ABOUT CALDWELL COLLEGE’S GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

Caldwell College offers a Post-Masters Certificate in ABA, a Master of Arts in ABA (the first in New Jersey), and a new Ph.D. in ABA that began in Fall 2009 (also the first in New Jersey). Each program focuses on the advanced methods, principles, and procedures of basic and applied behavior analysis practice and research, and its application. The core of each program consists of coursework that has been approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board as meeting the academic requirements to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst™ (BCBA) exam.

The Caldwell College graduate programs in ABA were designed to prepare students for high-level employment within the fields where there are growing demands for competent professionals with expertise in applied behavior analysis: Namely, developmental disabilities services, special education, and mental health.

CALDWELL COLLEGE RECEIVES APPROVAL TO LAUNCH FIRST PH.D. FOR APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS-AUTISM TREATMENT IN NEW JERSEY

ABA program is Caldwell College's First Doctoral Program

Caldwell College launched the first Ph.D. program in New Jersey for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a well developed scientific discipline that is best known for its proven ability to greatly help children with autism spectrum disorder. Caldwell's program was recently approved by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and Middle States.

A leader in the field of ABA and in training the new Autism specialists, Caldwell began the doctoral program in fall 2009. Caldwell College was the first institution of higher education in the state of NJ to offer a Master's degree in ABA

This will also be the first doctoral program at Caldwell in its 70-year history.

“This is very exciting for Caldwell College and for the state of New Jersey,” said Dr. Nancy H. Blattner, President of Caldwell College. “Because New Jersey has the highest prevalence of Autism in the nation, Caldwell College is taking another huge step in training qualified professionals to serve the number of children and families affected by autism spectrum disorders.”

“This is a natural next step for us. We have been training leaders in the field of ABA through our Master's level program for the last several years and now our highly qualified faculty can take this to the next level,” said Dr. Sharon A. Reeve, Coordinator of Graduate Programs in ABA at Caldwell College. “We believe that in the years to come, the graduates of Caldwell College's Ph.D. in ABA can have a positive impact on the lives of thousands of New Jersey children and their families who are affected by Autism. The Ph.D. program builds on Caldwell's uniqueness and leadership in this area and completes the continuum of educational preparation and training for special education teaching professionals.”

In the future, the College plans to develop an on-campus ABA Center, which will give graduate students hands-on training in ABA. The center will serve the community by providing parents and their children with a place to come for evaluation and training by skilled professionals in the application of ABA techniques.

In spring 2009, Caldwell College hosted a national ABA conference where over 500 people came out to hear widely recognized ABA and Autism professionals.

“As a leading institution of higher education with both Master's and Doctoral level programs in ABA, Caldwell College will continue to share its unique resources with the community at large.” said Dr. Reeve. “In conjunction with the start of the PhD in ABA program in Fall 2009, we will also be rolling out a number of new courses. These include courses in ethics and professionalism, teaching language and social skills, working with childhood behavior problems, and both research and applied practical experiences.”