SUNY Empire State College is launching a Bachelor of Science in addiction studies program it says is the first of its kind.
It is intended to help address the urgent need for qualified substance use disorder treatment specialists in New York state and around the nation, officials said.
Students will be able to complete the unique B.S. in addiction studies degree online, face-to-face, or through an individualized blend to fit the busy lives of working professionals.
Enrollment opens in the spring of 2020.
Data from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) said a significant gap between the 21 million Americans in need of substance misuse treatment and the 3.8 million who actually received it. This means that only 18 percent of those who needed help were receiving it, officials said.