Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Counseling and Addiction Recovery Sciences

The B.S. in Counseling and Addiction Recovery Sciences (CARS) prepares students to excel in careers related to human services administration and service delivery, including substance abuse prevention and counseling, management of community service and outreach organizations, non-profit administration, or case management. The CARS major also provides a strong foundation for students planning to pursue a graduate degree in counseling, marriage and family therapy, substance abuse prevention or treatment, or other mental health fields. This plan of study places emphasis on professional readiness and service delivery. All coursework is grounded in family systems theory and its applications in human services settings. An understanding of addiction in its various manifestations and the development of multicultural competence are also core elements of the curriculum.

CARS graduates develop a unique combination of skills in entry-level counseling, counseling theories, leadership, administration, program delivery, and cultural competence. They are also trained to understand addiction, including prevention, assessment, treatment, and relationship dynamics. Students who complete a degree in Counseling and Addiction Recovery Sciences are eligible to take the Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor examination and register as a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Intern in the state of Texas (as regulated by Texas Health and Human Services and the Texas Certification Board of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors).

Communication Literacy Requirement. In the CARS major, Communication Literacy is demonstrated by the use of verbal, aural, and written communication to create systemic change across a wide variety of contexts. For example, graduates will use focused oral and aural skills when working with clients, and professional writing skills to accomplish goals such as securing funding for an agency, developing new programs, or composing psychoeducational curriculum. The Communication Literacy courses are senior-level classes in which students synthesize knowledge and skills introduced throughout the curriculum to complete tasks that will be a part of their future career. In order to fulfill the CARS Communication Literacy requirement, majors must complete the following courses with a grade of C or higher. Courses in the Communication Literacy plan are CARS 3324, CARS 3325, and CARS 4390.