Program Details

The master's degree program in applied behavior analysis (ABA) is designed to meet growing needs in Florida and nationally for practitioners who can work effectively within systems to improve the quality of services in the fields of developmental services, education, child protective services, rehabilitation, mental health, and business and technology. ABA provides an approach for developing, implementing, and evaluating practical strategies to produce changes in socially significant behaviors of individuals in the context of community settings. Three important features characterize the scientific basis upon which ABA is built: a) it focuses upon objectively measurable behavior of an individual or system; b) it studies environmental influences upon the targeted behaviors; and c) it places a premium upon single-subject research designs to analyze the effects of different environmental variables.

The 46-credit-hour master's degree in ABA is interdisciplinary and is housed in Graduate School. It provides coursework and practical supervision across three colleges (College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, and the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute).

This interdisciplinary program links existing courses, as well as new courses, to create a comprehensive, cohesive degree program. Students are required to show proficiency in courses that constitute a core curriculum, demonstrate content areas through supervised practicum experiences, and complete a thesis. The master's degree program was designed to prepare students to meet the standards to be Board Certified Behavior Analysts. It will assist in their preparation for employment in fields such as developmental services, education, child protective services, rehabilitation, and mental health--where there are growing demands for competent professionals with expertise in applied behavior analysis.