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WVU Potomac State College Catalog

Mental Health and Addiction Studies, A.A.

  • Overview
  • Faculty
  • Admissions Requirements
  • Major
  • Learning Outcomes

Degree Offered

  • Associate of Arts

Nature of the Program

The Mental Health and Addiction Studies major provides a broad knowledge base in mental health prevention, intervention and community impacts, with an in-depth focus on addiction treatment and recovery. Students in the major also take a variety of elective courses in diversity, aging, disabilities and wellness.

With its well-rounded curriculum, the major prepares students for fulfilling careers that lead to individual, family and community transformation. 

Career Opportunities

Possible careers for a four-year graduate in mental health and addiction studies include child, family and school social workers; mental health counselors; mental health and substance abuse social workers; psychiatric aides; social and human service assistants.


Faculty

Chair

  • Cassandra Pritts - M.A. History (Duquesne University)
    Year @ PSC (2011)

Assistant professors

  • Molly Alvaro - M.A. Counseling (Marshall University)
    Year @ PSC (2020)
  • Bruce Liller - M.S. Counseling Psychology (Frostburg State University)
    Year @ PSC (2018)

Admissions

Entering freshmen are admitted directly into the major.

Benchmark Requirements

Students who plan to continue their studies at WVU-Morgantown will need to maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in all courses with the COUN and CDFS designator required in the major and a 2.0 overall GPA. If a student’s overall GPA drops below 2.0, he or she may be subject to academic probation and potentially dismissal from the program.

General Education Foundations

Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.

NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.

Course List
Code Title Hours
General Education Foundations
F1 - Composition & Rhetoric3-6
ENGL 101
& ENGL 102
Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric
and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research
or ENGL 103
Accelerated Academic Writing
F2A/F2B - Science & Technology4-6
F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning3-4
F4 - Society & Connections3
F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past3
F6 - The Arts & Creativity3
F7 - Global Studies & Diversity3
F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree)9
Total Hours31-37

Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.

Curriculum Requirements

Course List
Code Title Hours
GEF Requirements (2, 3, 5, and 6)15
ENGL 101Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric3
ENGL 102Composition, Rhetoric, and Research3
COUN 201Foundations of Mental Health Intervention3
COUN 230Life Choices3
COUN 240Introduction to Addiction Studies3
COUN 340Counseling Techniques3
CDFS 110Families Across the Life Span3
CDFS 112Introduction to Family Processes and Dynamics3
CDFS 210Introduction to Parenting3
SOC 101Introduction to Sociology3
PSYC 101Introduction to Psychology3
PSYC 241Introduction to Human Development3
PSYC 281Introduction to Psychological Disorders3
WGST 170Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies3
WVUE 191First Year Seminar1
General Electives2
Total Hours60

Suggested Plan of Study

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ENGL 1013ENGL 1023
MATH 121 (or higher)3COUN 2403
COUN 2013PSYC 1013
CDFS 1103GEF 23
SOC 1013WGST 1703
WVUE 1911 
 16 15
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
COUN 2303COUN 3403
CDFS 1123CDFS 2103
PSYC 2413PSYC 2813
GEF 53GEF 23
General Elective2GEF 63
 14 15
Total credit hours: 60

Major Learning Outcomes

Mental Health and Addiction Studies

Upon successful completion of the A.A. degree, Mental Health and Addiction Studies majors will be able to:

1. Apply appropriate communication skills across settings, purposes, and audiences.

2. Analyze resources in order to critically examine information.

3. Examine the connections among self, society and the environment.

4. Evaluate the role of art in society.

  • Child Development and Family Studies
  • Communication Studies
  • Criminology
  • Elementary Education
  • English
  • General Studies
  • History
  • Integrated Studies
  • Mental Health and Addiction Studies
  • Physical Education-​Coaching and Performance Science
  • Physical Education-​Physical Education Teacher Emphasis
  • Physical Education-​Sport Management Emphasis
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Secondary Education
  • Sociology
  • Pre-​Social Work

WVU Potomac State College

Information

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Office of the University Registrar
P.O. Box 6878
Morgantown, WV 26506
Email: registrar@mail.wvu.edu
Phone: 304-293-5355

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