Graduate Certificate: Applied Behavior Analysis

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Learn more about the graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis.

About the Certificate

The graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis trains students to apply the principles of learning and behavior to influence behavior change that is significant to society. Learn to systematically change behavior by analyzing related environmental variables and applying interventions based on the principles of behavior analysis. Behavior analysts have improved a wide range of everyday issues, including enhancing staff performance, promoting industrial and public safety initiatives, teaching effective parenting skills, treating problem behavior in children, improving general and special education teaching strategies, rehabilitating individuals who abuse substances, and more.

This graduate-level certificate program teaches you:

  • effective instructional strategies for teaching students with autism spectrum disorders,
  • ethical practices for behavioral analysts,
  • implementation of a behavioral change program,
  • theoretical foundations of behavioral analysis, and more.

The program course of study fulfills the coursework requirements of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB®), but does not culminate in a degree.

Educational or social services professionals who would like to achieve Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) certification without enrolling in a graduate degree program (e.g., professionals who already have a degree acceptable to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board) are excellent candidates for this graduate-level, continuing education certificate program. If interested in the coursework and a degree in applied behavior analysis, consider the Master of Science in Education in Applied Behavior Analysis. That program fulfills both the degree and coursework requirements for BCBA® certification.

Time Limit for Certificate Completion: 2 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The graduate certificate can be completed on a part-time basis.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Non-matriculated students may take up to 9 credits of coursework before applying to the graduate certificate program.

Accreditation: The certificate program includes a 6-course sequence approved by BACB®.

Job Prospects: Graduates are prepared for professional careers in a variety of environments, particularly in social service agencies and educational institutions.

Licensure: Coursework may apply toward earning the Behavior Specialist license from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:
Applications are accepted for the Fall and Spring terms and are reviewed on a rolling basis.

APPLY ONLINE to this certificate program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained to provide insight regarding the applicant's academic competence. References from college/university faculty are recommended.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A bachelor's degree is required. A minimum UGPA of 3.0 is expected.

International applicants should also submit an official document that validates completion and conferral of a degree, diploma, and/or certificate. While not required, international applicants are encouraged to submit transcript(s) to the World Education Services (WES) for evaluation

Statement of Goals: Outline your interest in seeking a graduate certificate with a specific focus on the career to which you aspire, your interests, and your academic and job-related experiences that are relevant to the program.

Standardized Test Scores:
Applicants whose native language is not English must provide scores from a TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic exam. Scores must meet the following minimums:

TOEFL: 79 iBT or 550 PBT
IELTS: 6.5
PTE Academic: 53

Resume: Current resume required.

Other Requirement: Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all accredited institutions attended and/or from which credit was earned must be submitted.

Certificate Requirements

Number of Credits Required to Complete the Certificate: 211

Required Courses:

ABA 5302Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Effective Teaching Strategies3
ABA 5303Ethics and Applied Behavior Analysis3
ABA 5304Concepts and Principles of Behavior Analysis3
ABA 5305Single Subject Research Design3
ABA 5306Organizational Behavior Management - OBM3
ABA 5676Applied Behavior Analysis3
ABA 8787Seminar on Verbal Behavior3
Total Credit Hours21

Courses

ABA 5302. Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Effective Teaching Strategies. 3 Credit Hours.

The course overviews instructional, curricular and behavioral intervention strategies for students with autism spectrum disorders within various settings based on the science of applied behavior analysis.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ABA 5303. Ethics and Applied Behavior Analysis. 3 Credit Hours.

This course provides the student with an overview of ethical practices and considerations for behavior analysts working across a variety of applied settings, including schools and agencies that support people with disabilities.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ABA 5304. Concepts and Principles of Behavior Analysis. 3 Credit Hours.

This course provides the student with an introduction to the concepts and principles of behavior analysis. Core concepts including motivation, reinforcement, punishment, extinction, and rule governed and verbal behavior will be covered, along with examples of behavior change techniques that employ these concepts.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ABA 5305. Single Subject Research Design. 3 Credit Hours.

This course provides an overview of strategies for designing and conducting single-subject research in special education. Competencies include selection of independent and dependent variables for research, measurement tactics, research design, establishing generality of results, and ensuring the integrity of research procedures. The methods discussed are not specific to any disability or age level; rather, they are a general set of methods for conducting and interpreting single-subject research.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ABA 5306. Organizational Behavior Management - OBM. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an introduction to Organizational Behavior Management, a rapidly growing field that applies the principles, methods, and empirical generalizations of Behavior Analysis to improving human performance in organizations. Working from a theoretical basis, students will learn how to diagnose performance discrepancies in organizational settings, design and evaluate appropriate behavior-based solutions.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ABA 5307. Experimental Analysis of Behavior - EAB. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will review basic research (animal research and human operant research) in learning and behavior analysis. Students will become familiar with the basic principles of learning and behavior analysis by reading and discussing original laboratory research that lead to basic learning theories.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ABA 5676. Applied Behavior Analysis. 3 Credit Hours.

Introduction to the functional analysis of behavior of children in the school setting. Includes behavior theory, assessment, interaction, and evaluation. A behavior-change program is conducted.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ABA 8787. Seminar on Verbal Behavior. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced course in applied behavior analysis with an emphasis on verbal behavior. Designed to provide students with an overview of verbal behavior (as defined in the field of applied behavior analysis) and an overview of its practical application in teaching language to children with diagnosed language delays.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ABA 9387. Practicum in Applied Behavior Analysis. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.

This course is one of two required 150-hour practica within the ABA Program (6 course credits total). The goals of the practica are to: 1) Broaden your range of competencies in the field of ABA in real-life settings under the tutelage of seasoned ABA clinical or research supervisors. The range of competencies upon which you will be evaluated by your site supervisor (not this instructor) can be found at the online ABA Practicum Evaluation link: http://edtemple.org/aba/practicum-student-evaluation; 2) Use practical experience to develop 3 research questions for possible exploration for your Master's Research Project, submitted through Blackboard; 3) Develop ABA written presentation skills through a case presentation, submitted through Blackboard; 4) Complete short discussion board assignments; 5) Build networks for future employment in our field. To this end students are encouraged to complete their practica in settings other than those in which they are presently employed. Students petitioning for an exception should first consult their advisor to provide a rationale for the exception, complete the exception form located in the masters program handbook, and then provide a plan to ensure that the practica experiences will be distinguished from their compensated duties.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

Contacts

Certificate Program Web Address:

https://www.temple.edu/academics/degree-programs/applied-behavior-analysis-certificate-graduate-ed-aba-grad

Department Information:

Dept. of Psychological Studies in Education

College of Education

1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19122-6091

educate@temple.edu

215-204-0999

Submission Address for Application Materials:

http://apply.temple.edu/coe

Department Contacts:

Admissions:

Office of Enrollment Management

educate@temple.edu

215-204-0999