The Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) fulfills both the coursework and supervision requirements necessary to pursue certification in ABA. This program includes a carefully crafted sequence of courses verified by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), interwoven with a supervised learning experience (100 hours of supervision during 2000 supervised independent fieldwork hours over-seeing all required supervision activities. See www.bacb.com for most current Experience Standards and supervision requirements). The program is designed to prepare educators, special educators, clinicians, and practitioners to apply behavioral principles to instruction, treatment of problem behavior, and special learning and behavior challenges.

Program Requirements

To earn the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis students must complete 48 credit hours of graduate coursework.  To earn the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis with a concentration in  Autism Spectrum Disorders, students must complete 57 credit hours of graduate coursework.  These students will also earn a certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Both tracks require a supervised learning experience (100 hours of supervision during 2000 supervised independent fieldwork hours over-seeing all required supervision activities). In some instances, students may need to take additional supervision credit hours to complete degree requirements. 

These coursework and experience requirements meet BACB^® 5th edition Task List coursework requirements and revised experience standards required for students preparing to sit for BACB^® examinations from January 1, 2022 and onwards.

Students must select one of the following concentrations:

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates who complete the Specialist in Education degree with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis are expected to be able to (outcomes specified by focus or content area):

1. Foundations/ Philosophical Underpinnings and Concepts & Principles of ABA: Connect the professional practice of applied behavior analysis to basic behavioral principles and their roots in experimental analysis of behavior

2. Assessment: Select, design, and implement behavioral assessment procedures, present the results of assessment to stakeholders, and utilize the results to inform behavioral treatment

3. Intervention: Select, design, and implement behavior change interventions ethically and with integrity

4. Ethical Practice: Practice according to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts©

5. Measurement: Select measures, design measurement systems, measure behavior and use the results of measurement to inform and modify treatment

6. Personnel Supervision & Management: Select, design, implement, and evaluate the effects of behavior analytic performance management and supervision systems for personnel and trainees

7. Credentialing: Qualify for credentialing in the field of applied behavior analysis and develop a plan to maintain credentials

8. Experimentation & Analysis: Design and conduct experiments as a component of professional practice and/ or research

9. Professional Practice and Employment: Obtain a professional position in the field of applied behavior analysis and demonstrate the competencies and skills required by employers of today's practicing behavior analysts

10. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Define and engage in activities that promote cultural responsiveness and diversity, related to awareness, sensitivity, and humility, within the field of ABA as a practitioner, supervisor, and colleague

11. Professional Development and Lifelong Learning: Commit to lifelong learning, continuing education and professional development, as both a requirement to maintain certification and a necessary action
for continuing to advance the science of applied behavior analysis

12. Evidence-based Practice: Commit to the role of behavior analyst as ambassador of applied behavior analysis by supporting the use of evidence-based procedures and disseminating accurate information about the science and practice of applied behavior analysis to diverse and sometimes skeptical audiences

13. Describe and defend the importance of science for improving human conditions in a socially acceptable manner.