The College of Education proudly hosts the Master in Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Program approved by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and accepted by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board®, Inc. (BACB®).
Due to great demand for part-time and full-time BCBAs who are sought by schools and agencies throughout the U.S. and worldwide, our College presents the M.S. in ABA Program to prepare behavior experts who provide the needed assistance in our region. If you are a professional who assists individuals who have behavioral concerns, or for school personnel who provide instruction and guidance directly to children in inclusive settings, this program supports your knowledge, understanding, and implementation of research-driven strategies that improve the quality of life of children and families.
Applied Behavior Analysis is a well-developed discipline among the helping professions, with a mature body of scientific knowledge, established standards for evidence-based practice, distinct methods of service, recognized experience and educational requirements for practice, and identified sources of requisite education in universities (BACB, 2014).
BCBA therapists are practitioners with behavior intervention expertise who…
To become a BCBA®, a candidate must meet the following requirements (starting January 1, 2022):
UMSL's M.S. in ABA Program is a two-year, 39-credit program that provides students the eligibility for all requirements listed above. Courses in the M.S. in ABA Program are taught by Ph.D. and Master's level BCBAs with extensive clinical and practical experience.
To determine if this program meets the reciprocity requirements for like state educational certification programs outside the state of Missouri, follow this link for further contact information and resources.
Marty Woytus & Kristel Schlemper
Applicants must meet the general graduate admission requirements of the Graduate School, described in the UMSL Bulletin. Students are considered for admission to the graduate program in Applied Behavioral Analysis only after they have formally applied for admission through the Graduate School. Applications may be completed on-line.
In addition to Graduate School admission requirements, the following requirements apply:
To earn an M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis, students must complete at least 23 credit hours of graduate-level course work, 10 credit hours of practicum experience, and at least 6 credit hours of Thesis Research for which students will be required to write and defend a thesis.
Students are required to complete the following courses within the first 15 credit hours of study.
SPEC ED 6641 | Basic Principles and Concepts of Behavior Analysis | 3 |
SPEC ED 6642 | Behavior Assessment | 3 |
SPEC ED 6643 | Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
Total Hours | 9 |
Students are required to complete the following courses.
SPEC ED 6644 | Behavior Interventions in Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
SPEC ED 6645 | Ethics and Professionalism in Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
SPEC ED 6646 | Verbal Behavior Concepts and Applications | 3 |
SPEC ED 6647 | Advanced Concepts and Principles in Behavior Analysis | 3 |
SPEC ED 6648 | Behavior-Based Consultation and Supervision | 2 |
Total Hours | 14 |
Through the course of five semesters, students are required to complete practicum courses in order to accrue the minimal hours of supervised experience required by the BACB to qualify for the BCBA exam.
SPEC ED 6651 | Practicum I in Applied Behavior Analysis | 2 |
SPEC ED 6652 | Practicum II in Applied Behavior Analysis | 2 |
SPEC ED 6653 | Practicum III in Applied Behavior Analysis | 2 |
SPEC ED 6654 | Practicum IV in Applied Behavior Analysis | 2 |
SPEC ED 6655 | Practicum V in Applied Behavior Analysis | 2 |
Total Hours | 10 |
Students take a minimum of 6 thesis credit hours (no more than 3 per semester) starting in year two of the program.
SPEC ED 6661 | Thesis in Applied Behavior Analysis | 6 |
Total Hours | 6 |
Students are required to complete a total of 6 credit hours of thesis. The student will engage in sustained and self-motivated study through the research process, conferring with advisors, and drafting and revising a manuscript. The thesis proposal must be approved by the committee and successfully defended. A committee chair will be identified, who will consult with the student on selecting two other members for the committee.
Students will work with their committee chair to identify a thesis project such as the following but not limited to a literature review, a scholarly tutorial, or an empirical study. The thesis project should be a scholarly work related to behavior analysis.
Students are expected to follow all other general requirements of the Graduate School regarding master’s degree and thesis requirements.