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Admission Requirements

What does the application process involve? Read this article about our admissions requirements. You’ll find important information about your personal statement, references, background checks and official transcripts.
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Once you make the decision to apply for admission to one of Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School's CACREP-accredited programs, we are here to ensure the graduate program admissions process goes as smoothly for you as possible.

When you begin our online application, we will be in touch to guide you through the process, keep you posted on key deadlines, and answer any questions you may have.

To help you prepare, we put together the following checklist of admissions requirements and steps. You will also find information on financial aid. If you have questions about our graduate programs in addiction counseling, the application procedure or any aspect of the Graduate School admissions and enrollment process, please contact our admissions office.

To apply with the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, you must have completed a bachelor’s degree or meet the requirements of an Alternative Admissions Pathway. The GRE is not required for admission.

To be considered for admission to the Graduate School, applicants must complete the relevant required steps for the degree program they selected by the prescribed deadline.

You will be expected to:

  • Request an official transcript from your undergraduate institution. This will show proof that you have earned a bachelor's degree. You are encouraged, but not required, to have transcripts reflecting master's work sent to us as well.
  • Request input from three professional references. Your professional references must be people who are qualified to comment on your academic or professional skills, your abilities and qualities to be an effective addiction counselor, your personal/professional readiness to help others, and knowledge of your values and ethics. You should NOT choose your counselor, sponsor, therapist, family or friends as professional references.
  • Write an essay about your career and educational goals. The essay is a key component of your application. While past experiences may play a role in your decision to apply to Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, we recommend that your essay focuses on your future professional path. You will be evaluated on your ability to express yourself, depth of content and writing skills. Your essay must be typed, double-spaced and approximately 750-1,000 words in total. It is important to note this is an essay, not a letter or personal statement.
  • An admission interview may be requested upon completion of your application.

View application deadlines and apply today.

Please note that applicants considering admission via an alternative pathway may be prohibited from licensure/certification in some states if a bachelor's degree is required in that state.

Pathway 1

Submit evidence for two of the following components:

  • Completed associate degree
  • Minimum of 60 credit hours at bachelor's degree level (if no degree obtained)
  • Minimum of two years as a military service veteran with a record of honorable discharge (DD214 or equivalent), or a minimum of two years of active military service. Or a minimum of four years of Reserve or National Guard service
  • Current licensed/certified substance use disorder counselor
  • Minimum of two years of direct helping profession-related work experience and/or four years of consistent indirect helping professional experience

Pathway 2

Submit evidence of one component from Group A and two components from Group B:

  • Group A
    • Completed associate degree
    • Minimum of 60 credit hours at bachelor's degree level (if no degree obtained)
    • Minimum of two years as a military service veteran with a record of honorable discharge (DD214 or equivalent), or a minimum of two years of active military service. Or a minimum of four years of Reserve or National Guard service
    • Current licensed/certified substance use disorder counselor
    • Minimum of two years of direct helping profession-related work experience and/or four years of consistent indirect helping professional experience
       
  • Group B
    • Current or recent volunteerism consisting of a minimum of 100 hours within the past two years
    • Documented training of a minimum of 24 hours in any field (e.g., CEs, workshops, etc.) within the past two years
    • Active professional engagements (e.g., memberships, speaking/presenting, and attendance at conferences) within the past two years in any field
    • Minimum of 30 college credit hours in any field (Cannot use this criteria if using 60 credit hours above in Group A.)

To Apply

On-Campus Master's Program

Online Master's Program

Throughout our history of training addiction counselors, we have educated students from more than 40 countries around the world. We welcome international students to apply for the Masters in Counseling, Specialty: Addiction Counseling Hybrid Program, which starts each September at our Center City, Minnesota, campus. You will feel at home on a school campus that is open to broad ideas, diverse cultures, and international perspectives.

Additional requirements and steps in the application process for international students include:

  • Submitting the online application form.*
    Completing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). An applicant who does not speak English as a first language is required to complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or equivalent. TOEFL requirements are the following: score of 213 or more on the computer-based test, or a score of 550 or more on the written test, or a score of 80 or more on the Internet-based test. If an applicant chooses the IELTS academic exam, a score of 6.0 must be achieved. TOEFL or IELTS scores are not required if the applicant has a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
  • Providing official transcript(s) from all previous higher learning institutions. All transcripts from non-U.S. schools must be evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. or World Education Services, Inc. It is the prospective student's responsibility to pay the fee for this service.
  • Providing immunization records. Minnesota Law (M.S. 135A, 14) requires all students born after 1956 be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus (every 10 years), mumps, and rubella. Minnesota high school students who graduated in 1997 or later are exempt from the immunization requirements. In addition, a student may be exempt for medical or conscientious reasons. Unless exempt, a student must provide immunization data at initial registration.
  • Submitting a financial statement. To receive an I-20 and F-1 Visa, prospective students must show adequate funding to meet all the expenses that will be incurred during your proposed program of study. You must submit a current (not over 90 days) and certified copy of your financial statement from a registered bank or savings institution in U.S. dollars showing adequate financial resources for the period of intended enrollment. The I-20 will not be processed until we have received this information.

*Due to the longer processing time involved in evaluating transcripts, international students must submit a completed application with all supporting documentation by July 1. Remember, international students are eligible to apply only to the Graduate School’s on-campus master’s degree program in Center City. See school admissions deadlines and apply today.

We have identified the basic technology skills and systems you will need in order to complete your degree with us. 

The Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School participates in the Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs administered through the U.S. Department of Education. All federal loans are offered through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. Learn more about the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program.

From federal loans and private loans to grants and academic scholarships to veteran's benefits, be sure to explore all of the potential financial aid opportunities available to you in pursuing graduate studies.

The Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School programs are open to qualified applicants able to meet entrance requirements. The programs do not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, creed, religion, age, color, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, marital status, veterans' status, status with regard to public assistance, socioeconomic status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, political belief or affiliation, or any other legally protected category.