Program Tracks

We offer several pathways for students who wish to pursue the Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) credential in the State of Connecticut.

Please read the following options carefully and select the one that most closely matches your situation.

Important: professional licenses awarded by state governments (including the LADC) typically require a specific formal educational background plus relevant supervised experience and a passing score on a licensure examination. No college or university can issue a license to practice. Our role is to provide an appropriate education.

M.S. in Human Services

  • I wish to earn a master’s degree and engage in counseling-related work, including with persons suffering from addictive disorders, but I am not interested in pursuing either the LADC or the LPC.
    • Your simplest option is the 1.5 year, 39-credit Master of Science in Human Services (MSHS) program.  
    • This program involves 240 hours of supervised fieldwork, though students with extensive experience working in the field may be able to substitute an action research project for 120 of those hours.

M.S. in Human Services/Postgraduate Addiction Counseling Certificate Program

  • I wish to earn a master’s degree and achieve the LADC credential, but I do not intend to pursue the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)  at this time. I have not previously completed the required coursework in addiction counseling.
  • I have previously completed the required coursework in addiction counseling through the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Counselor (DARC) program at a Connecticut community college and/or I am a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC).
    • The Connecticut Department of Public Health will probably allow the DARC program to count as the addiction-specific training, though we advise contacting them to ensure that the policy remains in force. Assuming this to be the case, you should be able to fulfill the remaining educational requirements through our 1.5 year, 39-credit Master of Science in Human Services (MSHS) program. 
    • This program involves 240 hours of supervised fieldwork, though students with extensive experience working in the field may be able to substitute an action research project for 120 of those hours.

Addiction Counseling Certificate 

  • I already hold a counseling-related master’s degree and wish to pursue the LADC credential, but I have not previously completed the required coursework in addiction counseling. I am already educationally eligible for licensure in my field (LPC, LCSW, LMFT, etc.) or else do not wish to pursue any license other than the LADC.
    • Your best option is the two-semester, 18-credit postgraduate Addiction Counseling Certificate. Because you are already a master’s-level professional, no further internship placements are required in this program.
    • Important: Please ensure that your master’s degree qualifies as “counseling related.” In general, degrees in the following fields will be accepted: counseling, psychology, social work, family therapy, and human services (except for mainly administrative programs). If you have any doubts about whether your degree qualifies, please contact the Connecticut Department of Public Health. (We will be happy to review your graduate transcripts and offer an opinion, but cannot always be sure of the state’s final decision.)

M.S. in Clinical Counseling (Addiction Track)

  • I wish to earn a master’s degree, achieve the LADC credential – and also pursue the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential. I have not previously completed the required coursework in addiction counseling.
    • To achieve all these objectives, you should consider the “addiction counseling” track of our 60-credit, 3-year Master of Science in Clinical Counseling (MSCC) program. 
    • Please note that a minimum of 720 hours of supervised fieldwork is required; if you will be unable to devote the necessary time to the internship experience, you should consider another option.

M.S. in Clinical Counseling (Addiction Track OR Mental Health Track)

  • I wish to earn a master’s degree, achieve the LADC credential – and also pursue the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential. I have previously completed the required coursework in addiction counseling through the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Counselor (DARC) program at a Connecticut community college.
    • The Connecticut Department of Public Health will probably allow the DARC program to count as the addiction-specific training, though we advise contacting them to ensure that the policy remains in force. Assuming this to be the case, you should consider our 3-year, 60-credit Master of Science in Clinical Counseling (MSCC) program. You could choose either the “addiction counseling” track or the “mental health counseling” track. If you have a strong background in studio art, you also might consider our 3-year, 60-credit Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling (MAATC) program. 
    • Please note that a minimum of 720 hours of supervised fieldwork is required for the MSCC program; if you will be unable to devote the necessary time to the internship experience, you should consider another option.