PH.D. IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

The doctoral program in ABA was designed to prepare students for high-level employment within areas where there are growing demands for competent professionals with expertise in applied behavior analysis: namely, developmental services, special education, mental health, and academia. Students are required to show proficiency in coursework, practicum and dissertation research. The core curriculum for the Ph.D. in ABA program focuses on (a) the advanced principles and procedures of basic and applied behavior analysis practice and research, (b) the application of behavior analysis and behavioral support in complex environments (i.e., home, school, work, other community settings, and institutional settings), and (c) supervision and training of others in behavior analysis (d) conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of advanced topics in behavior analysis (e) development and completion of independent research in behavior analysis.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, Psychology, Special Education, or a related field (e.g., Speech Pathology, Social Work) and have earned BCBA® certification (or be eligible for BCBA® certification). Applicants who do not meet these requirements are urged to apply to the Caldwell College Master's in ABA program or an equivalent program.
  • Minimum GPA of 3.6 in Master's degree coursework
  • Official transcripts of their Master's degree coursework
  • Satisfactory scores on the General Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
  • Three letters of recommendation that specifically speak to the likelihood of the applicant's success in a doctoral degree program
  • Writing sample: a research-based paper in applied behavior analysis or a related area of psychology of at least ten pages that was previously submitted as part of graduate course. If applicable, the applicant's Master's thesis is preferable.
  • Three to five page personal statement describing reasons for pursuing doctoral study in ABA at Caldwell College, current research interests, and preferred faculty member with whom to study (including reasons for this choice).
  • Personal interview

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS – 90 CREDITS

Required Courses (54 credits)

Elective Courses (36 credits: Any 12 courses)

SPECIALIZATION TRACK IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

In their elective coursework, students may choose to focus on more basic research courses or more applied/clinical courses. Due to the nature of the applied/clinical coursework, an option for a Specialization Track in Developmental Disabilities was developed. Elective courses required for this specialization cover a broad range of diagnostic, assessment, treatment, and clinical aspects related to various developmental disabilities are denoted with an asterisk above.

TRANSFER OF GRADUATE CREDIT

For applicants who have earned their Masters degree in ABA at Caldwell College, all credits will be accepted for transfer to the Ph.D. program in ABA. For other applicants, Caldwell College will accept the transfer up to a maximum of 30 credits of graduate work in Behavior Analysis or a closely related field, provided that the courses taken are equivalent in content to those offered in the Caldwell College Ph.D. in ABA programs, the credits were completed within five years of the applicant's admission to Caldwell College, and the grade earned in the courses submitted for transfer credit is a “B” or better. Official transcripts of previous graduate work as well as the catalog description and course syllabus of each course must be submitted for review at the time of application. Approval of transfer credit is based on course content and grade earned in the course. Each credit transfer request will be reviewed by the Program Coordinator on a case-by-case basis.

STATEMENT OF OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT

As the capstone requirement for the Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis, students must complete the courses Dissertation in ABA I, II, and III (PS 890, PS 891, and PS 892). In these classes, students will complete a comprehensive survey of the research literature in a particular area within applied behavior analysis, write this as a formal publication-quality literature review paper, and then orally defend it. Students will then design and conduct an original experimental research study using the principles of ABA. The dissertation research study will be written in American Psychological Association (APA) format. Following approval of the written component, both the dissertation proposal and the completed dissertation will be orally defended to a committee of faculty members and outside professionals. The goal of the completed dissertation is to generate scholarly work that will be of professional publication quality and that is a substantial and innovative contribution to the field in terms of theoretical implications or clinical applications.