Since 1949, Grand Canyon University has been a premier private university in Arizona, helping students find their purpose and achieve their potential through landing the job of their dreams, advancing their career, or changing occupations. As a Christian university, GCU also encourages students to find their purpose in Christ, with an emphasis on applying Christian values and ethics to the workplace.
In addition to the traditional campus, GCU offers online programs that allow you to be in any location, studying at any time of day or night you choose, while still enjoying the close connection with your classmates and instructor via online discussions. It's the perfect solution for those seeking the flexibility online classes offer.
Unlike exclusively online universities, our programs are supported with the integrity of a traditional campus. As an online student at Grand Canyon University, you're joining a community of dedicated faculty, staff and students who care about your success. The prestigious, private university is regionally accredited and consistently ranked among the top colleges offering online courses by noteworthy sources including Fortune Small Business, Technology & Learning Magazine, Fox.com, Online Education Database (OEDb) and more.
GCU's quality academic programs, offered through our colleges, provide the essential knowledge and skills needed to be effective in today's complex business world. As a leading private university in Arizona, GCU emphasizes individual attention for both traditional undergraduate students as well as the working professional.
Reasons to Attend Grand Canyon University:
The Bachelor of Science in Counseling with an Emphasis in Addiction, Chemical Dependency, and Substance Abuse is designed to train practitioners in the field of addiction counseling, chemical dependency, and substance abuse treatment. The coursework focuses on the nature of psychopathological conditions and their impact on the physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual nature of the human being. Core courses include study of the psychopathological behavior's impact on the individual, family, and society; screening and assessment methods at the beginning of treatment; and case management during the treatment phases. Counseling skills courses and a fieldwork/practicum course complete the focused coursework list. Completion of this program may qualify graduates to meet the standards for state, national, and international certification for professional prevention specialists and treatment counselors/providers. Participants should contact the appropriate certifying body to ensure that courses meet certification requirements.
An increasing emphasis on early childhood education programs, and a general movement toward universal preschool education, will increase the importance of and demand for teachers with expertise in this critical area of teaching and development. This relevant and robust degree program is designed for individuals seeking knowledge and skills in the field of early childhood development and teaching. The curriculum includes instructional strategies, teaching methodologies, assessment techniques, theories of early childhood growth and development, and the impact of family and cultural diversity on early childhood. The degree program has embedded practicum experiences throughout the coursework, requires a student teaching component, and, upon approval, will lead to a teaching credential in Arizona. Teacher candidates are required to complete their internship experiences in a K-3 classroom. Graduates of this program will be equipped with the tools, techniques, and knowledge needed to successfully motivate, develop and educate children from birth to Grade 3.
The psychology major offers a broad array of courses that increase our understanding of human actions in the past and present. With this understanding comes the responsibility to improve our relationships with others and to help others to achieve similar understanding and insight into their own behaviors. The program helps prepare the student for entry-level positions in agencies and organizations which seek to help those in need. It should be understood that the requirements for employment in many positions in the helping professions include advanced education beyond the bachelor's degree.
The Bachelor of Science in Sociology degree seeks to encourage students to think deeply and seriously, using both the Christian and scientific perspectives, about the consequences of social structures upon human social behavior in its many diverse contexts. Students learn about the norms of social behavior, the varieties of human groups, the extent of societal influence on individuals, and the reasons that efforts to control human behavior are not always successful. Importantly, students learn how to discover facts about human social behavior using the scientific method and how to interpret facts and information using theories about social behavior. Graduates can go on to careers in the fields of human services, politics, research and government service.
As society understands more about addiction, more people are seeking treatment and more drug offenders are being sent to treatment programs rather than prison. As a result, demand for substance abuse counselors is expected to increase much faster than demand for most other occupations through 2018. This next-level degree program is designed to meet the needs of learners who wish to pursue a career as an addiction counseling professional. The program prepares students to treat substance abuse and dependency disorders. Courses provide a comprehensive survey of counseling theories, group counseling, social and cultural issues, psychopharmacology, family issues, and more. In addition, a supervised internship provides 150 contact hours of opportunity for student to develop their counseling skills. In many states, a master's degree is required for the highest level of licensing or certification. Graduates of this program are prepared to meet the academic requirements for licensure in Arizona as a both a Licensed Associate Substance Abuse Counselor (LASAC) and a Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor (LISAC). Additionally, program graduates from most other states will be academically prepared to begin the process of seeking certification and licensure in their home state. Licensing and certification requirements may vary from state to state. It is the student's responsibility to check the requirements in their state.
The curriculum offers an in-depth examination of counseling theories, chemical dependency, marriage and family, social and cultural issues, psychopharmacology, diagnostics, assessment and treatment, psychopathology, research methods, and more. In addition, four practicum-internships provide a total of 600 contact hours of opportunity for students to develop counseling skills. Courses in this rigorous program were chosen to meet the academic requirements established by the National Board for Certified Counselors for the National Certified Counselor credential (NCC) and by Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners. A master's degree in counseling is required in 48 states for individuals seeking to become licensed as counselors. Graduates from this program are prepared to meet the academic requirements for licensure in Arizona as a: Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Associate Substance Abuse Counselor (LASAC) and Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor (LISAC). Additionally, graduates from most other states will be academically prepared to begin the process of seeking certification and licensure in their home state. Licensing and certification requirements may vary from state to state. It is the student's responsibility to check the licensing and certification requirements in their state.
The Master of Science in Psychology with an emphasis in General Psychology is a program designed for individuals who desire promotion and/or continued academic exposure in the field of psychology. The program focuses on the development of critical thinking and leadership qualities. Graduates with these attributes impact those around them through leadership, action research, and introduction of programmatic community changes whether they are acting from the perspective of teachers, practitioners or researchers.
The Master of Science in Psychology with an emphasis in Organizational Psychology is a program designed for individuals who desire promotion and/or continued academic exposure in the field of psychology. The program focuses on the development of critical thinking and leadership qualities. Graduates with these attributes can impact companies and organizations which are interested in making their work environments ones in which individuals can thrive and contribute to the goals of the organization.
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in General Psychology with an emphasis in Cognition and Instruction is geared toward individuals who work in government positions, industry, school systems, and other types of instructional and applied settings. This program also prepares individuals for teaching and research at the university and college level. With a focus on how the human mind works and retains information, the PhD in Cognition and Instruction explores the most effective way to teach and train so that information becomes embedded. Core areas of knowledge include history and systems of psychology, cognition, research methods, statistics, as well as personality, abnormal, social, multicultural, and developmental psychology. Students are advised to inquire directly with their state if they intend to pursue licensure, as this degree does not lead directly to licensure in and of itself.
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in General Psychology with an emphasis on Industrial and Organizational Psychology was developed for individuals who want to become behavioral specialists in the work place. Those with a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology often pursue careers as teachers or researchers at the college or university level, consultants and staff psychologists, or researchers. In the workplace, industrial and organizational psychologists work to improve areas such as selection and placement, training and development, and the evaluation of employee performance. This program involves an in-depth study of how individuals behave in a variety of settings. Students are advised to inquire directly with their state if they intend to pursue licensure, as this degree does not lead directly to licensure in and of itself.
For program disclosure information please click here.