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Graduate certificate
As a counseling, human services or education professional, you envision yourself guiding all individuals toward success. In helping you grow your skill set with this goal in mind, the University of Missouri-St. Louis’s (UMSL) graduate certificate in applied behavior analysis equips you to assist those living with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other disabilities or behavioral issues.
Building off your existing foundation, you’ll explore strategies for observing individuals in select environments, conducting behavioral assessments, analyzing data to develop a plan of action and collaborating with teachers and parents to encourage progress. At the same time, the program’s scope considers the vast applications of applied behavior analysis (ABA) principles, including for motivating employees and athletes.
For individuals who have already earned a master’s degree, UMSL’s graduate certificate in applied behavior analysis fulfills all course work and field requirements to sit for the National Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) exam and obtain BCBA certification. The program has been approved by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and is accepted by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc. (BACB®).
In order to become a BCBA, a candidate needs to:
- Have a master's or doctoral degree from an accredited institution
- Complete and pass course work outlined by the Fifth Edition Task List
- Complete practical fieldwork in applied behavior analysis following all requirements established by the BACB®
- Pass the BCBA exam
The applied behavior analysis certificate program helps students complete BCBA requirements 2 and 3 (certification requirements in effect as of January 1, 2022). Students who have yet to fulfill requirement 1 are encouraged to enroll in UMSL’s online master of science in applied behavior analysis.
Quick facts
Official name
Graduate certificate in applied behavior analysisCampus
Program type
Graduate certificateAcademic home
College of Education | Department of Educator Preparation and LeadershipDelivery mode
Blended, some campus visits requiredAccreditation
Higher Learning CommissionCredit hours
34Estimated cost
$22,474.00*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.
Why earn a certificate in ABA?
Demand for part- and full-time BCBAs continues to grow — including an estimated 20,000 new jobs in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas over the upcoming decade. Schools view this skill set as integral to creating more inclusive learning environments. Human services agencies, meanwhile, strive to support a broader range of populations. Added to this, ABA principles shape how corporations encourage their workforce and how athletic organizations motivate their players.
The 33-credit-hour graduate certificate in applied behavior analysis positions you for these roles. Through fully online courses and field assignments, you’ll learn to guide individuals experiencing behavioral challenges through research-backed strategies that ultimately improve their quality of life.
As a behavioral health discipline supported by a vast body of scientific knowledge, ABA involves observing and gathering data on an individual’s behavior in select environments. This information then forms the basis for intervention strategies intended to introduce more adaptive behaviors. You’ll establish specific goals in this direction, educating family and teachers on these objectives and refining your strategy as the individual makes progress.
For counseling, behavioral health and education professionals, UMSL’s online ABA certificate:
- Expands your perspective on observing, analyzing and understanding behavioral issues
- Prepares you to assist children and adults living with Autism Spectrum Disorders, brain injuries and other disabilities in school, agency, health care and rehabilitative contexts
- Equips you to guide students and patients toward behavioral success
- Explores the science, evidence-based practices and methods behind learning new and changing maladaptive behaviors
- Trains you to develop and implement intervention strategies and instruct others in ABA principles
- Enhances your existing career in education, counseling, social work or human services to assist and support a wider range of individuals
Career prospects
Pursue BCBA® certification after completing UMSL’s online program. Upon earning the distinction, you’ll be equipped to:
- Structure and observe descriptive and systematic behavioral assessments, including functional analyses
- Interpret and develop interventions based on assessment results
- Design, supervise and track appropriate behavior analytic interventions, including for use in unfamiliar settings and to address a range of patients and cases
- Embark on a career as a contractor or in a school, agency or human services setting
- Instruct other professionals in implementing ethical, effective and research-driven behavior analytic interventions
- Oversee a team of Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) to carry out intervention recommendations
Program structure
Course work is blended, some campus visits are required. Courses are held online. Internships are completed in-person for teacher certification that meets the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requirements.
This 33-credit-hour program is divided into three sections:
Required foundation courses (nine credit hours): Taken within the program’s first 15 credit hours, this sequence introduces the basic principles of behavior analysis and assessment methods, developing interventions and ABA research and design.
Required courses (14 credit hours): You’ll explore more advanced topics in behavior analysis, including how to identify the need for a behavior intervention, strategies for improving behaviors, verbal behavior analysis, language acquisition and professional ethics. You’ll further understand how to develop, supervise and monitor training programs.
Required practicum courses (10 credit hours): In-person observation under the guidance of an experienced professional allows you to apply ABA principles in assessing and evaluating patients, conducting behavior interventions, using research, improving your communication skills and overseeing staff training and assessments.
Through the course of five semesters, students are required to complete practicum courses in order to accrue the minimal hours of supervised experience required by the BACB® to qualify for the BCBA® exam. Students are responsible for securing their own practicum site and supervisor and should have a location identified by the end of the first fall semester. Faculty from UMSL can provide recommendations to help students find their practicum site and supervisor.
All courses are semester based. Students typically take two to three courses per semester (including practica) and finish the program in two years.
Course work
Online courses in ABA cover:
- Basic principles and concepts of behavior analysis
- Behavior assessments
- Research methods in applied behavior analysis
- Behavior interventions in applied behavior analysis
- Ethics and professionalism in applied behavior analysis
- Verbal behavior concepts and applications
- Advanced concepts and principles in behavior analysis
- Behavior-based consultation and supervision
Review all required courses for the online graduate certificate in applied behavior analysis.
Delivery
Blended, some campus visits requiredCalendar system
Semester-basedTypical program length
2 yearsTypical course load
2 or 3 courses per semesterAccreditation
The University of Missouri-St. Louis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States.
The ABA graduate certificate program also has a Verified Course Sequence (VCS) by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).
Faculty spotlight
Andresa De Souza earned her doctorate in applied behavior analysis from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Marcus Autism Center and Emory University. Dr. De Souza has experience in early-intervention applications for children with autism, the assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior and autism diagnosis. She has provided supervision for behavior analysts and worked as a consultant for international sites. She also is interested in the international dissemination of applied behavior analysis and parent training. Dr. De Souza is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level (BCBA-D) and a Licensed Behavior Analyst at the State of Missouri.
Dani Pizzella is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral level (BCBA-D). She received her doctorate in education with an emphasis in teaching and learning processes from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has taught a variety of behavior analysis courses at different institutions as well as course work in special education. She also works within the public school system while also doing private consultation and remote supervision. Her areas of interest include behavior analysis in schools, functional analyses of severe target behaviors, multidisciplinary collaboration, acceptance and commitment therapy, and remote training and supervision. She is passionate about culturally responsive behavior analysis as well as the international dissemination of behavior analysis.
Angela Range is the vice president of autism services at Great Circle. She also serves as an adjunct professor for the University of Missouri-St. Louis where she teaches graduate-level courses in the applied behavior analysis certification program. She has been working with individuals with developmental disabilities in the field of behavior analysis for over 15 years. She has extensive experience in developing and implementing behavioral interventions for children with severe behavioral challenges. Angela also has been actively involved in creating and overseeing programs providing behavior analysis services in community, educational, residential and clinic settings.
Karl Schoenherr earned his doctorate in education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. His interests include video-based interventions and dissemination of applied behavior analysis in public schools. With more than a decade and a half of experience in the field of special education, Dr. Schoenherr has worked as a paraprofessional, special education teacher and a behavior analyst. Dr. Schoenherr is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level (BCBA-D) and he is a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Missouri.
Sarah Kern accepted the role of adjunct instructor for the University of Missouri-St. Louis Applied Behavior Analysis graduate program in 2022. She has been a BCBA since 2017 and currently practices in an early childhood special education program in St. Louis. She has over 10 years of applied experience in working the field of behavior analysis and with children diagnosed with autism. She is working toward her doctorate in Teaching and Learning Processes, focusing on special education and applied behavior analysis.