Health Sciences & Human Services Building
Monday, August 6, 2018
Announcements, Alumni
By Amanda Taylor
Dr. Bruce Reed, UTRGV professor of rehabilitation services and counseling and director of the School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling
Rio Grande Valley, Texas – The UTRGV School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling starting this fall semester will offer a brand new Bachelor of Science degree in Addiction Studies that is fully online.
The degree program has been developed to satisfy education requirements for becoming a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor in Texas.
“For professionals already working in the substance abuse field, this provides a flexible way to earn a degree and advance in careers,” said Dr. Bruce Reed, UTRGV professor of rehabilitation services and counseling and director of the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling. “As a fully online bachelor’s program, this is an exciting and convenient opportunity to become a licensed counselor.”
The UTRGV School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling had previously offered a Bachelor of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling with a concentration in Addition Studies option, but with the inception of the new Addiction Studies degree track, the previous degree will be phased out immediately.
The existing minor in Addiction Studies will continue to be offered.
Students currently declared as majors in Rehabilitation Counseling with a concentration in Addiction Studies will have the option to complete their current degree plan or switch to the new Addiction Studies Bachelor’s degree.
“This degree leads to becoming a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor in the state of Texas,” Reed said. “This is the second Bachelor of Science degree in Addiction Studies offered only in the state of Texas.” The other degree track is Addiction Counseling out of the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
Students with questions or concerns are recommended to contact the Addiction Studies program advisors, Eluterio Blanco at eluterio.blanco01@utrgv.edu or Fidencio Mercado at fidencio.mercado@utrgv.edu.
ABOUT UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.
UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.