Department of Sociology — The Concentration in Alcohol & Substance Abuse Studies

Administered through the Department of Sociology, the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Concentration (ASAS) offers a flexible curriculum in the study of issues involving alcohol and other drugs. The required courses emphasize theory and research, as well as provide opportunities to gain practical experience in the design and delivery of treatment, prevention, or educational services. Elective courses address a wide range of topics.

The ASAS concentration is designed for students now working in or planning to enter careers in substance abuse services, or in areas where a general understanding of alcohol and drugs is an important part of job performance, such as nursing and health care, management and administration, social work and human services, law enforcement and criminal justice, primary and secondary education, and youth services. The program is also relevant for students planning to pursue graduate studies in the social and behavioral sciences, as well as professional degrees in law, social work, nursing, and medicine. Faculty advisors work with students to develop a curriculum suitable to their educational and career objectives.

The Program

The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Studies concentration is open to matriculated students majoring in sociology, social psychology, or criminal justice. Students who elect ASAS must submit a “Declaration or Change of Major, Minor, Program of Study or Concentration” form through the Office of the Registrar, listing ASAS in the concentration category.

Requirements

Students who elect ASAS must complete required and elective courses in this 18-credit program as follows.

Required Courses (15 credits)*

• SOCIOL/CRMJUS L367 (Drugs and Society)
• SOCIOL/CRMJUS L368 (Alcoholism: Etiology and Epidemiology)
• SOCIOL 369 (Alcoholism: Prevention and Treatment)
  or
  SOCIOL 384 (Sociology of Health, Illness and Health Care)
  or
  SOCIOL 386 (Sociology of Mental Health)
  or
  SOCIOL 623 (Alcohol, Drugs and Crime, permission of instructor required)
• SOCIOL/CRMJUS L461 (Internship in Law and Criminal Justice) or
  SOCIOL/CRMJUS L462 (Internship in Law and Juvenile Justice)
  or
  SOCIOL 460 (Internship in Urban Social Service) (6 credits)

     Within the required internship, students will choose an alcohol- or drug-related placement.

• 1 Elective (3 credits)*

SOCIOL 201 (Youth and Society)
SOCIOL 242 (The Family)
SOCIOL 261 (Social Deviance and Control)
SOCIOL/CRMJUS L262 (Criminology)
SOCIOL 316 (Family Violence)
SOCIOL 362 (Juvenile Delinquency)
SOCIOL 384 (Sociology of Health, Illness and Health Care) (if not taken as one of the ASAS requirements)
SOCIOL 386 (Sociology of Mental Health and Illness) (if not taken as one of the ASAS requirements)
PSYCH 200 (Personality)
PSYCH 215 (Abnormal Psychology)
PSYCH 338 (Community Psychology)
PSYCH 333 (Group Dynamics)
PSYCH 341 (The Family and the Child)
PSYCH 362 (Psychopharmacology)

* Please note that SOCIOL 101 is a prerequisite for all sociology and criminal justice courses in the ASAS certificate program and that various prerequisites apply to psychology courses; check the psychology course listings in this catalog for specific course prerequisites.

Transfer Credit Policy

Up to 3 transfer credits may apply to this concentration.