Addictions Specialization

Students in this course will be prepared for success in the psychology doctoral program at the University. Students are introduced to relevant academic communities, professional standards, and doctoral-level expectations. Essential skills needed to pursue a doctoral degree in psychology are emphasized, including critical thinking, comprehending complex scholarly texts and research articles, and effective written communications. Students will identify and begin to explore potential research topics for use in their doctoral studies and complete the course with a roadmap to navigate their way to degree completion.

This course focuses on scholarly and academic writing with an overarching goal of critically analyzing and thoughtfully synthesizing research findings while adhering to APA style and the principles of Academic Integrity. The emphases in this course are on how to (a) conduct effective literature searches; (b) critically review and summarize research studies; (c) write comprehensive, critical, and synthesized reviews of research literature; (d) formulate ideas and convey them in an ethical fashion; and (e) use feedback to revise and improve one’s work.

This doctoral-level course focuses on the fundamentals of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches to psychological research. Students gain an understanding of the strengths and limitations of each approach, and how these methods apply to a research topic. The concepts of critical evaluating, published research, research ethics, and developing a research proposal will also be explored and practiced. In addition, it provides a foundation for subsequent research courses in preparation for successfully completing a dissertation at the University.

This course provides an introductory exploration of statistics for the graduate student. It includes instruction on the calculation, use, and interpretation of descriptive statistics, and introduces inferential statistical analysis. The emphasis of this course is on providing a working knowledge of basic statistical concepts to help the student understand statistical methodology used in psychology, and also more generally, developing a working knowledge of statistical usage in everyday life.

This doctoral course in tests and measurements provides the student conceptual as well as practical guidelines in test and scale construction. This course will expose the students to concepts and theories including: the nature of psychological constructs and concepts, measurements and measurement error, item construction and analysis, Classical Test Theory, and the different approaches to establishing instrument reliability and validity. Students will have the opportunity to apply the skills and concepts to a construct relevant to their own research interests.

This doctoral-level course will introduce the student to psychological test construction, administration and interpretation as well as current research in the area. Commonly used tests to assess cognition and personality will be studied.

This course will provide a foundation for knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods used in the social sciences, including psychology. Knowledge of research methods is essential both for successful completion of the dissertation and for being a skilled consumer and creator of scholarly knowledge in your field. Topics explored will include the purposes of the two basic research methods (quantitative and qualitative), the nature of multiple research designs within each method, analytic strategies used within each method, factors in quality research within each method, and ethical issues in research methods. Scholarly writing and appropriate use of the scholarly literature will also be reinforced through all topics. This course is intended to provide a broad understanding of research methods to support deeper exploration and application using more refined resources in future courses.

The purpose of this course is to acquire deeper knowledge of the quantitative and qualitative designs. The focus is on active learning to develop applied research skills that will help you in design development, data collection, and data analysis reporting phases. During the course, you will also examine how your research reflections and analysis are grounded in the empirical literature.

This course focuses on how to conduct effective literature searches, specifically in preparation for the dissertation, develop a plan for writing comprehensive, critical, and synthesized reviews of research literature, and critically review and write about underlying theoretical frameworks that lay the foundation for future research. The overarching goal of this course is for students to conduct an extensive search of the peer-reviewed empirical and theoretical literature in their topic area and identify potential areas of inquiry for their dissertation.

The Pre-Candidacy Prospectus is intended to ensure students have mastered knowledge of their discipline prior to candidacy status and demonstrated the ability to design empirical research as an investigator before moving on to the dissertation research coursework. Students will demonstrate the ability to synthesize empirical, peer-reviewed research to support all assignments in this course. The Pre-Candidacy Prospectus is completed only after all foundation, specialization, and research courses have been completed.

Students in this course will be required to complete Chapter 1 of their dissertation proposal including a review of literature with substantiating evidence of the problem, the research purpose and questions, the intended methodological design and approach, and the significance of the study. A completed, committee approved (against the minimum rubric standards) Chapter 1 is required to pass this course successfully. Students who do not receive approval of Chapter 1 to minimum standards will be able to take up to three supplementary 8-week courses to finalize and gain approval of Chapter 1.

Students in this course will be required to work on completing Chapters 1-3 of their dissertation proposal and receive committee approval for the Dissertation Proposal (DP) in order to pass the class. Chapter 2 consists of the literature review. Chapter 3 covers the research methodology method and design and to includes population, sample, measurement instruments, data collection and analysis, limitations, and ethical considerations. In this course, a completed, committee-approved Chapters 2 and 3 are required and, by the end of the course, a final approved dissertation proposal (against the minimum rubric standards). Students who do not receive approval of the dissertation proposal will be able to take up to three supplementary 8-week courses to finalize and gain approval of these requirements.

Students in this course will be required to prepare, submit, and obtain approval of their IRB application, collect data, and submit a final study closure form to the IRB. Students still in data collection at the end of the 12-week course will be able to take up to three supplementary 8-week courses to complete data collection and file an IRB study closure form.

In this dissertation course students work on completing Chapters 4 and 5 and the final Dissertation Manuscript. Specifically, students will complete their data analysis, prepare their study results, and present their findings in an Oral Defense and a completed manuscript. A completed, Committee approved (against the minimum rubric standards) Dissertation Manuscript and successful Oral Defense are required to complete the course and graduate. Students who do not receive approval for either or both their Dissertation Manuscript or defense can take up to three supplementary 8-week courses to finalize and gain approval of either or both items as needed.

In this course you will explore substance-related and addictive disorders from theoretical, socio-cultural, biological, and legal/ethical perspectives. Topics covered include: classification and pharmacological properties of major abused substances, recognizing signs and symptoms of substance abuse and addiction, physiological and psychological processes of use and dependence, theoretical explanations of use and abuse, prevention of substance abuse, treatment approaches to substance abuse and addictive disorders, and the impact of substance abuse and addictive disorders on individuals, families and society.

In this course you will evaluate strategies for developing groups for substance abuse and explore how to assess goodness of fit and readiness for group therapy. While therapeutic substance abuse groups will be explored most directly in the course, you will also explore other approaches to substance abuse treatment such as support groups and alcoholics anonymous among other approaches. Additionally, you will compare different theoretical approaches to care. A discussion of client needs across settings such as inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation centers will be covered, as well as an examination of managed care and possible barriers to treatment. You will also have an opportunity to discuss factors related to long-term success and relapse prevention. 

In this course you will acquire essential knowledge for effective integration of treatment services and ancillary support to individuals with co-occurring substance-related and other addictive disorders and other mental conditions. Specific focus will be placed on leadership responsibility in accurate assessment, treatment planning, and follow up services. Attention will be placed on developing a balanced treatment approach to adequately address the unique needs of the individuals receiving services.  

This course connects the issues of substance-related and addictive disorders with family systems dynamics. You will use foundational knowledge regarding substance-related and addictive disorders to understand addictive behaviors. You will also learn about family systems, including family roles, rules, and patterns. Understanding the connection of family relationships and generational patterns of addiction is key to facilitating successful recovery. You will review major theoretical frameworks for successful intervention with family systems as well as with individual who demonstrates addictive behaviors.

This course provides an overview of substance-related and addictive disorder assessment and treatment planning. One overarching goal of the course is to give you exposure to various screening and assessment measures used in the process of assessment of substance-related and addictive disorders. A second overarching goal is to develop skills related to treatment planning for substance-related and addictive disorders including clinical interview, knowledge of addictive processes, diagnosis, and treatment planning. Finally, you will use the results of the assessment measures to inform diagnostic considerations and decision making around treatment goals and interventions.

This course provides an overview of research and theory in the field of substance-related and addictive disorders. You will examine theories of disorder development, maintenance, treatment and relapse. You will learn about research methods for studying disorders and treatment efficacy across diverse populations You will select appropriate research designs to address specific issues related to substance abuse and addiction. Considerations for incorporating research into treatment will be explored. You will also examine potential ethical issues that can arise in research and how to address them.