Applied Behavior Analysis – Certification
GRADUATE PROGRAM IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a well developed scientific discipline that entails the comprehensive use of empirically validated principles of learning to develop, implement, and evaluate practical strategies to enhance the abilities and self-direction skills of both children and adults in the context of community, home, and educational settings. Although the principles and procedures developed within ABA have been successfully applied in areas such as psychology, traditional and special education, business, industrial safety, addiction, self-management, and rehabilitation, ABA has been most publicly successful in its application to skill development and behavior change for people with developmental disabilities, such as those with autism-spectrum disorders and cognitive delays.
RETENTION FOR ALL PROGRAMS IN ABA DEPARTMENT
Students may only earn one grade below B for the graduate level courses. This course may be repeated to earn a higher letter grade. Any student who receives a grade below B in a second graduate level course will be dismissed from the program.
ACADEMIC OPTIONS
- Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis
- M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABAI Accredited)
- Combined B.A. in Psychology/M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis
- Post-Master Program in Applied Behavior Analysis
The core of each program is 24 credits which have been approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board®, Inc. as meeting the coursework requirements for eligibility to take the Board Certified Behavior Analyst ® examination. These courses are:
- ABA 526 Behavior Analysis and Learning
- ABA 534 Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis
- ABA 537 Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis
- ABA 556 Advanced Applied Behavior Analysis
- ABA 561 Ethics and Professionalism for Behavior Analysts
- ABA 615 Functional Behavior Analysis
- ABA 624 Organizational Behavior Management
- ABA 655 Philosophy of Behaviorism Those who wish to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst ® examination must meet additional requirements to qualify for certification. (See www.bacb.com for certification requirements.)
The Post-Master in ABA was designed to introduce students to the field of behavior analysis and to prepare students for employment within the fields where there are growing demands for competent professionals in applied behavior analysis: namely, developmental services, special education, and mental health. In this program, students are only required to show proficiency in coursework. The curriculum for this program focuses on (a) the principles and procedures of basic and applied behavior analysis practice and research and (b) the application of behavior analysis and behavioral support in complex environments (i.e., home, school, work, other community settings, and institutional settings).
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- M.A. in ABA, Psychology or Education. Applicants who do not meet these requirements are urged to apply to the Caldwell University M.A. in ABA program or an equivalent program.
- Minimum GPA of 3.3 in master’s degree coursework
- Official transcripts of their master’s degree coursework
- Writing sample: a research-based paper in psychology or education of at least ten pages that was previously submitted as part of a graduate course. Other subject matter may be considered if the candidate has had limited prior psychology or education work. If applicable, the applicant’s master’s thesis is preferable.
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal statement of several pages in length describing reason for pursuing graduate study in ABA at Caldwell University
- Personal Interview
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS (24 credits)
Course Code : ABA 526
Course Description :
Provides an introduction to behavior analysis and the learning principles on which ABA is founded. Everyday behavior and how it changes is explained by learning principles derived from an analysis of scientific research. Students learn procedures that derive from behavioral principles and practice implementing those procedures in computer simulations. Principles and procedure sin the course curriculum include reinforcement, extinction, differential reinforcement, punishment, stimulus control, issues of discrimination and generalization shaping, fading, prompting, concept formation, stimulus equivalence, respondent learning, conditioned reinforcement, schedules of reinforcement, and behavioral definitions.
- Credit : 3
Course Code : ABA 534
Course Description :
Examines the use of the scientific method to evaluate assessment and intervention techniques in behavior analysis. Topics include measurement techniques, single-subject experimental design, selection of dependent and independent variables, graphical presentation and evaluation of results, ethics pertaining to human subjects and treatment implementation, and ways of communicating research results. Principles and procedures involved in the experimental analysis of reinforcement schedules, stimulus control, and stimulus equivalence are included.
- Credit : 3
Course Code : ABA 537
Course Description :
This course is designed to introduce graduate students to the basic principles of behavior analysis. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is an overall management system. It is important to understand concepts of applied behavior analysis and also how to apply those concepts across various learning environments and skill levels to become effective and efficient analyzers of the principles of learning. This course has a 12-hour field component.
- Credit : 3
Short Title : Adv. Aba
Course Code : ABA 556
Course Description :
This course, which is a continuation and expansion on the principles learned in PS 537 Intro to ABA, will examine strategies to promote generalization of learned skills, prompting strategies, teaching self-management, group-oriented contingencies, shaping techniques, behavior chains, motivational systems, and other topics. This course includes a 12-hour field component requirement.
Prerequisites :
ABA534, ABA537
- Credit : 3
Course Code : ABA 561
Course Description :
This course prepares students for the ethical and professional practice of applied behavior analysis. Students will learn about the foundations of professional and ethical behavior needed to insure a high quality of practice in behavior analysis. Included will be discussions of evaluating behavior change, collaborating with other professionals, relationships with clients and colleagues, professional representation of oneself and the field of behavior analysis, dissemination of professional values, and the Behavior Analyst Certification Board Professional and Ethical Compliance Code. The course content will be addressed through course readings, lectures, classroom discussion, audio-visual presentations, and role playing.
- Credit : 3
Short Title : Func.Behav.Asse
Course Code : ABA 615
Course Description :
Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and analysis are important links between simple descriptions of behavior and treatment planning. The course will trace the historical development of functional assessment and functional analysis from conceptual contributions in the 1950s through the development of functional analytic techniques in the 1980s, to the present widespread application of these techniques. It explores a range of assessment techniques to use in a variety of settings, from home to school and clinic. The relationship between assessment techniques and the delivery of the least restrictive but most effective behavioral intervention will also be discussed. Students will acquire expertise in a wide range of indirect and direct assessment techniques.
Prerequisites :
ABA537, ABA526, ABA556, ABA534
- Credit : 3
Short Title : Org Behav Mgmt
Course Code : ABA 624
Course Description :
This advanced course will provide an overview of contemporary research and practice in the field of OBM, also referred to as Perofrmance Management. OBM is seen by some as a behaviorally based area of specialization within the broad field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology.OBM is most closely aligned with the area of organizational behavior and personnel/ human resource management. When ABA is applied to organizational problems such as training, afety, productivity, and quality deficits, the collective set of procedures is term "OBM". The purpose of this course is to introduce students to practice and research in OBM and provide students with the skills needed to apply the fundamental principles of ABA to a variety of performance problems in organizational settings.
Prerequisites :
ABA537, ABA556
- Credit : 3
Short Title : Phil Behavioris
Course Code : ABA 655
Course Description :
This course examines radical behaviorism in a broad historical, theoretical, and philosophical context. Works by B.F. Skinner and analyses and extensions of these works will be discussed. Radical, contextual, methodological and feminist behaviorism will be analyzed and their historical roots investigated. Readings will explore major conceptual issues such as determinism, mentalism, selection by consequences, freedom, control, and responsibility. Finally, the course will cover social issues and cultural design as applications of behavioral thinking.
Prerequisites :
ABA526, ABA534, ABA537, ABA556
- Credit : 3
Transfer of Graduate Credit
Caldwell University will accept the transfer of a maximum of three credits of graduate work in psychology, education or a closely related field, provided that the credits were completed within five years of the student’s registration at Caldwell University. Official transcripts of previous graduate work as well as the catalog description 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, which should not be lower then a B. Each transfer request will be reviewed by the Program Coordinator.
A Catholic Liberal Arts Education
At the core of a Caldwell education is our liberal arts curriculum, designed to guide students to critical thinking skills, appreciate diverse cultures, and acquire a moral and civic awareness.
Students develop the whole self as they absorb learning through our liberal arts core: the humanities; the physical and biological sciences, and mathematics; and the social sciences.