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:
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
While there are an application deadline, the sooner you apply for admission to the Graduate School and have your transcripts sent to UMSL, the more likely you will be admitted in time to register for courses with the best selection of days, times, and locations.
We only admit students in the Fall semester.
The College of Education follows Graduate School policies relating to admissions, academic standards, residency, transfer credit, time limitations, and thesis options.
Students are required to complete the following courses within the first 15 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 |
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 |
These two research courses should be taken in sequence (not together) at the end of your program since the first course prepares you with the knowledge and skills to successfully complete an Action Research project in the capstone exit course. Students will design and execute a piece of original practitioner research and present your findings in a public forum.
SPEC ED 6661 | Capstone I in Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
SPEC ED 6662 | Capstone II in Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
Total Hours | 6 |