Program Mission
To educate and form Franciscan servant leaders serving as highly skilled behavior analysts making a positive impact on those with diverse behavioral needs in our communities.
Program Purpose
The Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program is designed to prepare students for employment at the master’s level in ABA or to pursue doctoral studies in the field. The program will include extensive training in skill acquisition and behavior reduction procedures and expose students to a broad range of applied and experimental areas through coursework, service learning, research, internships and other applied experiences.
Through courses in conditioning and learning, research methods, ethics, biostatistics and epidemiology, behaviorism and supervision and management, ABA master’s students will develop the skills they need to confidently perform ABA to suit client needs and serve their community. The ABA master’s degree also offers an optional internship component, which allows students to put their education into action through hands-on learning experiences.
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
The M.S. in ABA curriculum is based on the scientist-practitioner model (aka, The Boulder Model) in order to produce practitioners who employ science in their clinical practice and scientists who seek to advance the understanding of behavior in important ways. This approach to graduate training has been asserted as integral to the field of ABA (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968; Normand, 2008; Reid, 1992). Based on the Behavior Analysis Certification Board’s Professional and Ethical Compliance Code (2014) it is expected that scientist-practitioners in the field receive formal training to conduct research from faculty and supervisors who have demonstrated proficiency with research. The consensus is that training, under the scientist-practitioner model, will produce improved clinical outcomes. Therefore, students enrolled in the ABA program will be expected to meet the scientist-practitioner learning outcomes:
- Critically evaluate relevant literature
- Employ the scientific method in the design and evaluation of clinical protocols
- Describe data-based clinical decisions through research methodology
- Participate in both clinical and research communities through dissemination of research
To be considered for admission to the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, the following admission requirements must be met:
- Successfully earn a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution prior to the first day of scheduled classes in the program
- Successful completion of one (1) course focusing on Applied Behavior Analysis*
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- Curriculum vitae
- A letter of intent that clearly states intent to apply to the ABA master’s degree program, desired enrollment date, why the applicant desires to be a behavior analyst, what they can personally contribute to the profession and why they are a good fit for the University
*All coursework will be reviewed in regard to course acceptability as meeting prerequisite requirements. If the pool of qualified applicants exceeds the program’s enrollment capacity, the selection process will involve interviews conducted by ABA faculty and priority will be granted to candidates who commit to enroll in the optional internship sequence.