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A Master’s Degree and Psychology and Behavior Analysis requires planning as a student navigates through the graduate program. A degree plan with listed courses in sequence is necessary to take all the required courses for graduation. Knowing ahead the licensure and credentialing requirements is essential to a smooth transition from graduate school to completing experience hours and taking the necessary exams to become a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. Planning is critical while pursuing a graduate program. Making those future goals of what is needed will lay the groundwork for achieving the necessary knowledge in the next three to ten years. To be successful while in graduate school, accessing the available resources at the university will expand a student’s network and help them pursue future jobs. To be well rounded, a student should also consider local organizations to join to foster that expanding network of peers in their field.
Degree Plan
To pursue a program specialization track at Purdue University Global one can choose a Master of Science in Psychology with an emphasis on Applied Behavior Analysis. One track that is popular with a majority of students is the non-practicum and comprehensive exam track. If someone is already working in the Applied Behavior Field (ABA), the non-practicum track is well suited for these students. Next comes the comprehensive exam which fits most individuals that pursue Applied Behavior Analysis. The master’s program will provide a strong balance between practical psychology and behavioral analysis. This unique program will provide any student the academic skills to complete the Board-Certified Behavior Analyst exam and become a leader in the specialized field of Applied Behavioral Analysis. Below, the course requirements are listed for a Master’s in Psychology and Behavior Analysis.
For a licensure as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), an applicant must obtain graduate-level coursework at a qualifying institution of behavior analysis. They need to receive either a Master’s in Science of Psychology, Education, or in Behavior Analysis. Coursework must adhere to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (BACB) 4th Edition Task List. On the BACB’s website, it details the sections that are covered in the exam such as behavioral knowledge and responsibilities for clients/service providers. (Behavior Analyst Certification Board [BACB], 2018a).
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During the applicant’s coursework, they are required to have supervised practical behavior analytic experience. Each applicant must complete the experience standards monthly and supervised independent fieldwork. Supervised independent fieldwork requires supervision by certified professionals. These qualified professionals consist of current licensed BCBA or a BCBA-D, a licensed psychologist with a background in Applied Behavior Analysis, or a Verified Course Sequence Instructor (BACB, 2018b).
Steps and Requirements
When pursuing the supervised independent fieldwork, a student is required to obtain a total number of supervision hours of 1,500 hours. Supervision entails two contacts and two observations by a BCBA supervisor during a monthly supervisory period. To figure out how much supervision time is required, the individual needs to meet with their supervisor for 5% of the total hours they worked in that month. (BACB, 2018b).
Once an individual has completed the necessary coursework, and the required experience hours, they submit a transcript and a copy of their total hours to the BACB. The exam covers questions on the 4th Edition Task List. Applicants completing the BCBA exam will need to answer 160 questions within four hours (BACB, 2018c). Once one passes this exam they are now, according to the BACB, able to represent themselves and practice behavior analytic services as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst.
Additional Requirements
Colorado has insurance requirements for new BCBA’s. For insurance purposes, an individual can provide behavioral services if they receive a master’s in behavioral science and maintain a BCBA certification (Applied Behavior Analysis, 2018). In Colorado, one can become a BCBA if they complete the BACB’s requirements for education, experience and pass the BCBA exam.
Career Plan
Career Goals
After graduating with a Master’s in Psychology and Behavior Analysis, I will continue to finish up my supervision hours. Within three years after graduation, my goal is to continue working at my current employment as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) at Consultants for Children Inc. (CFC). During my time at this agency, I can provide supervision to upcoming Registered Behavior Technicians and Board-Certified Associate Behavior Analysts. Writing treatment plans, behavior intervention plans and running assessments on individuals will also fall under my BCBA job responsibilities. After five years of graduation, I want to pursue a position as a district BCBA for my local school district, Boulder Valley School District (BVSD).
I perceive a need to train paraprofessionals on behavioral issues in the classroom. The district doesn’t provide the necessary training for these individuals, and I see high rate of injuries among district employees. My goal with the district is to provide ongoing training at multiple schools to all paraprofessionals that work with this intensive population. After ten years of graduating with a Master’s in Psychology, I would like to limit my time to be a consultant for a school district or organization. These years might be spent conducting training presentations or writing articles for scholarly journals.
Additional Education, Licensure, or Credentialing
I enjoy working with individuals that have been diagnosed with autism. If I were to continue working in this field, I would consider enrolling is specific courses geared towards Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). By focusing on autism specific classes, I could provide better effective treatments for those with behavioral issues and ASD. I would entertain the idea of completing a 14-hour continuing education course and taking an exam to receive an Autism Certificate (Autism Certificate, 2017).
Career Center Resources
Purdue University Global possesses extraordinary resources for graduate students. Throughout my education, I will be utilizing the Writing Center for tips on APA citing guidelines for those times when I am writing papers. In addition, it would be interesting to try submitting a paper to the Paper Review to get feedback on my writing to improve those writing skills. I have and will continue to connect to writing workshops or webinars. Next semester, I will sign up for a course in statistics. Since I haven’t had a math class in over twenty years, I will be accessing the math tutor resource to help me navigate the mathematical world. With all these resources at my fingertips, I am set up for success as a graduate student at Purdue University Global.
Other Purdue Global Resources
As far as other resources at Purdue University Global, I am interested in checking out the Autism Speaks U club. I look forward to networking amongst fellow student peers and accessing informational webinars. This organization is open to all students. Since my passion is working with individuals who have autism, this organization will provide me insights into that field. It will also encourage me to become a leader in the field of autism in my community (Purdue University Global, 2018a). Another organization to pursue would be to fill out an application for the Alpha Beta Kappa Honor Society. To join this organization, I will need to have completed 26 credits of a graduate program with a 3.75 GPA. If I were to receive this accolade, it would be helpful to put on resumes and assist with my leadership goals of becoming a BCBA. The skills acquired by graduating with a master’s degree and accomplishing membership in an honor society would be a career boost for future jobs. (Purdue University Global, 2018b).
Resources Outside of PG
While pursuing a Master’s in Psychology and Behavior Analysis, there will be ample supply of resources outside of Purdue University Global that can be explored. Currently, I am a member of two behavior analysis organizations which are the Colorado Association for Behavior Analysis (COABA) and Association of Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). COABA represents a local leading organization whose primary mission is to distribute knowledge about the most updated resources and interventions to practice behavior analysis (Colorado Association for Behavior Analysis, 2016). Members receive discounted tickets to conferences. On November 3rd, 2018, I will be attending for the first time a COABA conference in Denver, Colorado. By attending this conference, I can keep abreast of what is transpiring in the behavior analytic world and receive continuing education credits.
Conclusion
Pursuing a Master’s in Psychology and Behavior Analysis is a rewarding opportunity. Through Purdue Global University, students can detail the specifics of their degree plan, plan out career goals for after graduation, and utilize all the necessary resources they need to accomplish their goal. Networking outside of school is important to keep a student’s skills and knowledge up to date with the current research in the Applied Behavior Analysis field. After graduation, the final push is to obtain their licensure by passing the exam. All the hard work will pay off and they can practice behavior analysis as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst.
References
- Applied Behavior Analysis. How to become a behavior analyst in Colorado. 2018, https://www.appliedbehavioranalysisedu.org/colorado/
- Autism Certificate. Certification Recognizing Professionals with Additional Training in the Field of Autism. 2017 http://www.autismcertificate.com/
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board Inc. BACB Fourth Edition Task List. 2018a, https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/160101-BCBA-BCaBA-task-list-fourth-edition-english.pdf
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc. BCBA and BCaBA Experience Standards. 2018b, https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/BACB-bcbabcaba-Experience-Standards.pdf
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc. BCBA Content and Structure. 2018c, https://www.bacb.com/bcba/bcba-exam/
- Colorado Association for Behavior Analysis. COABA Mission. 2016 http://www.coaba.org/about-coaba.html
- Purdue University Global. Alpha Beta Kappa Honor Society. 2018b. https://www.purdueglobal.edu/student-experience/communities-clubs/
- Purdue University Global. Student Organizations. 2018a. https://www.purdueglobal.edu/student-experience/communities-clubs/
