Online MA in ABA

“Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the use of the principles and procedures of behavior analysis to better understand and improve lives. Treatment approaches based on ABA have been empirically shown to be effective in a wide variety of areas. However, because ABA was first applied to the treatment of individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism, this practice area has the largest evidence base and has received the most recognition.” – Behavior Analysis Certification Board Website

“About Behavior Analysis” – Behavior Analyst Certification Board Website
“What is Behavior Analysis?” – Association for Behavior Analysis International Website
“Behavior Analysis | An Overview” – Youtube, Behavior Analyst Certification Board

This program is designed for current ABA professionals who are looking to advance their career or students with coursework in ABA such as courses designed toward completing BCaBA certification.

The program is designed around the “Option 1 Eligibility Requirements” as laid out by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. You will earn a Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from an ABAI Verified Course Sequence (VCS) that covers all the required content from the BACB Fifth Edition Task List. Our program fulfills the BACB Experience requirement by overseeing your Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork of 1,500 experience hours. Students enroll in the Practicum Seminar each semester, which works hand-in-hand with your practicum site. Practicum Seminar includes reading and lecture material related to clinical issues as well as presenting a case study and submitting documentation of experience hours accrued. In their final semester, students participate in a BCBA Exam Preparation course.

In 2018, 92% of USF students who took the BCBA exam passed on the first try.
In 2022, 80% of USF students who the BCBA exam passed on the first try.

The national average BCBA first-time pass rate is currently 55%.

In 2018, 100% of USF MA students who took the BCaBA exam passed on the first try.
In 2022,100% USF MA students who the BCaBA exam passed on the first try.
 
The national average BCaBA first-time pass rate is currently 49%.

As of 2021, 98% of graduates have attained BCBA certification since the programs inception.

Yes, the BCaBA credential could be earned after completing the first three semesters of coursework and 1,000 hours of Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork hours.

Students can transfer up to six credit hours of graduate Applied Behavior Analysis coursework. However, when students transfer courses, they are no longer part of the Verified Course Sequence and would have to submit all syllabi and transcripts from all universities to the Board when applying to take the BCBA Exam. This includes a coursework evaluation application and a fee of $100. To determine if coursework aligns with the USF program and BACB content hours, the program coordinator and program director will evaluate the syllabi and transcript to determine if you will meet the required content hours to sit for the BCBA exam.

This program uses a cohort model and course sequence so that students go through the program together. The course sequence is five semesters, including the summer, and can be completed in 1.5 years.

No, our master’s program is designed for individuals looking to take the BCBA certification exam by earning a master’s degree. It provides students ABAI verified course sequence (VCS) and the concentrated supervised fieldwork requirement needed to be eligible to take the exam.

Classes are scheduled in the evening between 6 PM to 7:30 PM EST on Wednesdays and Thursdays. One-to-one meetings with instructors can be scheduled at any time Monday through Friday. Our faculty and staff are very flexible in meeting with students as often as needed and when they are available and most faculty hold office hours into the late evening.

A deposit is not required to accept admission. 

At USF we offer both the M.S. and the M.A. The M.S. or Masters of Science is our classroom-based program and although it has the same curriculum and requirements as the online program (M.A.), it includes a thesis.

The M.A. is our fully online program and incorporates a similar research aspect, but by conducting a literature review and research proposal in place of a thesis project. Both programs share the same courses content, admission requirements, and fieldwork requirements. Both will equally prepare you to meet the BCBA certification requirements and will set you up for success as an ABA service provider across a wide range of populations and settings.

Visit the USF 2024-2025 Academic Catalog to learn more about the program requirements.

Visit our admission page to learn more about specific admission requirements and application materials. 

Applicants to the program should have professional ABA work experience in a clinical setting in a position such as behavior therapist, Registered Behavior Technician, or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst.

Experience can be attained in a variety of settings including schools, hospitals, clinics, in-home services, residential settings, and more. Experience may also vary across distinct populations.

Individuals who have completed an RBT Training program or undergraduate level coursework where the courses have “Applied Behavior Analysis” in the course title are likely to be good candidates for the program.

No specific degree is required for admission.

While having an undergraduate degree is a good start, the program is designed for people who also have entry-level experience in the ABA field. Applicants can increase their likelihood of admission by completing USF’s online 40 hour RBT Training course, earning their RBT credential, and starting an entry-level position in the field.

It depends, our most competitive applicants will have direct ABA experience such as being directly supervised by a board certified behavior analyst.

This masters-level program is intended for professionals in the ABA field. However, USF’s ABA Program offers Continuing Education Modules specifically for training caregivers on ABA techniques. These modules are a low-cost way to learn about ABA and determine whether you may want to pursue a career in ABA.

Many past graduates of the program are primary or secondary caregivers and their interest in our program is welcomed. 

It depends. You will need to be in a setting in which you can work in a behavior analytic capacity under the supervision of a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA). You will need to have earned RBT certification and secure a BCBA supervisor and site.

Some teachers experience difficulty securing a satisfactory BCBA supervisor and site because most schools generally do not have dedicated ABA professionals on staff.

Additionally, this master’s program requires students to complete 250 experience hours per semester at their fieldwork site. This presents challenges for full-time teachers due to the extra time commitment required outside of your job. Typical classroom teaching practices are unlikely to satisfy fieldwork requirements.

In order to qualify for graduate admissions, you will need to go back to school for about two years to finish your bachelor’s degree. Visit the USF 2023-2024 Academic Catalog to learn more about the program requirements.

One way is to complete USF’s Online 40 hour RBT Training course, follow the steps to earn your RBT credential, and start a job as a Registered Behavior Technician.

The GRE is not required. Many graduate programs across the country are ceasing to use GRE scores to make make admission decisions, and we agree with this practice. Your academic history, quality of writing, clinical experience, and letters of recommendation are better indicators of future performance.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) requires students pursuing certification to complete practical fieldwork in applied behavior analysis under a qualified supervisor. The BACB offers two types of supervised fieldwork.

USF follows the Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork pathway wherein students must accrue 1,500 hours. These requirements also include:

• 20-130 hours per month
• 6 supervisor contacts per month
• 1 in person observation with client and BCBA per month
• 10% of hours supervised per month
• At least 900 of the 1500 hours must be of the unrestricted type
• No more than 600 of the 1500 hours may be of the restricted type

Applicants are encouraged to review the BCBA Handbook for complete information regarding fieldwork hour requirements.

It is a lot of information to unpack, but fear not, our practicum courses are designed to guide students to understand fieldwork requirements with little difficulty and ensure they're fieldwork logs are accurate.

A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D) who has been certified for at least one year and has meet the supervision requirements outlined by the Behavior Analyst Certification
Board can provide you with supervision. If you are not currently supervised by a BCBA/BCBA-D and are looking to find a supervisor, check out some of the resources below:

BCBA Registry
Current USF Sites

Yes, there are supervisors approved throughout Florida and across the United States. You can see some of the approved sites here.

We are very willing to work with any qualifying BCBA/BCBA-D to become an approved supervisor for USF students.

If your current supervisor is not currently USF approved, that’s ok! The Online MA in ABA Program Coordinator will reach out to the supervisor to begin the approval process once an applicant is admitted to the program.

Complete the Practicum Supervisor Form and then upload the document to your online application. You can begin an application here.

Absolutely! You can begin your application now, but keep in mind that you need to complete your application, including submission of the Practicum Supervisor Form, by the application deadline.

Applicants can switch agencies and/or supervisors during the application process and while they are current students in the program. Each time students switch to a new agency or supervisor they will need to speak with practicum coordinator ensure their new agency and supervisor are preapproved and complete the approval process.

Practicum Seminar courses guide student in accruing the needed experience hours to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) exam. Seminar also includes professional training, practical experiences, current industry news, a forum to share your experience in the field, and a place to present data on behavior change. Practicum Seminar is taken every semester and students must accrue a minimum of 250 experience hours each semester to pass the course.

for BCBA certification students must accrue 1,500 Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork hours in order to graduate. This means students will also be immediately eligible to sit for the BCBA exam upon graduation. Given this, students should accrue about 20 hours every week in order to graduate in 5 semesters.

Students are required to accrue a minimum of 250 concentrated supervised fieldwork experience hours, but this is a minimum and students should be accruing 300 hours each semester in order to graduate in 5 semesters.

Students who do not accrue all 1,1500 fieldwork hours within 5 semesters simply take an additional semester of practicum to fulfill their hours.

Absolutely! 99% of our students remain working at the agencies they reside in prior to admission.

We provide additional resources and support to guide students and their supervisors complete their clinical training. While we have high expectations for the supervisors of our students, If there is a BCBA with supervisor training who is willing to provide you with Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork, students may complete their experience hours where they currently work.

Your fieldwork may be paid, unpaid, or a combination of paid and unpaid hours. It is up to the site to work this out with the student.

We do not count fieldwork hours for graduation purposes that are completed while working as in independent contractor. We do not approve agencies or supervisors to work with our students who hire our students as independent contractors.

If you are currently working as an independent contractor while providing ABA services we recommend reviewing the following resources. 

• FABA Position Statement on Independent Contractors
• Registered Behavior Technician Handbook
• BACB November 2018 Newsletter
• Internal Revenue Service Understanding Employee vs. Contractor Designation
  
  

The deadline for fall admission is June 15th of each year. The deadline for spring admission is October 15th of each year. 

We do not have a set in stone priority deadline. However, applicants should 
The priority deadline for this program is the date by which an applicant should apply for full consideration of admission and funding. Applicants who apply after the priority deadline, but before the university deadline, will be considered only on a space available basis.”

We have a dedicated admissions coordinator who is ready to help you along every step of the way. You can reach to Erin Nolan via email at erinnolan@usf.edu or schedule a call here: Schedule a call with Erin! 

You can also contact the Dr. Anthony Concepción, program chair of the MA program at aconcepcion@usf.edu.

No, you should submit your application as soon as possible because you can still upload documents after submission. Your application is not considered complete until we receive your application, fee, and all required supplemental documents. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admissions.

In addition to the requirements found in the USF 2023-2024 Graduate Catalog, please complete the Practicum Supervisor Form.

It can take up to six weeks for these documents to arrive at the university, input into the system and linked to your application. If you are admitted and your official transcript or GRE Score Report are missing, you will receive a provisional admission letter outlining the missing documentation. You will have until the end of your first semester to turn in these documents.

Using the recommendation letter request assures USF that an applicant’s recommendation letters are legitimate. However, if an applicant has letters in their possession, they can upload them to their application utilizing the
“My Documents/Recommendations” or “My Workspace” section of the application.

This program does not use a template, so recommenders can simply draft their own letter and upload it to the application portal utilizing the link sent via email. It is recommended that you have your recommenders add GradAdmissions@usf.edu AND apply@visualzen.com to their “whitelist” to ensure that the emails do not get routed to a junk or spam folder.

Official transcripts are ones sent directly from another institution to University of South Florida. Unofficial transcripts are any transcripts that the student has access to (i.e., the student ordered their own official transcript and opened it or they can access their unofficial transcripts online and create a PDF or image file of the transcript). The program accepts unofficial transcripts to expedite the decision process as official transcripts can take up to six weeks in transit and scanning into USF’s system. Applicants should upload their unofficial transcripts to their application and order official transcripts to be sent to USF.

No, transcripts for USF alumni can be accessed internally by our admission coordinator. If an applicant has attended any institutions other than USF, those transcripts will need to be uploaded and sent to USF.

The cost per credit hour is $600. The program has a total of 41 credit hours. The total program cost is $24,600.

You should set aside $1,000 for textbooks and the BCBA exam preparation software.

No, this is a Self-Funded program and cannot accept tuition waivers such as the State of Florida Employee Education Assistance Program, USF Employee Tuition Program, or the Homeless Tuition Waiver cannot be accepted for this program. For additional waivers not accepted visit: USF Tuition Waivers. However, you may use traditional financial aid to cover the cost of the program.

Current students interested in applying for the BCaBA exam using the coursework and practicum experience within the MA program use the following Verified Course Sequence number: 51419.

USF's Online MA in Applied Behavior analysis's Verified Course Sequence number is 51420.