B.C.B.A. PROGRAM
Frequently Asked Questions
The Association
for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) website addresses several excellent
frequently asked questions about behavior analysis. To review ABAI’s answers to
frequently asked questions please click here (http://www.abainternational.org/ba.asp)
What is the overall description of the BCBA® program?
This is a comprehensive 1-year program for candidates with
masters degrees in one of the following fields: Behavior Analysis, Psychology,
Special Education, Educational Psychology and Counseling, Child and Family
Studies, Marital Therapy, Clinical Social Work, Communication Disorders and
Sciences, or an equivalent field. This program is also appropriate for those
seeking the CSUN Psychology Department masters degree in Clinical Psychology to
then pursue the BCBA program.
The BCBA Program is comprised of four 3-unit graduate-level courses, 3 units in Special Topics in Applied Behavior Analysis, and two 1-unit preparatory courses within a seventeen unit program (255 classroom hours) formulated to address the Content Areas detailed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.
The program schedule and course content are developed with the needs of working professionals in mind. The goal of the program is to increase professional competence of candidates in the application of behavior analysis in different settings (e.g., home, school) with different learners (e.g., children with Autism, children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). In addition to preparation for the BCBA Exam, the curriculum prepares interested candidates for doctoral training.
A behavior analyst is concerned with improving and understanding human behavior (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007). A behavior analyst uses direct observation and experimentation to find causes for desired and undesired behaviors. Behavior analysts design strategies to alter socially significant behavior by changing existing behaviors, teaching new behaviors, teaching what behaviors are appropriate to use in different situations, and consistently evaluating the effectiveness of their behavioral interventions. To learn more about the criterion for judging research and practice in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as well as the scope of work in the science, see Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968/1987).
What is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®)?
A behavior analyst is Board Certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) after passing the BCBA® certification exam. To sit for the exam, a candidate must apply to the BACB® providing evidence of having a minimum of a master's degree, completion of 225 classroom hours of graduate level instruction in the specified content areas established by the BACB®, and accumulated supervised experience hours that meet the BACB® standards. For more specific information regarding the certification process, you may visit the BACB® home page by clicking on this link.
The career options of behavior analysts are limitless since the research, scope, and practice of behavior analysts vary tremendously. Behavior analysts work with people of all ages (i.e., from early childhood to geriatrics) and in any setting (e.g., home, school, hospital, residential facility, rehabilitation center, research lab or a place of business). Behavior analysts may directly work or consult with organizations or programs. The scope of ABA includes, but is not limited to: developmental disabilities (e.g. Autism, Mental Retardation), severe problems (e.g. Schizophrenia), anxiety, parenting, marital conflict, gerontology, behavioral medicine, sexual dysfunction, addiction, crime and delinquency, school, classroom and organizational management.
Despite the age of client, setting, and/or scope, the typical work of a BCBA® includes: 1) Interview and learn more about target behaviors of client(s); 2) Conduct direct and indirect assessments of behavior(s); 3) Propose strategies for behavior change based on assessment results and knowledge of effective treatment plans for similar issues; 4) Implement the intervention; 5) Collect data before and during the intervention; 6) Evaluate effectiveness of behavioralintervention; 7) Make modifications if necessary and plan for maintenance and generalization.
Since behavior analysis covers a broad scope, according to BACB® GUIDELINES FOR RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT, behavior analysts must:
(1.03a) Provide services, teach, and conduct research only within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, or appropriate professional experience
(1.02) Remain proficient in professional practice and the performance of professional functions by reading the appropriate literature, attending conferences and conventions, participating in workshops, and/or obtaining Behavior Analyst Certification Board® certification.
Are BCBA®s in demand and how much do they make?
The demand for well-trained Board Certified Behavior Analysts® is very high and continues to grow every year. Currently, there is an average of about 4 job openings available for every Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (http://fabaworld.org/careers.pdf). Download the PDF file accessibility viewer plug-in here. Salaries for behavior analysts will vary depending on the employment setting and the type of work performed within that setting. To get an idea regarding average expected earnings review current employment ads by going to the California Association for Behavior Analysis website or International Association for Behavior Analysis website.
Who should pursue certification in behavior analysis and why?
Many interested candidates of this program have been exposed to the field because they have worked under the supervision of clinical directors and/or BCBA®s carrying out behavioral plans with children who have special needs in the client’s home or school. Candidates with Master's degrees in related fields (see program description) or those interested in obtaining a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology to pursue this program with us should consider this post-MA program. In general, BCBA®s are trained to make effective change in the lives of their clients and those involved in the clients’ lives, therefore, BCBA®s are marketable and in high demand. You should pursue this certification if you enjoy working directly with clients and organizations or see yourself consulting with schools and businesses.
What does CSUN’s BCBA® program offer?
The BCBA®
Course-Series at CSUN has been approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification
Board®. Our faculty is committed to
offering the highest quality BCBA® program possible. Based on their many years
of experience working with undergraduate and graduate students, schools,
families, clients, and our CSU community, our faculty recognizes that the
quality of our program will directly affect the quality of behavioral services
that clients and organizations in our community receive. Therefore, offering
high quality education is of outmost importance to us. The Approved
Course-Series have been designed to give our candidates the opportunity to learn
about a wide range of behavior analytic work (e.g., working with children with
Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Self-Management, Geriatrics
population, Parenting, Marital Conflict) while ensuring that the candidates
become proficient in behavior principles, methodology, assessment, and
intervention. To ensure our candidates’ success, we have included a course to
directly prepare them for the BCBA® Exam. We are in the process of creating Board
Approved Practicum Experience for candidates interested in accumulating their
experience hours with us. We have also begun collaborations with nearby highly
regarded behavioral agencies to find paid positions for supervised experience,
research opportunities, and future employment for our candidates.
Furthermore, candidates who do not have MA degrees and seek to complete both
the MA in Clinical Psychology AND the BCBA program with us will benefit
from the marriage of the fields of Clinical Psychology and Applied Behavior
Analysis. Our MA in Clinical Psychology program includes courses on child and
adult psychopathology, DSM-IV-TR diagnoses, assessment using standardized
psychological batteries, research methods and statistics, and in-field clinical
experience. The Certified Behavior Analyst with an MA in Clinical Psychology
will have knowledge of the history, development, DSM-IV-TR criterion, tools for
psychological assessment, and symptomatology of child and adult disorders as
well as their effects on family members and family dynamics.
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Please review this site carefully and if you have questions that are NOT answered here, you may contact Ellie Kazemi, Ph.D., B.C.B.A.
Psychology Department at 376 Sierra Hall, CSU Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8255 / Phone: (818) 677-2827 / Fax: (818) 677-2829
This page was last updated on April 20, 2008 by David Thompson