prevention of addictive behaviors
- Evaluate contemporary research in addictions that addresses issues related to behavior and mental processes
- Assimilate classic and current research within the field of psychology by developing detailed literature reviews and presentations
- Gather, organize, and analyze acquired knowledge within the field of psychology as evidenced in an e-compendium
- Develop a conference-level deliverable depicting theoretical or empirical research and how it fits a larger body of knowledge in the research literature of Psychology
- Evaluate the appropriate research method(s) to use for the problem examined in a theoretical or empirical research project
- Describe informed conclusions that align with selected research designs and statistical analyses used in an original research project
- Analyze multifaceted ethical issues associated with the core content areas of psychology as evidenced through the creation of informed consent forms and the use of ethical reasoning applied to dilemmas in research, teaching, counseling, and assessment
