Requirements for the Masters of Arts in Education: Special Education and Behavior and Autism Studies
- 3.0 GPA from undergraduate
- Letters of Recommendation
- Letter of Intent/Essay addressing why you would like to pursue a career in ABA
- Teaching license is required.
BACB Required Content Areas of Study
All students entering the program starting Fall 2021 will participate in graduate courses that meet the BCBA Task List V Requirements. https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/BCBA-2022EligibilityRequirements_210513.pdf
Current students completing their program of studies based on the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) Task List V requirements and must ensure that all requirements are met and documents are submitted to the BACB in time to sit for the Task List V Examination prior to it changing on January 1, 2026.
Please note that the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB ®) and/or the Applied Behavior Analysis International (ABAI®) can make changes to eligibility requirements for certification at any time. Current and future students are required to review information from the BACB and remain current with updates https://www.bacb.com/bcba/
Students must complete a core set of eight ABAI Verified Course Sequence (VCS) lecture-based courses (23 credits) and one required practicum (3 credits) as well as 15 credit hours of additional Special Education coursework defined below. The total program involves 41 graduate credits. The core ABA set of classes has been approved by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and is a registered ABAI Verified Course Sequence (VCS) meets the BACB Task List V Requirements. The students must have a “B” in all of the VCS core ABA courses.
The courses are listed below:
|
Course # |
Course Title |
Credits |
||
|
EDU 656: |
Literacy for Diverse Pops |
3 |
||
|
EDU 658: |
Understanding Special Pops. |
3 |
||
|
EDU 667: |
Uni Design and Ass. Tech |
3 |
||
|
EDU 671: |
Supp Success of Uniquely Abled |
3 |
||
|
EDU 685: |
Special Education: A Diverse Society |
3 |
||
|
EDU 800: |
Assessment Methods with Individuals with ASD and DD |
3 |
||
|
EDU 801: |
Educational Programming for Students with ASD and DD |
3 |
||
|
EDU 802: |
Basic Applied Behavior Analysis for Students with ASD and DD |
3 |
||
|
EDU 803: |
Single Subject Assessment Methodology |
3 |
||
|
EDU 804: |
Autism: Collaborative ABA Transdisciplinary Intervention |
3 |
||
|
EDU 805 |
Ethics and Professional Standards in ABA |
3 |
||
|
EDU 809: |
Advanced Concepts and Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis |
3 |
||
|
EDU 810: |
Behavioral Assessment & Team Based Programming |
2 |
||
|
EDU 811 S: EDU 811 F: |
Seminar Component of Practicum in ABA Field Component of Practicum in ABA |
1 2 |
||
|
OPTIONAL ELECTIVES |
||||
|
EDU 812 S: EDU 812 F: |
Seminar Component of Practicum in ABA Field Component of Practicum in ABA |
1 2 |
||
|
EDU 813 S: EDU 813 F: |
Seminar Component of Practicum in ABA Field Component of Practicum in ABA |
1 2 |
||
|
EDU 814 S: EDU 814 F: |
Seminar Component of Practicum in ABA Field Component of Practicum in ABA |
1 2 |
||
Students will participate in a practicum experience that will follow the experience guidelines of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board. Small group supervision will be provided on a weekly basis. Students will apply the content of the ABA program courses and the Behavior Analyst Certification Board Task List while directly working with individuals with ASD and other Developmental Disabilities in their supervision experience. Students will receive the supervision and feedback needed to develop the professional repertoire of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
* Felician University cannot guarantee practicum placement or Fieldwork supervisor. However, we will help assist those students who need to find placements and supervisors.
The VCS set of eight courses covers the required BACB content areas for Task List V. Please review the information located on the BACB website (https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/170113-BCBA-BCaBA-coursework-requirements-5th-ed.pdf).
Students who are enrolled in this program are subject to the policies and guidelines of the School of Education Program as stated in the current Felician University Catalog and Student Handbook.
*Students are responsible for successfully completing all graduate requirements.
**To be eligible to sit for the BCBA exam, students are also responsible for accumulating 20000 supervised fieldwork hours, submit all documents that are required. Completing 2000 hours is not a requirement for graduation.
***To become a BCBA students must pass the BACB Task List V BCBA Examination.
****Passing the BCBA exam is not a requirement for graduation.
Additional practicum are offered. If additional practicum not taken, the student will be required to complete additional supervised fieldwork hours outside of the practicum course independently to qualify to sit for the examination.
Though we strive to find placements and BCaBA fieldwork supervisors for all students, Felician University cannot guarantee practicum placement.
BEHAVIOR ANALYST CERTIFICATION BOARD
As is further described by the Board (www.bacb.com), the BACB is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation established in 1998 to meet professional credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts, governments, and consumers of behavior analysis services. On a regular basis, the BACB’s certification requirements, exam content, and procedures undergo a review according to international standards for organizations that grant professional credentials. content experts in the discipline. Content experts in the discipline establish the BACB requirements and examination content. Students are required to thoroughly review the BCBA requirements and associated documents. The VCS Program Coordinator serves as a liaison between the students and the BACB. Each student must schedule a meeting with the VCS Coordinator during the first semester in the program.
Program length: 24 months (based on full-time enrollment)
Course Sequence and Prerequisites
The graduate program curriculum has been designed to have a student participate in the first three courses (EDU 800, 801, & 802) prior to participating in later courses (EDU 803, 804, 805, 809, 810). Students are encouraged to take at least one VCS course prior to enrolling in the practicum course. In addition, a student must be enrolled or have successfully completed the first two courses of the VCS program with a minimum of a B. Depending on the student’s desire to participate in 3 or 4 courses during the first year, a student can simultaneously enroll in Phase 2 courses that involve the electives.
Required Practicum Experiences
As a major qualification to sit for the BACB Examination to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, an applicant must officially participate and document Supervised Fieldwork experience. https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/BCaBA-2022EligibilityRequirements_210513.pdf
The applicant is responsible for acquiring and documenting the fieldwork hours in accordance with the official procedures of the BACB. Students must review the BACB Fieldwork Requirements during their first semester in the program and sign a document indicating their understanding. In addition, each student will receive a Program and Practicum Handbook that delineates the requirements. Students will be required to sign a document indicating they have received the Program and Practicum Handbooks.
To assist our students in accumulating hours and advanced training, Felician requires each student to participate in one semester practicum experience. Students will participate in a practicum experience that will follow the concentrated supervised fieldwork guidelines of the BACB. During the practicum, a student will participate in a minimum of 15 hours per week of applied behavior analytic work, that involves both hands-on training as well as program planning, development and evaluation activities. The primary focus is on acquiring the skills necessary to demonstrate competence of relevant tasks on the BCaBA Task List V and the skills necessary to interact effectively with consumers, supervisors, parents, and others. Securing a supervision site and Responsible BCBA or BCBA-D is required prior to students enrolling in this course.
* Felician University cannot guarantee practicum placement or Fieldwork supervisor. However, we will help assist those students who need to find placements and supervisors.
The practicum course experience will have two primary components: A seminar component for one credit along with a field component for two credits. Students must be enrolled in both simultaneously. Students may also participate in three additional practicum experiences as electives. Each practicum will have a one-credit seminar along with a two-credit field experience component.
For a student to participate in the practicum experience, they must have an official background check as required by New Jersey. Students within the Masters program are expected to comply with the BACB Compliance Code and Disciplinary Systems for Behavior Analysts https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BACB-Compliance-Code-english_190318.pdf at all times. Students must sign and submit an Ethics Compliance Statement within their first semester of matriculation in the program. In addition, specific practicum sites may have additional requirements.
Additional Elective Coursework Options
To complete the graduate master’s program, each student will complete 15 additional elective credits. 15 credits can be chosen together with the faculty advisor. The additional courses are chosen based on the student’s background and future goals of employment. These courses are typically taken within the School of Education; however, a student may seek permission to take courses outside of the field of Education.
Course Transfer Policy
As per the University Policy, a student may transfer in a total of six elective graduate credits towards the Masters. However, in relation to the core courses, the content must be consistent with the content of Felician program courses in terms of the required areas of study according to the BACB Standards. An individual interested in transferring credit hours, must submit official transcripts and course syllabi of the courses for review by the program coordinator. Approval must be obtained by the coordinator.
Course Delivery
The eight VCS approved courses are offered on the campus and remotely through synchronous virtual technology through Felician University. To remotely access the courses students must adhere to the University General Guidelines that pertain to the needed technology and protocol for participating in the courses.
The additional 15 credits of coursework to complete the master’s degree are offered through several options including courses offered on campus as well as through online dissemination.