Why Choose Us

Our Graduates Are in Demand

You’re drawn to addiction counseling because you want to help. With a degree from the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, your job prospects are strong.

• Employment of substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors is projected to grow 22 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.
• Our graduates are quickly employed. Among the class of 2015, 97% of those seeking employment were employed within 6 months of graduation.
• Treatment centers across the nation recruit our graduates. Listen to what one employer has to say below.

We Have One Focus: Training Addiction Counselors Who Will Lead the Field

For more than 35 years, the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation has prepared alcohol and drug addiction counselors who help individuals and families reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. We are the longest continuous provider of alcohol and drug counselor training in the United States. Join us as we work to set the international standard for addiction counselor education, practice, and leadership.

Learn from World-Class Faculty

Our faculty will challenge you to think critically and creatively. Faculty members are highly approachable and accessible, providing leadership and guidance during your transformational experience at the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies. Their first-hand knowledge from years of clinical experience, research, and teaching ensure that our students get the most out of our innovative curriculum. Furthermore, 100% of our full-time faculty members hold a doctoral degree.

Learn more about our faculty.

You Have Options for Learning

Whether you want the immersion of an on-campus environment or the convenience of online learning, we have degree programs that are right for you.

Develop Your Clinical Skills Working Alongside Experienced Clinicians

Flexible options extend to your clinical internships, as well. On-campus students develop clinical skills working side by side with experienced Hazelden Betty Ford clinicians at our Minnesota sites. From the first day of class, on-campus studies will simultaneously blend academic coursework and clinical experience within and outside of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Clinical placements are guaranteed for all admitted on-campus students. Options to intern at Hazelden Betty Ford clinical locations throughout the U.S. extend to online students, as well. And all students have options to intern at other placements sites convenient to them. We carefully review all internship sites to ensure students receive optimal skills development.