Applied Behavior Analysis & Autism Studies (BA)
This major will include graduate coursework in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) which will provide a deeper understanding about concepts and principles of ABA, behavior assessment, behavior change procedures, ethics and professional standards, personnel management, as well as additional topics. Undergraduate students seeking board certification as a BCaBA or BCBA must have grades of C or higher in all courses that are required for national board exam eligibility. (C- will not count; must be C or better to take the board examination.) Additionally, undergraduate students seeking board certification may not P/NC any of the courses required for board exam eligibility. If not seeking board certification, only undergraduate course numbers (ex. ABA 313) may be taken for P/NC credit. No graduate courses can be taken for P/NC credit unless the course itself is set up as a P/NC grading option.
Students who wish to complete a Master of Science in ABA through the Bachelor's/MS program option will need to apply and be admitted to the Bachelor's/MS program by the beginning of their senior year. Additionally, if one is planning to do the Bachelor's/MS program all ABA-prefix graduate coursework taken as an undergraduate student is transferred forward upon Bachelor's degree conferral to an MS student record. Those courses will count in your graduate GPA. In order to graduate with an MS degree, students must have a GPA of 3.0.
Requirements for the Major in Applied Bahavior Analysis & Autism Studies
Students in this major have the option to take graduate-level courses in the major if they qualify based on GPA (and will need to do so if planning to use those courses for eligibility to take the BCBA® or BCaBA® national board examination); only up to 18 graduate semester hours may be counted toward the BA degree. All courses are 3 s.h. unless otherwise noted.
Bachelor's/MS students should take graduate equivalents where allowable, if eligible based on GPA.
Students must wait until junior status to take these ABA graduate courses, rare exceptions with approval.
Required ABA Courses
Autism Sequence
Offered online only (except that practicum requires 70 direct hours of fieldwork). To earn the Comprehensive Certificate in ASD, a 3.0 average in these four courses is required plus a B-in ASD 363/364. Only one C range grade is permitted in the certificate program.
Additional Requirements
Electives
Choose 3 of the following courses. This list includes on-campus and online options and any alternatives must be approved by the coordinator of the major.
Total Credits AS & ABA Major = 47.5
Bachelor’s/Masters option
Criteria for Bachelor's/MS Admission:
- Complete an application form
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Submit a personal statement
Additional course requirements for the Bachelor's/MS, taken post-Bachelor's.
Students completing this option will take up to 16 graduate credit hours as an undergraduate and a minimum of 21 graduate credit hours as an MS student, completing a total of 37 graduate credit hours for the MS degree. Courses are offered online only.
Plus one elective from this list
Students may not take graduate versions of courses they may have taken at the undergraduate level from this list.
Alternate elective options require preapproval.