Graduate Certificate: 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. Students learn how to systematically change behavior by analyzing related environmental variables and applying interventions based on the principles of behavior science. Behavior analysts have improved a wide range of everyday issues, including enhancing staff performance, improving 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.

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. NOTE: International students may not be eligible to apply for a student visa based on admission to the certificate program. Please contact the Office of Enrollment Management for more information.

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 seven-course sequence approved by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).

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 undergraduate GPA 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 who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

TOEFL iBT: 79
IELTS Academic: 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:

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
ABA 5302	Effective Teaching Strategies and Academic Interventions	3
ABA 5303	Ethical and Legal Issues	3
ABA 5304	Concepts and Principles of Behavior Analysis	3
ABA 5305	Single Subject Research Design	3
ABA 5306	Organizational Behavior Management - OBM	3
ABA 5676	Applied Behavior Analysis	3
ABA 8787	Seminar on Verbal Behavior	3
Total Credit Hours		21

Students who choose to matriculate into the M.S.Ed. program may transfer up to 12 credits from either this certificate or the Autism Endorsement graduate certificate upon acceptance into the M.S.Ed. program. Completion of a certificate program does not guarantee admission into the master's program. Students considering matriculating into a master's program are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

GPA Required to be Awarded the Certificate: 3.0 minimum

Courses

ABA 5302. Effective Teaching Strategies and Academic Interventions. 3 Credit Hours.

This course overviews assessment and intervention strategies for learners with skill deficits. Learners with a diverse set of needs will be discussed in the course (e.g., neurotypical, autism, intellectual disability, emotional and behavioral disturbance, among others). The link between assessment and intervention will be emphasized throughout the course, with attention to effective practices for learners with diverse needs. Students enrolled in the course will learn how to select, administer, score, interpret, and report results for a variety of behavioral assessment methods that will be related to selecting interventions, monitoring student progress, and making decisions based upon data.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.

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

ABA 5303. Ethical and Legal Issues. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed to introduce students to the ethical codes relevant to their discipline for students studying ABA (Behavior Analyst Certification Board Professional and Ethical Compliance Code), School Psychology (American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct; National Association of School Psychologists Principles for Professional Ethics), and Counseling (American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct; American Counseling Association Code of Ethics). Students will explore common ethical and legal issues such as boundaries of competence, multiple relationships, confidentiality, research, client/student rights, effective treatment, etc. Students will begin to develop a professional decision making framework for resolving ethical conflicts around such issues. Students will also become conversant with current legislation and regulations relevant to their practice.