Applied Behavior Analysis

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Masters Degree Overview

Students seeking training to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) may enroll in the Master of Science degree in Applied Behavior Analysis.  The program prepares students with training in the science of learning and behavior and the skills necessary to work as Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA).   Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a scientific approach to the study of behavior.  Behavior analysts work directly with individuals to improve their social, educational, health, adaptive skills, and behavioral outcomes through the development of programming based upon the principles of ABA.  Behavior analysts are trained to describe behavior, explain, predict, and analyze the occurrence and non-occurrence of behavior in the context of the environment, and change behavior through the development of programming based on ABA strategies and tactics.

Through coursework firmly grounded in theory, with an emphasis on the application of theory to socially significant and effective practice, the M.S. in ABA program provides students with an excellent foundation to meet the proficiencies mandated by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB).  Students will be prepared to complete the required supervised field work and sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination.  Pass-Rate Data are available at the BACB website.  Pass-rate data are not published for sequences with fewer than six first-time candidates in a single year or for sequences within their first four years of operation.

BCBAs provide services within mental health, educational, and human services environments that may include collecting and analyzing data, writing and evaluating behavior intervention plans, training others to implement components of treatment plans, and overseeing the implementation of treatment plans.  BCBAs are qualified to provide services to individuals with a variety of needs such as academic performance deficits, adaptive skill deficits (e.g., communication, self-care, and other  functional skills), and problem behavior (e.g., aggression, self-injurious behavior), and social interactions.  BCBAs also provide supervision to Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT).

Admission Requirements

Students must submit the following items with their application.

The GRE is not required for admission to this program. The Office of International Affairs lists additional admission requirements for international students.

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
  • Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
  • 3.0 GPA or higher on submitted transcripts
  • Two professional letters of recommendation
  • Personal statement

The university’s academic policies for graduate students apply.

Program Requirements

The Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis is a 36 credit hour degree program. A minimum cumulative GPA of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) must be maintained to continue enrollment in the program. The program requires successful completion of the following courses:

EDC 506Applied Behavior Analysis I: Principles of Behavior3
EDC 507Applied Behavior Analysis II: Behavior Change Procedures3
EDFP 507Applied Behavior Analysis II: Practicum1
EDC 516Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis3
EDFP 516Research Methods in ABA Practicum1
EDC 580Behavioral Assessment3
EDFP 580Behavioral Assessment Practicum1
EDC 622Science and Human Behavior3
EDC 621Experimental Analysis of Behavior3
EDC 623Ethics in Applied Behavior Analysis3
EDC 625Contemporary Issues for ABA Practitioners 3
EDC 634Behavioral Principles for Supervision, Training, & Performance Management3
EDK 697ABA Applied Project I: Proposal Development & IRB Approval1
EDK 698ABA Applied Project II: Data Collection1
EDK 699ABA Applied Project III: Written Product & Oral Presentation1
Elective Coursework - Select one course from the following:3
EDC 508
Intro to Dvlpmntl Disabilities
EDC 514
Early Child Ed Special Needs
or EDC 561
 Educating the Exceptional Chld
EDC 539
Child Maltreatment and Trauma
EDT 530
Assistive Technology
Total Credit Hours36

Program Notes:

1. Students must complete program requirements with a minimum 3.0 gpa.

2. Completion of this degree leads to, but does not equate to certification through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB).

a. In order to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) a student must complete the required courses of this certificate, obtain supervision in an ABA setting, and successfully pass the BCBA exam.

i. ONSET OF EXPERIENCE: Supervisees may not start accumulating experience hours until they have done all of the following: • Started qualifying coursework (may begin accruing hours after attending first class meeting of a course with the Verified Course Sequence) • Passed the Experience Standards Training Module • Secured a qualified supervisor

ii. DURATION OF EXPERIENCE: The start and end dates of the experience may not be more than five years apart.

iii. ACCRUAL OF EXPERIENCE: For all categories, no fewer than 10 hours but no more than 30 hours, including supervision hours, may be accrued per week. Supervisees may accrue experience in only one category per supervisory period.

3. In order to be eligible to take the BCBA exam and complete practicum hours, a student must complete all the required courses with a C or better.

4. More information regarding Behavior Analyst Certification can be found at https://www.bacb.com/

Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis Accelerated Program Option (4+1 program)

Overview

The Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis Accelerated Program, or 4+1 program, is designed for undergraduate students who have the interest, and demonstrated ability, to pursue the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis. The program is designed to allow students who complete a B.A./B.S. at the University of Michigan-Dearborn to fulfill the requirements of the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis with one additional year of graduate study.  This will be achieved by combining a portion of undergraduate and graduate coursework as described below.  

Eligibility

To be eligible for the program, a student must:

  • Be enrolled in an undergraduate program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
  • Have a 3.25 cumulative GPA or better.
  • Have earned at least 60 credits at the undergraduate level.

Double Counting Credits

  1. The 4+1 Masters program allows current UM-Dearborn undergraduate students to complete both their B.A./B.S. and M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis degrees in an accelerated format. 4+1 students can double-count up to 15 credits of 500-level or above courses.  The courses eligible to be double-counted include:
    1. EDC 506
    2. EDC 621
    3. EDC 622
    4. EDC 625
    5. One of the following electives: EDC 508, EDC 514, EDC 561, EDC 539, or EDT 530
  2. At least one additional year of graduate work (at least 21 credits) would be needed to complete the Master's program.
  3. The double-counted classes appear on both the undergraduate and graduate transcripts.  Students are graded based on the graduate grading scheme for all graduate courses elected.

Admission to the Program

  1. Participation in the 4+1 program is limited to students who have:
    1. completed at least 60 undergraduate credit hours
    2. earned a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25
  2. Admission to the 4+1 program is at the discretion of the CEHHS Director of Graduate Programs.
  3. Applicants to the 4+1 program must apply for the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis through the online graduate program application and indicate a "Yes" response to the 4+1 accelerated program question.  Students must submit a letter of recommendation from a UM-Dearborn faculty member or instructor and official transcripts.
  4. 4+1 students must enroll in the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis program for a minimum of two full terms, paying graduate tuition rates. 4+1 students do not dual register and should utilize their graduate registration, not their undergraduate registration, to complete the remaining credits of the graduate program.
  5. Students must attain a grade of B or better in each 500 level class double-counted or transferred to the graduate program.  Failure to do so may result in removal from the 4+1 program.  Students may be given the opportunity to retake courses once they complete their undergraduate degree

Feasibility of this Program

To complete the 4+1 program in five years students will have to complete any remaining required courses in the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis plan of study.  The following table shows a sample course schedule for the last three years of the accelerated program.  In this schedule it is assumed that students take 15 credits of graduate coursework as undergraduates, which leaves them with 21 credits to complete as graduate students.   Students taking less than the full 15 credits as undergraduates may require more than one year to complete the Master’s program.  The courses shown in the table are only the graduate level courses that would be required to complete the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis.  It is assumed students would fill in other requirements for their undergraduate degree as needed during years 3 & 4. 

Sample Course Schedule (MS in ABA)

Successful completion of the following courses is required before students take the Board Certified Behavior Analyst examination.  Applicants will also need to meet additional requirements before they can be deemed eligible to take the examination.  This sample course schedule assumes the student enters the program directly as a graduate student.  Students who enter the program through the 4+1 route would not need three years to complete the MS program as they would already have completed up to 15 credits as an undergrad.

EDC 506Applied Behavior Analysis I: Principles of Behavior (Year 1 Fall)3
EDC 623Ethics in Applied Behavior Analysis (Year 1 Fall)3
EDC 507Applied Behavior Analysis II: Behavior Change Procedures (Year 1 Winter)3
EDFP 507Applied Behavior Analysis II: Practicum (Year 1 Winter)1
EDC 516Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis (Year 1 Summer)3
EDFP 516Research Methods in ABA Practicum (Year 1 Summer)1
EDC 580Behavioral Assessment (Year 2 Fall)3
EDFP 580Behavioral Assessment Practicum (Year 2 Fall)1
EDC 634Behavioral Principles for Supervision, Training, & Performance Management (Year 2 Winter)3
EDC 621Experimental Analysis of Behavior (Year 2 Winter)3
EDK 697ABA Applied Project I: Proposal Development & IRB Approval (Year 2 Summer)1
EDC 539Child Maltreatment and Trauma (Year 2 Summer: Possible Elective)3
EDC 625Contemporary Issues for ABA Practitioners (Year 3 Fall)3
EDK 698ABA Applied Project II: Data Collection (Year 3 Fall)3
EDC 622Science and Human Behavior (Year 3 Winter)3
EDK 699ABA Applied Project III: Written Product & Oral Presentation (Year 3 Winter)1

Program Notes

  • Students only need to complete 1 course (3 credits) of electives.  The course list above shows all possible elective options even though only 1 of these courses would need to be taken.
  • The undergraduate degree for 4+1 students can be conferred upon completion of the undergraduate degree requirements, rather than after completion of the graduate degree.
.

Learning Goals

  1. Describe and provide examples of the critical concepts and principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
  2. Describe and apply research methodology and measurement strategies used in the implementation and management of ABA.
  3. Describe and apply the principles of ABA in relation to individuals with a variety of disabilities in a range of clinical, educational, pre-vocational/vocational, home, and community settings.
  4. Describe and apply behavioral assessment procedures, including identification of target behaviors, developing operational definitions, conducting functional behavior assessment/functional analysis.
  5. Accurately graph, visually analyze, and interpret behavioral data, including functional analysis data.
  6. Describe ethical issues related to ABA service delivery with individuals with developmental disabilities and other mental health needs.
  7. Describe and apply principles of experimental design, including single-subject research methodology.
  8. Develop Behavior Intervention Plans based upon the results of a functional analysis.